Jesus

The Greek Iēsous is “only” a proper name but one with great importance. The following quote by John Ellington (in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 401ff. ) illustrates this:

“In Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus Christ, Joseph is told that when Mary gives birth to a son ‘you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’ (1:21). This name is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name [Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) which is a short form of a name meaning] ‘the Lord [Yahweh] saves.’ The name is very significant and is in itself especially dear to Christians around the world. (…) Unquestionably great importance is attached to the name of Jesus by Christians of all persuasions and backgrounds.”

While Iēsous (pronounced: /i.ɛː.suːs/) is transliterated as “Jesus” (pronounced /ˈdʒiːzəs/) in English (but was translated as “Hælend” [the “healing one”] in Old English — see Swain 2019) it is transliterated and pronounced in a large variety of other ways as well, following the different rules of different languages’ orthographies, writing systems and rules of pronunciation. The following is a (partial) list of forms of Jesus in Latin characters: aYeso, Azezi, Boiyesuq, Cecoc, Chesús, Chi̍i̍sū, Chisɔsi, Ciisahs, Ciise, Ciisusu, Djesu, Ɛisa, Ƹisa, Eyesu, Gesù, Gesû, Gesü, Ġesù, Ghjesù, Giêsu, ꞌGiê‑ꞌsu, Giê-xu, Gyisɛse, Hesu, Hesús, Hisus, Hisuw, Ià-sŭ, Iesen, Ié:sos, Iesu, Iesui, Iesusɨn, Iesusiva, Ié:sos, Ihu, Īhu, Iisus, Iisussa, Ijeesu, iJisọsị, Iji̍sɔ̄ɔsi, Iosa, Íosa, Ìosa, İsa, I’sa, Isiso, Isõs, Ísu, Isus, Isusa, Iisussa, Isuthi, Itota, Îtu, Isuva, Izesu, Izesuq, Jasus, Jeeju, Jeesus, Jeesuse, Jeezas, Jehu, Jeisu, Jeju, Jejus, Jesesi, Jeshu, Jeso, Jesoe, Jesosa, Jesoshi, Jesosi, Jesosy, Jesu, Jesû, Jesua, Jesuh, Jesuhs, Jesuo, Jesús, Jésus, Jesúsu, Jethu, Jezed, Jezi, Jézi, Ježiš, Jezu, Jezus, Jézus, Jėzus, Jēzus, Jezusi, Jėzus, Jezuz, Jiijajju, Jíísas, Jiisusi, Jiizas, Jíìzọ̀s, Jisas, Jisase, Jisasi, Jisasɨ, Jisaso, Jisesi, Jisɛ̀, Jisos, Jisọs, Jisɔs, Jisu, Jiszs, Jizọs, Jizɔs, Jizọsi, Jizọsu, Jòso, Jusu, Jweesus, Ketsutsi, Njises, ọYẹsọ, Sesi, Sisa, Sísa, Sisas, Sises, Sīsū, Sizi, Txesusu, uJesu, Ujísɔ̄si, ŵaYesu, Xesosi, ´Xesús, Xesús, Yasu, Ya:su, yasuɛ, Yasuuⓐ, Ɣaysa, Yecu, Yeeb Sub, Yeeh Suh, Yeesey, Yeeso, Yeesso, Yēēsu, Yehsu, Yëësu, Yeiqsul, Yeisu, Yeisuw, Yeshu, Yē shú, Yeso, Yéso, Yesò, Yëso, Yɛso, ye-su, Yésu, Yêsu, Yẹ́sụ̃, Yěsù, Yésʉs, Yeswa, Yet Sut, Yetut, Yexus, Yezo, Yezu, Yiesu, Yiisa, Yiisu, Yiitju, Yis, Yisɔs, Yisufa, Yitati, Yusu, ‑Yusu, :Yusu’, Zeezi, Zezi, Zezì, Zezuz, Zezwii, Ziizɛ, Zisas, Zîsɛ, Zjezus, Zozi, Zozii, and this (much more incomplete) list with other writings systems: ᔩᓱᓯ, ᒋᓴᔅ, Հիսուս, ᏥᏌ, ኢየሱስ, ያሱስ, ܝܫܘܥ, Ісус, Їисъ, 耶稣, იესო, ईसा, イエス, イイスス, イエスス, 예수, येशू, येशो, ਈਸਾ, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ජේසුස්, যীশু, ଯୀଶୁ, ཡེ་ཤུ་, ‘ঈছা, இயேசு, ಯೇಸು, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ယေရှု, ઇસુ, जेजू, येसु, เยซู, យេស៊ូ, ᱡᱤᱥᱩ, ယေသှု, యేసు, ᤕᤧᤛᤢ᤺ᤴ, އީސާގެފާނު, ਯਿਸੂ, ꕉꖷ ꔤꕢ ꕞ, ⵏ⵿ⵗⵢⵙⴰ, ଜୀସୁ, يَسُوعَ,ㄧㄝㄙㄨ, YE-SU, ꓬꓰ꓿ꓢꓴ, 𖽃𖽡𖾐𖼺𖽹𖾏𖼽𖽔𖾏, ꑳꌠ, ᠶᠡᠰᠦᠰ (note that some of these might not display correctly if your device does not have the correct fonts installed).

