Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 1:4:
Uma: “We hope/trust God will give us the blessings that he has prepared for all his children. Those blessing are the kind that do not get-destroyed or rot or change, because he has stores them for us in heaven.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “And we (incl.) expect that all the good/blessing will be ours (incl.)/belong to us (incl.) that God has stored-up in heaven for his people. These good-things will not be destroyed or become old or change.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Another thing we (incl.) can expect is that He will bless us with very good things. He has prepared this in heaven where it cannot rot, it cannot be destroyed, and it cannot also go out of existence.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “and this (aforementioned) is what we will inherit which will never-be-spoiled/ruined, never-be-stained and whose value will never-be-reduced, which is reserved/set-aside in heaven.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “And this good which we are sure of, it really is far-from-ordinary, for it has no destruction, no fault, and no fading. This really is already being held in store for you in heaven/sky.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “What will be given to us are not things which will perish or spoil or wither. But we await the good there in heaven which God has determined to give to us.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Aramaic all have one term only that refers to what can be expressed in English as “sky” or “heaven(s)” (as a physical and spiritual entity). While there is a slight overlap between the meaning of the two English terms, “sky” (from Old Norse sky meaning “cloud”) typically refers to the physical entity, and “heaven” (from Old English heofon meaning “home of God”) typically refers to the spiritual entity. While this enriches the English lexicon, it also forces English Bible translators to make decisions that can be found only in the context in the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts. Most versions tend to use “heaven(s)” even if the meaning is likely “sky,” but the Contemporary English Version (NT: 1991, OT: 1995, DC: 1999) is an English translation that attempted to be more specific in the separation of the two meanings and was used as the basis for the links to verses used for this and this story (“sky”).
Norm Mundhenk (in The Bible Translator 2006, p. 92ff. ) describes the difficulty that English translations face (click or tap here to see more):
“A number of years ago an old lady asked me a question. What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away’? I do not remember what answer I gave, but I was surprised at how concerned she seemed to be about the verse. It was only later, after I had left her, that I suddenly realized what it was that she was so concerned about. She knew that death could not be far away, and all her life she had looked forward to being with God in heaven. But this verse said that ‘heaven will pass away’! What did that mean for her hopes? In fact, of course, in this verse Jesus was talking about the skies or the heavens, not about Heaven as the place of God’s presence. If I had realized the problem in time, I could easily have set the lady’s mind at rest on this question that was troubling her so much. However, I suspect that she is not the only person to be misled by the wording of this verse. Therefore, it is very surprising to find that even today many English versions (including the New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation) still say ‘heaven and earth’ in verses like Matt 24:35 and its parallels (Mark 13:31 and Luke 21:33). The Contemporary English Version (CEV) and Phillips’ translation seem to be aware of the problem, and in Mark 13:31 both of these have ‘earth and sky’ instead of ‘heaven and earth.’ But in some other passages (such as Matt 5:18) the traditional wording is still found in both of those translations. The New Century Version (NCV) does have ‘earth and sky’ more consistently, and the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) has ‘sky and earth’ in these passages. (Although ‘sky and earth’ is closer to the Greek, it seems more natural in English to say ‘earth and sky’; but either way, at least the meaning is correct.)
“Louw and Nida’s Lexical Semantics of the Greek New Testament (publ. 1992) suggests that the Greek expression being translated here, ho ouranos kai he ge is ‘a more or less fixed phrase equivalent to a single lexical unit’ and that it means everything that God created, that is, the universe. They then quote Mark 13:31 as an example, using ‘heaven and earth’ in their translation of it. However, they go on to say that there ‘may be certain complications involved in rendering ho ouranos kai he ge as ‘heaven and earth,’ since ‘heaven’ might be interpreted in some languages as referring only to the dwelling place of God himself. The referents in this passage are ‘the sky and the earth,’ in other words, all of physical existence, but not the dwelling place of God, for the latter would not be included in what is destined to pass away.’ In my opinion, English itself is one of the languages where the word ‘heaven’ will be interpreted as referring only to the dwelling place of God himself, and translations into English should not use ‘heaven’ in these passages. It is probably because these passages are so very familiar that translators do not realize the meaning they are giving their readers when they use the expression ‘heaven and earth’ here. In modern English we might talk about a rocket ‘soaring into the heavens,’ but we would certainly not describe it as ‘soaring into heaven,’ because ‘heaven’ is not another way of referring to the sky or to outer space.
