The term that is transliterated as “Barnabas” in English means “son of exhortation,” “son of prophecy,” “son of consolation.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997)
In American Sign Language it is translated with a combination of the signs for the letter B and “encourage” (referring to Acts 11:23). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Barnabas” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 9:6:
Uma: “Do you think that only Barnabas and I have to work to get our (excl.) food? Isn’t it fitting that we (excl.) get a salary like the other apostles of the Lord Yesus?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Now, think also about this. Should Barnabas and I be the only ones working for our living? And the others are paid wages by you?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Can it be that only Barnabas and I do not have the right to ask for our living from those who receive our teaching?” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Is it perhaps correct what some say that only Barnabas and I have to work so we (excl.) will have a means-of-livelihood?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Although earning-a-living is the habit of Bernabe and me when we go teaching, don’t think that we (excl.) don’t have the right to stop this earning-a-living so that we can attend-to/face our position/responsibility.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Do you think I now and Barnabas are the only ones who must work to gain what we eat while we tell the good news?” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The first word of this verse, Or, suggests that the verse offers an alternative to verses 4 and 5. This supports the view that these two verses are also concerned with the support of the apostles and their families by the churches.
Is it only Barnabas and I is literally “only [singular] I and Barnabas.” But Paul’s grammar is not always strictly correct (see comments on 7.34). It is possible to translate the first part of this verse as “or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who….”
The phrase working for a living may be expressed also as “have to earn money by working.”
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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