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In some languages the different confessions have selected different transliterations, such as in Belarusian with Isus (Ісус) by the Orthodox and Protestant churches and Yezus (Езус) by the Catholic church, Bulgarian with Iisus (Иисус) by the Orthodox and Isus (Исус) by the Protestant church, Japanese with Iesu (イエス) (Protestant and Catholic) and Iisusu (イイスス) (Orthodox), or Lingala with Yesu (Protestant) or Yezu (Catholic). These differences have come to the forefront especially during the work on interconfessional translations such as one in Lingala where “many hours were spent on a single letter difference” (source: Ellington, p. 401).

In Literary and Mandarin Chinese where transliterations of proper names between the Catholic and Protestant versions typically differ vastly, the Chinese name of Jesus (Yēsū 耶稣) remarkably was never brought into question between and by those two confessions, likely due to its ingenious choice. (Click or tap here to see more).

The proper name of God in the Old Testament, Yahweh (YHWH), is rendered in most Chinese Bible translations as Yēhéhuá 耶和華 — Jehovah. According to Chinese naming conventions, Yēhéhuá could be interpreted as Yē Héhuá, in which Yē would be the family name and Héhuá — “harmonic and radiant” — the given name. In the same manner, Yē 耶 would be the family name of Jesus and Sū 稣 would be his given name. Because in China the children inherit the family name from the father, the sonship of Jesus to God the Father, Jehovah, would be illustrated through this. Though this line of argumentation sounds theologically unsound, it is indeed used effectively in the Chinese church (see Wright 1953, p. 298).

Moreover, the “given name” of Sū 稣 carries the meaning ‘to revive, to rise again’ and seems to point to the resurrected Jesus. (Source: J. Zetzsche in Malek 2002, p. 141ff., see also tetragrammaton (YHWH))

There are different ways that Bible translators have chosen historically and today in how to translate the name of Jesus in predominantly Muslim areas: with a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) (which is used for “Jesus” in the Qur’an), the Greek Iēsous, or, like major 20th century Bible translations into Standard Arabic, the Aramaic Yēšūaʿ: Yasua (يَسُوعَ). (Click or tap here to see more.)

Following are languages and language groups that use a form of Isa include the following (note that this list is not complete):

  • Indo-Iranian languages: Persian, Dari, Central Pashto, Southern Pashto all use Eysa (عيسی or عيسىٰ for Southern Pashto), Sindhi uses Eysey (عيسيٰ), Southern Balochi Issa (ایسّا), Central Kurdish (Sorani) and Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) use Îsa (عیسای and Иса respectively), Turkmen has Isa, and Tajik Isoi (Исои — compare Iso/Исо in the Tajik Qur’an)
  • Turkic languages: Turkish uses İsa, Kazakh, Kumyk, Nogai, Crimean Tatar all have Isa (Иса), Kirghiz has Iysa (Ыйса), Uzbek has Iso (Исо — compare Iiso/Ийсо in the Uzbek Qur’an), Bashkir uses Aaisa (Ғайса), North Azerbaijani İsa, Uighur uses Eysa (ئەيسا), and Kara-Kalpak İysa (Ийса)
  • Caucasian languages: Bezhta and Lezghian use Isa (Иса), Avaric has Aisa (ГІиса), and Chechen Iza (Иза)
  • Various African languages: Somali, a Cushitic language, has Ciise, Kabyle has Ɛisa and Tahaggart Tamahaq has Yeswa (both Berber languages), the Saharan languages Central Kanuri, Manga Kanuri have Isa, the Atlantic-Congo languages Dagbani, Mampruli, and Bimoba use Yisa, and the Chadian Arabic Bible has Isa (عِيسَى)
  • In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
  • Some languages have additional “TAZI” editions (TAZI stands for “Tawrat, Anbiya, Zabur, and Injil” the “Torah, Prophets, Psalms and Gospel”) of the New Testament that are geared towards Muslim readers where there is also a translation in the same language for non-Muslims. In those editions, Isa is typically used as well (for example, the Khmer TAZI edition uses Isa (អ៊ីសា) rather than the commonly used Yesaou (យេស៊ូ), the Thai edition uses Isa (อีซา) rather than Yesu (เยซู), the Chinese edition uses Ěrsā (尔撒) vs. Yēsū (耶稣), and the English edition also has Isa rather than Jesus.)