“In fact, it is surely important in all languages to have some way of distinguishing the concept of ‘sky’ from the concept of ‘dwelling place of God.’ In these passages translators should never use a term meaning ‘the dwelling place of God.’ It may not be necessary to use a term meaning ‘sky’ either, if there is some other expression in the language which gives the correct meaning of ‘everything that has been created’ or ‘the universe.’ There are of course places in the New Testament where Heaven, as the place where God lives, is contrasted with the earth. In these passages, translators should be careful to give the correct meaning. A good example of this is in the Lord’s Prayer, in Matt 6:10: ‘Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ Similarly, 1 Cor 15:47 says that ‘the first man [a reference to Adam] was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.’ Passages like these are referring to Heaven, not to the sky. Other NT passages where heaven refers to God’s dwelling place, in contrast with earth, are Matt 5:34-35, 16:19, 18:18, Acts 7:49, James 5:12, and Rev 5:3.
“Sometimes in the New Testament, the word ‘heaven’ is used because of the Jewish reluctance to use the name of God. ‘Heaven’ in these cases is used in place of ‘God’ and refers to God himself. This is the case in the many references in Matthew to ‘the kingdom of heaven’ where other gospels have ‘the kingdom of God’ (e.g., compare Matt 4:17 with its parallels in Mark 1:15 and Luke 10:9). It is also most likely the case in references like Matt 16:1, Luke 20:4, 5, John 3:27, and even perhaps Col 1:5.
“There are some places, such as Matt 11:25, where God is called ‘Lord of heaven and earth.’ Since God is of course the Lord of Heaven as well as of the universe, it may not matter so much which interpretation is given in these passages (others are Luke 10:21 and Acts 17:24). Nevertheless, the intended meaning here is likely to be ‘the universe.’ This is because this expression in Greek, as Louw and Nida say, is a set expression referring to everything that has been created. Acts 17:24 in fact combines the idea of the creation of the universe with the idea of God as Master or Lord of the universe. (…)
“Old Testament background The use of ‘heaven and earth’ in the New Testament is very similar to what we find in the Old Testament, because it is largely based on the Old Testament.
“The Old Testament begins with the story of creation, which is presented as the creation of the heavens and the earth, with lights to shine in the heavens and give light to the earth. Birds are created to live in the heavens, animals to live on earth, and fish to live in the sea (Gen 1:1-2:4).
“As we can see from the way the creation story is told, it is meant to be understood as the creation of the universe. Although in English the regions above the earth have traditionally been called ‘the heavens’ in the story of creation, they cannot be called ‘Heaven,’ in the sense of the place where God dwells. In terms of modern English, it would probably be better to say ‘the sky and the earth’ or ‘the earth and the sky.’ The story of creation then becomes an important theme throughout the Old Testament. (…)
“In most passages, whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, when ‘heaven and earth’ or ‘the heavens and the earth’ are mentioned, the meaning is the created universe. It is not a reference to Heaven, as the dwelling place of God. In English, translators have not been careful to keep this distinction clear, and this is probably true in many other languages as well. However, as we have seen, this can lead to real confusion for ordinary Bible readers. It is better if translators find ways to make the meaning clear in these passages. ‘Heaven’ should be mentioned only in passages which clearly mean the dwelling place of God. In other passages, an expression should be used which means only ‘sky.’ Or else, the whole expression ‘heaven and earth’ can be translated in a way to show that the whole universe is meant.”