In German the name Jesus (pronounced: /ˈjeːzʊs/) is distinguished by its grammatical forms. Into the 20th century the grammatical rules prescribed a unique Greek-Latin declination: Jesus (nominative), Jesu (genitive, dative, vocative), Jesum (accusative), from which today only the genitive case “Jesu” is still in active use. Likewise, in Seediq (Taroko), the morphological treatment of “Jesus” also occupies a special category by not falling under the normal rule of experiencing a vowel reduction when the object-specific suffix an is added “since it was felt that the readers might resent that the name has been changed that drastically.” (Compare Msian for “Moses” (Mosi) as an object, but Yisuan for “Jesus” (Yisu).) (Source: Covell 1998. p. 249)

In Lamba the name ŵaYesu consists of a transliteration Yesu and the prefix ŵa, a plural form for “proper names when addressing and referring to persons in any position of seniority or honor.” While this was avoided in early translations to avoid possible misunderstandings of more than one Jesus, once the church was established it was felt that it was both “safe” and respectful to use the honorific (pl.) prefix. (Source C. M. Doke in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 57ff. )

In virtually all sign languages, “Jesus” is signed with the middle finger of each hand pointing to the palm (or wrist) of the other in succession (signing the nails of the cross). In the context of Bible translation this has been pointed out as theologically problematic since the “semantic connections of the original name Jesus do point towards ‘salvation,’ they do not naturally lead to crucifixion.” (Source: Phil King in Journal of Translation 1 (2020), p. 33ff.)


“Jesus” in German Sign Language (source )

Following is the oldest remaining Ethiopian Orthodox icon of Jesus from the 14th or possibly 13th century (found in the Church of the Saviour of the World in Gurji, Ethiopia). As in many Orthodox icons, Jesus’ right hand forms the Greek letters I-C-X-C for IHCOYC XPICTOC or “Jesus Christ.” Another interpretation of the right hand is that it shows three fingers pointing to the Trinity, while the two other fingers point to Jesus’ two natures.

source (c) Jacques Mercier and Alain Mathieu

Orthodox icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

The following is the so-called “Wales Window for Alabama.” It is a stained-glass window by the artist John Petts from Carmarthenshire, Wales, created in response to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which took place in 1963:

Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )

The style of the following drawing of Jesus by Annie Vallotton is described by the artist as this: “By using few lines the readers fill in the outlines with their imagination and freedom. That is when the drawings begin to communicate.” (see here ; see also We All are One in Christ)

Illustration by Annie Vallotton, copyright by Donald and Patricia Griggs of Griggs Educational Service.

Other visual representation of Jesus in TIPs include several non-Western styles of art: traditional Korean art, traditional Chinese art, modern Chinese abstract art, northern and central Thailand’s popular art, Indian Hamzanama style, traditional Vietnamese art, or Japanese prints.

See also this devotion on YouVersion .

Father (address for God)

The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”

If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also Lord and my / our Father.

pronoun for "God"

God transcends gender, but most languages are limited to grammatical gender expressed in pronouns. In the case of English, this is traditionally confined to “he” (or in the forms “his,” “him,” and “himself”), “she” (and “her,” “hers,” and “herself”), and “it” (and “its” and “itself”).

Modern Mandarin Chinese, however, offers another possibility. Here, the third-person singular pronoun is always pronounced the same (tā), but it is written differently according to its gender (他 is “he,” 她 is “she,” and 它/牠 is “it” and their respective derivative forms). In each of these characters, the first (or upper) part defines the gender (man, woman, or thing/animal), while the second element gives the clue to its pronunciation.

In 1930, after a full century with dozens of Chinese translations, Bible translator Wang Yuande (王元德) coined a new “godly” pronoun: 祂. Chinese readers immediately knew how to pronounce it: tā. But they also recognized that the first part of that character, signifying something spiritual, clarified that each person of the Trinity has no gender aside from being God.

While the most important Protestant and Catholic Chinese versions respectively have opted not to use 祂, some Bible translations do and it is widely used in hymnals and other Christian materials. Among the translations that use 祂 to refer to “God” were early versions of Lü Zhenzhong’s (呂振中) version (New Testament: 1946, complete Bible: 1970). R.P. Kramers (in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 152ff. ) explains why later versions of Lü’s translation did not continue with this practice: “This new way of writing ‘He,’ however, has created a minor problem of its own: must this polite form be used whenever Jesus is referred to? Lü follows the rule that, wherever Jesus is referred to as a human being, the normal tā (他) is written; where he is referred to as divine, especially after the ascension, the reverential tā (祂) is used.”

In Kouya, Godié, Northern Grebo, Eastern Krahn, Western Krahn, and Guiberoua Béte, all languages of the Kru family in Western Africa, a different kind of system of pronouns is used (click or tap here to read more):

In that system, one kind of pronoun is used for humans (male and female alike) and others for natural elements, non-liquid masses, and some spiritual entities (one other is used for large animals and another one for miscellaneous items). While in these languages the pronoun for spiritual entities used to be employed when referring to God, this has changed into the use of the human pronoun.

Lynell Zogbo (in The Bible Translator 1989, p. 401ff. ) explains: “From informal discussions with young Christians especially, it would appear that, at least for some people, the experience and/or concepts of Christianity are affecting the choice of pronoun for God. Some people explain that God is no longer ‘far away,’ but is somehow tangible and personal. For these speakers God has shifted over into the human category.”

In Kouya, God (the Father) and Jesus are referred to with the human pronoun ɔ, whereas the Holy Spirit is referred to with a non-human pronoun. (Northern Grebo and Western Krahn make a similar distinction.)

Eddie Arthur, a former Kouya Bible translation consultant, says the following: “We tried to insist that this shouldn’t happen, but the Kouya team members were insistent that the human pronoun for the Spirit would not work.”

In Burmese, the pronoun ko taw (ကိုယ်တော်) is used either as 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he, him, his) reference. “This term clearly has its root in the religious language in Burmese. No ordinary persons are addressed or known by this pronoun because it is reserved for Buddhist monks, famous religious teachers, and in the case of Christianity, the Trinity.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 202ff. )

In Thai, the pronoun phra`ong (พระองค์) is used, a gender-neutral pronoun which must refer to a previously introduced royal or divine being. Similarly, in Northern Khmer, which is spoken in Thailand, “an honorific divine pronoun” is used for the pronoun referring to the persons of the Trinity (source: David Thomas in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 445 ). In Urak Lawoi’, another language spoken in Thailand, the translation often uses tuhat (ตูฮัด) — “God” — ”as a divine pronoun where Thai has phra’ong even though it’s actually a noun.” (Source for Thai and Urak Lawoi’: Stephen Pattemore)

The English “Contemporary Torah” addresses the question of God and gendered pronouns by mostly avoiding pronouns in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (unless God is referred to as “lord,” “father,” “king,” or “warrior”). It does that by either using passive constructs (“He gave us” vs. “we were given”), by using the adjective “divine” or by using “God” rather than a pronoun.

Some Protestant and Orthodox English Bibles use a referential capitalized spelling when referring to the persons of the Trinity with “He,” “His,” “Him,” or “Himself.” This includes for instance the New American Standard Bible or The Orthodox New Testament, but most translations do not. Other languages where this is also done (in most Bible translations) are Twents as well as Indonesian and Malay. In the latter two languages this follows the language usage according to the Qur’an, which in turn predicts that usage (see Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1991, p. 442ff. and The Bible Translator 1997, p. 433ff. ).

See also first person pronoun referring to God.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Gender of God .

Translation: Chinese

在现代汉语中，第三人称单数代词的读音都是一样的（tā），但是写法并不一样，取决于性别以及是否有生命，即男性为“他”，女性为“她”，动物、植物和无生命事物为“它”（在香港和台湾的汉语使用，动物则为“牠”）。这些字的部首偏旁表明了性别（男人、女人、动物、无生命事物），而另一偏旁通常旁提示发音。

到1930年为止，基督教新教《圣经》经过整整一百年的翻译已经拥有了十几个译本，当时的一位圣经翻译者王元德新造了一个“神圣的”代词“祂”，偏旁“礻”表示神明。一般汉语读者会立即知道这字的发音是tā，而这个偏旁表示属灵的事物，因此他们明白这个字指出，三位一体的所有位格都没有性别之分，而单单是上帝。

然而，最重要的新教圣经译本（1919年的《和合本》）和天主教圣经译本（1968年的《思高圣经》）都没有采用“祂”；虽然如此，许多其他的圣经译本采用了这个字，另外还广泛出现在赞美诗和其他基督信仰的书刊中。（资料来源：Zetzsche）

《吕振中译本》的几个早期版本也使用“祂”来指称“上帝”；这个译本的《新约》于1946年译成，整部《圣经》于1970年完成。克拉默斯（Kramers）指出：“‘他’的这种新写法（即‘祂’）产生了一个小问题，就是在指称耶稣的时候，是否一律使用这个敬语代词？《吕振中译本》遵循的原则是，在称呼耶稣这个人的时候，用一般的‘他’，而在称呼耶稣神性的时候，特别是升天之后的耶稣，则用尊称‘祂’。”

Translator: Simon Wong

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

complete verse (1 Peter 1:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 1:2:

  • Uma: “You were chosen by God the Father because thus was his purpose from the beginning. He chose you with the work of the Holy Spirit who made you his portion, with the result that you submit to Yesus Kristus and he made you holy with his blood. Many greetings: I cry out to God, that he give you more-and-more of his blessings and goodness of life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “God our (incl.) Father knew you already beforehand and chose you to make you his people and your (pl.) livers have been cleaned/made holy by the Spirit of God. You are chosen so that you follow/obey Isa Almasi and so that your sins are forgiven because of Isa Almasi’s blood that was poured out at his death. May (karayaw) God’s help to you increase and may the peace in your livers increase.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Our Father God has chosen you according to His desire long ago which was: He wanted to make you righteous by means of the Holy Spirit so that you might become subjects of Jesus Christ and so that you might also be forgiven because of your being annointed with the blood of Jesus. May He show you kindness, and may you be very peaceful.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “God the Father chose you according to his original/previous decision (doesn’t imply later change of mind) to turn-you -into his holy people through the Holy Spirit. That’s what he decided in order that you would obey Jesu Cristo and be cleansed through his blood. May you increasingly experience grace/mercy/kindness and peace.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As for you, you were chosen by God the Father in harmony with what-he-had-in-mind already and had determined from the distant past. He chose you so that by the power of the Espiritu Santo who indwells your body, you will be made obedient to Jesu-Cristo, your sins now having been forgiven because of his blood which was shed (lit.caused to drip). I pray that hopefully always plentiful there with you is the grace/mercy and peace/protection of mind/inner-being which God gives.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “God our Father chose you because he knew what must come about in the future. The Holy Spirit caused you to become God’s people. It is wanted that you do what Jesus Christ orders you to do and to be acquitted of your sin by means of his blood which he shed. I want that God will very much give you his blessing and give you peace of heart.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Peter 1:2

This verse further describes the recipients of the letter in three ways: (1) They are chosen according to the purpose of God the Father, (2) they were made a holy people by his Spirit, and (3) they were chosen to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood. It can be seen very clearly that this is, in trinitarian language, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, although the traditional order is not followed. If the letter can be regarded as primarily a baptismal sermon (see Introduction), then the presence of the Trinity right at the beginning would be most appropriate.

According to the purpose of God the Father is literally “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” “Foreknowledge” is a difficult word to interpret. It can mean simply “to know beforehand,” in which case all that Peter is saying is that God knew all along that he would choose them, and when the right time came, he did just that. However, many interpreters understand the word to include God’s intention and purpose, and this is reflected in Good News Translation and some other translations (New English Bible [New English Bible], Jerusalem Bible [Jerusalem Bible]). A further element which is included in the word is “foreordaining.” What God knows beforehand he makes sure will happen; otherwise, his knowledge is limited. Accordingly, this is also reflected in some translations, for example, Phillips (Phillips) “knew and chose long ago…”; Revised Standard Version “chosen and destined by God the Father”; Moffatt (Moffatt) “whom God the Father has predestined and chosen.”

There are, of course, many problems that arise out of this one word. However, it must be remembered that Peter was speaking as a devout Jew and was probably not aware of all the theological, metaphysical, and logical problems that would arise out of his letter. The passive construction You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father must be made active in a number of languages, and God the Father must be clearly indicated as the agent of the choosing. One can, for example, restructure the first part of verse 2 as “God the Father chose you according to his own purpose.” The term purpose may be expressed in some instances as “that is what he wanted to accomplish.”

The term chosen should reflect what has already been employed in verse 1 in speaking of God’s chosen people. There is the danger, however, in a term such as chosen to suggest “selecting” in a negative sense, since in some instances a term for “selecting” may suggest selecting what is bad from what is good, that is to say, to pick out the bad in order to dispose of it.

If one wishes to render the term purpose as meaning “destined” or “predestined,” it is possible to employ a phrase such as “arranged ahead of time what would happen to.”

The expression were made a holy people by his Spirit is literally “in [or “by”] sanctification of the Spirit.” Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit. “Sanctification” may refer to the act and process of being made holy, with “holy” interpreted morally. This is reflected in some translations, for example Barclay (Barclay) “who are travelling on the road to holiness in the power of the Spirit.” On the other hand, “sanctification” may refer to a process by which a person is made a part of God’s own people, and it is the Spirit who does this. This seems to be what is favored by the Good News Translation, with “holy” understood not primarily as an ethical term, but in a strictly religious sense: it is the very fact of a person’s being set apart that makes him holy.

As in the case of the passive expression You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father, it may also be necessary to change from passive to active the phrase were made a holy people by his Spirit, for example, “God’s Spirit made you a holy people.” On the other hand, if holy is to be understood in the sense of a particular relationship to God, then one may translate were made a holy people by his Spirit as “God’s Spirit made you his people” or “… caused you to become the people of God.”

Some translators have wanted to always employ “Holy Spirit” in rendering “Spirit” (when the reference is to the Holy Spirit). This does, however, imply certain complications in some instances. For example, if one says “God’s Holy Spirit made you his people,” the question might be raised as to whether God had an “evil Spirit” as well as a “good Spirit” or “Holy Spirit.” Even more fundamental problems, however, are involved in the choice of a word for Spirit in speaking of the “Holy Spirit,” since some terms for “spirit” may only suggest that aspect of personality which lives on after death, that is to say, a kind of disembodied spirit, and such a term is normally unacceptable in speaking of God’s Spirit. One should also avoid a term for “Spirit” which would suggest a kind of “familiar spirit” which God might send out on various tasks as a kind of spiritual errand boy. Basically, a term for God’s Spirit should be one which suggests the non-physical power or aspect of personality which can think, will, and perform actions. Such a spirit should be the non-physical aspect of personality. One should not, however, expect to find in a word for “spirit” all the theological implications of a trinitarian view. Such theologically derived doctrines as the Trinity come from the broader understanding of Scripture and the interpretation of such a doctrine cannot be readily forced into the meaning of any single term or phrase.

What is the relationship between the act of the Spirit with that of the Father? First of all, the “sanctification” of the believers can be understood as the purpose of being chosen by God (for example, Phillips, Knox, Jerusalem Bible). Secondly, however, “sanctification” and “chosen-ness” can be understood as belonging to a process: people are chosen, and now they are made holy (for example, Good News Translation, New English Bible, New American Bible [New American Bible], Barclay). Finally, sanctification can be understood as the instrument of the call (for example, Moffatt “predestined and chosen, by the consecration of the Spirit…”). The weight of scholarly opinion seems to favor the second of these alternatives.

The phrase to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood is related to what precedes in various ways. Some understand this as a result of election. Others understand it as a result of their being sanctified (as probably New American Bible “consecrated by the Spirit to a life of obedience to Jesus Christ and purification with his blood”). Still others understand it as the purpose of being chosen by God and of being made a holy people (as in Good News Translation, Phillips “that they might obey Jesus Christ…”; also Moffatt and Knox). A fourth possible position is to understand it as simply the third in a trilogy, without defining its relation to what precedes. The key to a proper interpretation is how to understand the Greek preposition which introduces the phrase (literally “into”), which in some cases denotes purpose, and in other cases result. If one wishes to indicate clearly the purpose involved in the phrase to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood, it is possible to translate “in order that you may obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood.” Result may be expressed as “as a result you will obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood” or “this will cause you to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood.”

There is normally no difficulty in rendering the expression “obey Jesus Christ,” since “obeying a person” is a common expression in almost any language. However, sometimes a term which also means “hear” carries the meaning of “obey,” for example, “you will hear Jesus Christ.” On the other hand, obedience may be spelled out in rather specific terms, “do what Jesus Christ has told you to do” or “conform yourself to Jesus Christ’s commands.”

Be purified by his blood (literally “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ”) is, of course, metaphorical speech. There are many possible Old Testament passages which can be the background for this statement, but the most probable is Exodus 24.1-11, where the covenant sacrifice is described. In this ceremony, the blood sprinkled on the altar symbolizes the people’s obedience to God, and the blood sprinkled on the people symbolizes the people sharing in the blessings of the sacrifice, primarily, entering into the covenant relationship. Cleansing, purification, and forgiveness were not formerly parts of the understanding of the sacrifice, but were soon associated with it, and this kind of association is reflected in various parts of the New Testament.

Blood here refers to Jesus’ death on the cross. To be purified by Jesus’ blood is to share in the blessings and benefits arising out of Jesus’ death, and these benefits may be forgiveness, purification, or simply a new relationship with God, realized primarily in the church. All of this is possible, especially as one remembers that the metaphor is related to the sacrament of baptism, which symbolizes not only forgiveness, but also initiation into the Christian fellowship.

Most translations have kept the metaphor, the one exception being Barclay “share in the new relationship with God which God [Jesus?] made possible by his sacrificial death.”

Be purified by his blood may be rendered as “his sacrificial death will cause you to become pure” or “by his sacrificial death he will cause you to become pure.” Sometimes the means expressed in the phrase by his blood or “by his sacrificial death” must be expressed as a causative, for example, “because he died, he will cause you to become pure.”

A term rendering “pure” should not be applicable merely to some physical substance, but should suggest a moral and/or spiritual state. Sometimes, however, this can only be expressed in terms of “forgiveness,” for example, “will cause you to be forgiven” or “to cause you not to have guilt.”

After addressing his readers in a very theological manner, Peter now greets them with the traditional Christian greeting. Grace reflects an expression commonly used among Greek speakers, and it refers to God’s undeserved love. Peace, on the other hand, reflects an expression used among Jewish people, and it denotes total health, total well-being, in other words, the sum total of what God bestows on people in order for them to enjoy life in all its abundance. Both of these words are now combined together in a Christian greeting, which, judging by its presence in other letters as well, seems to have been the traditional and popular greeting among Christians. It is very tempting to take these words in their full theological meaning and impact; one must remember, however, that these are part of a greeting formula, and therefore must be translated according to their function within the formula.

The type of third person request for blessing as in the clause May grace and peace be yours in full measure must be expressed in a number of languages by introducing the agent and also by preposing an expression of prayer or request, for example, “I pray that God may give you grace and peace in abundance” or “… a great deal of grace and peace.”

Since in a number of languages grace is most closely related to a term for “love,” one may translate May grace … be yours as “may God show his love to you.”

Peace may be expressed in some instances as “well being,” and therefore May grace and peace be yours could be expressed as “may God show his love and cause you to have happiness” or “… to enjoy life.”

Be yours in full measure is literally “be multiplied to you,” and is a distinctive feature of Jewish prayers (compare Dan 4.1; 6.25). It conveys the hope that the readers will receive “grace and peace” continually and that their lives are therefore blest and made more pleasant as a result (compare New American Bible “be yours in abundance”; Jerusalem Bible “be with you more and more”).

In many of Paul’s letters, the source of “grace and peace” is usually indicated (God, Christ, or both). There is no explicit source here, but the implicit source is most probably God.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The First Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Peter 1:2

1:2

There are different ways to interpret the connections between the ideas in 1:2. The Notes on 1:2a–e discuss the ideas and connections in detail. Here is a summary:

(a) God the Father chose the believers to whom Peter was writing (and all who believe in Jesus) to be his own people.

(b) God knew the believers before he chose them, and his choice agreed with that knowledge.

(c) God chose the believers by the work of his Spirit to make them holy as his own people.

(d) God chose them so that they would obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood.

Notice that (c) expresses the means by which God chose the believers and (d) expresses the purpose for which he chose them.

1:2a

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as according to means “in agreement with.” God knew the believers before he chose them, and his choice was consistent with what he already knew of them.

In some languages it is necessary to change the order of choosing and knowing. For example, the God’s Word says:

God the Father knew you ⌊long ago⌋ and chose you

the foreknowledge of God the Father: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as foreknowledge indicates that what God planned in the past, God makes sure will happen according to his plan. The word does not indicate when in the past God made his plan. In some languages it may be necessary to include a general expression like:

much earlier
-or-
long ago (New Living Translation (2004))

The phrase may be expressed in several ways:

God planned long ago to choose you (New Century Version)
-or-
God the Father chose you long ago according to his plan
-or-
God the Father purposed long ago to choose you

If your language uses passive verbs, you could say:

It was God the Father’s purpose long ago to choose you

1:2b

and sanctified by the Spirit: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and is literally “in” or “by.” There are several ways to understand the way that this part of the verse relates to 1:1b–1:2a:

(1) The sanctifying work of the Spirit was the means by which God chose Peter’s readers to be his own people. For example, the New American Standard Bible says:

[chosen…] by the sanctifying work of the Spirit

(New International Version, King James Version, New Century Version, Revised English Bible, New American Standard Bible)

(2) The sanctifying work of the Spirit was another thing that God did for Peter’s readers. For example, the Good News Translation says:

[You were chosen…] and were made a holy people by his Spirit

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation)

(3) The sanctifying work of the Spirit was the purpose for which God chose Peter’s readers. For example, the New Jerusalem Bible says:

[chosen] to be made holy by the Spirit

(God’s Word, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you choose interpretation (1). God’s Spirit sanctified (set apart) the people for God as his own. This was the way that God chose them.

sanctified by the Spirit: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sanctified by the Spirit means that God’s Holy Spirit had sanctified Peter’s readers. To “sanctify” something is to set it apart as holy and belonging to God. In this context the Spirit had made Peter’s readers holy and had set them apart for God. Now they belonged to God alone. Other ways to translate this are:

being set apart by the Spirit (NET Bible)
-or-
the consecrating work of the Spirit (Revised English Bible)
-or-
the Spirit has made you holy (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the Spirit setting you apart ⌊only for God⌋

1:2c

for obedience to Jesus Christ: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces two purposes for which God chose the believers (1:2c and 1:2d). The first purpose was that they would obey Jesus Christ. In this context Peter probably implied a special way in which they had obeyed. They had obeyed Jesus Christ by believing in him and recognizing him as their Lord whom they would continue to obey forever. Other ways to translate this are:

to be obedient to Jesus Christ
-or-
in order that you would obey Jesus Christ
-or-
because he/God wanted you to obey Jesus Christ

1:2d

sprinkling by His blood: This phrase is a figure of speech that tells the second purpose for which God chose the believers. Jesus’ blood symbolizes his death. The action of sprinkling the blood symbolizes that God purifies believers from their sins because Jesus died for them. It does not imply that Jesus’ literal blood would be sprinkled on them.

The symbol of sprinkling a person with blood was used in the Old Testament. In Exodus 24:3–8, Moses sprinkled the blood of bulls on the people of Israel in order to symbolize that God was purifying them.

Here are possible ways to translate this:

• Translate both the figure of speech and its meaning. For example:

so that ⌊God would declare you not guilty of your sins⌋ because of Jesus Christ’s ⌊death, as though his⌋ blood was sprinkled on you
-or-
to be sprinkled by his blood ⌊that purifies you from your sins⌋

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

[to] be purified by his blood. (Good News Translation)
-or-
so that ⌊God⌋ might use the blood/death of Jesus Christ to make/declare you pure/not guilty

• Translate the figure of speech and include a footnote to explain the meaning. An example of a possible footnote is:

Jesus’ blood symbolized his death for people. In the Old Testament, Moses sprinkled the Israelites with blood from bulls sacrificed to God. This was a symbol that God was purifying them. See Exodus 24:3–8 and Leviticus 14:6–7. Now God purifies believers from their sins and declares them forgiven because Jesus died for them.

His blood: The blood of Jesus Christ refers to blood that he shed when he died. You may need to make this explicit. For example:

the blood of his ⌊death⌋
-or-
his ⌊life⌋ blood

Paragraph 1:2e

1:2e

Grace and peace be yours in abundance: During the time that Peter wrote this letter, Christians often greeted each other by saying “Grace and peace to you.” It was a sort of blessing. Here Peter expressed his desire for God to bless his readers. If you have a similar form of greeting or blessing in your language, you may be able to use it here. Refer to your translation of the similar phrases in Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; and Philippians 1:2.

Some English versions indicate that God is the source/giver of the Grace and peace (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004)). You may do this if it sounds natural in your language and culture. For example:

May you know more and more of God’s grace and peace (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

• In some languages it may be necessary to use different phrases to express the ideas of Grace and peace. Notice the two phrases connected by “and” in the examples below:

⌊May God show⌋ you much grace and ⌊give⌋ you much peace.
-or-

⌊May God⌋ favor you and calm your hearts/minds more and more.

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in abundance is literally “be multiplied.” To have grace and peace in abundance means “to have much grace and peace,” “to experience grace and peace greatly or increasingly.” In some languages, there may be an idiom to express this idea. Some ways to translate this are:

May you receive ⌊God’s⌋ special favor and live in increasing peace.
-or-
May God favor you more and more and make you supremely content.

Grace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Grace refers to kindness that is shown to people freely, not because they have done anything to deserve it. The Christians added the word Grace to the common Jewish greeting of “peace.” In this context, the word refers to God’s grace. He is good to people because he loves them. The people have not done anything to deserve his goodness.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

kindness
-or-
generous help
-or-
favor

peace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as peace means wholeness or well-being. It describes the calmness that people could feel by knowing that God was taking care of them. For believers in Jesus, it also implies the peace of knowing that God has forgiven them and is pleased with them. They do not have to worry or be afraid.

Another way to say this is:

that you may be calm/peaceful

In some languages there may be an idiom to express this idea.

General Comment on 1:2e

Your language may usually require you to translate both of the nouns Grace and peace with a clause, rather than a single word. However, when you translate greetings, you may want to use a shorter expression. In 1:2e, Peter was greeting his readers, not teaching them about “Grace and peace”.

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