Other languages that have a semantic distinction similar to English include (click or tap here to see more):
Mossi: saase — “sky”; nyingeri — “the up above”(source for Loma and Mossi: Bratcher/Nida)
Roviana: mamaṉa — “sly”; maṉauru — “heaven” (an old word, meaning “empty, open space of the sky”) (source: Carl Gross)
Kayaw: mô̄la or “canopy-under”/mô̄khû̄la or “canopy-above-under” — “sky” (atmosphere where there is just air); mô̄khû̄ or “canopy-on/above” — “heaven” (invisible abode of God and angels)
Mairasi: Sinyavi — an indigenous term that is used for both “sky” and heaven”; Surga — loanword from Sanskrit via Indonesian referring to “heaven” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Kamo: yamba, which, when capitalized (Yamba), means “God” (source: David Frank)
In some languages, such as Wandala, the vocabulary for terms for either “heaven” or “sky” is much richer than just to include those two distinction. While zhegela, the term that is specifically used for the physical sky was only used in early translations of the New Testament for “sky,” other terms such as samaya (used for both “sky” and “heaven”), zlanna (specifically used for the perfect abode of God and the goal of the faithful, as in Matthew 8:11), kwárá (a locational term used to speak of a chief’s rule [lit., “voice”] such as Matthew 3:2), or sleksire (“chieftaincy,” “kingship,” or “royalty” [originally from slekse “chief”] and used where there are no locational overtones, such as in Matthew 16:28) are used. (Source: Mona Perrin in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 51ff.)
The English translation by Sarah Ruden (2021) uses “sky” throughout. Ruden explains (p. li): “The Greek word ouranos refers evenhandedly to the physical sky and the place—often pictured as a royal court — where supreme divinity resides. ‘Sky’ seems generally better, first of all in avoiding the wackier modern imagery that comes with the English ‘heaven.’ And even when a supernatural realm is meant, ‘sky’ will often do, because the divine realm was thought to be located there, in addition to the weather and the heavenly bodies, whereas ‘heaven’ to us is fundamentally a religious term, and the ancients did not tend to separate linguistic domains in this way. I have retained the plural ‘skies’ where I see it in the Greek, because it is a Hebraism familiar in English translations of scripture and (I hope) not too archaic or jarring.”
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 show different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
Here, yō ni shite (ようにして) or “do so (so that) / make it like” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
The whole verse is literally “into an inheritance, imperishable, undefiled and permanent, having been kept in heaven for you.” The preposition “into” can either go back to hope (as in Good News Translation), or to new life, or to the resurrection of Jesus Christ (see previous discussion). Most commentaries understand the preposition here as indicating result. If “inheritance” is the result of hope, then one can say “Because we have a living hope, then we can look forward….” If, however, “inheritance” is the result of the new life, then one can say, “Because we have new life, then we can look forward….” Although most commentaries favor the former of these interpretations, a number of modern translations, as we have seen, reflect the latter, either entirely or in a modified sense.
It may not be possible to reproduce the figurative language of we look forward to possessing. The equivalent of this in a number of languages is merely a future, for example, “we will possess.” Sometimes an equivalent may be “we know that we will possess.”
The word “inheritance” is a favorite image to describe God’s gift of salvation to those who trust in him (for example, Gal 4.7; Rom 8.17). This usage has its Old Testament background. The Jews normally talk of the land of Canaan as their “inheritance” from God, since God has promised it to them. Later on, the idea of “inheritance” was spiritualized, with emphasis put not so much on the land itself, but on God’s faithfulness to his promises, together with the rich blessings that he gives (for example, Psa 16.5; 73.26; Col 3.24; 1 Cor 6.9; Heb 1.14; etc.). Since all of these elements are implicit in the use of this term, Good News Translation has restructured the verse to make explicit all these implicit elements. A literal translation would of course give rise to various difficulties arising out of the cultural context of the receptor language. Very often, for instance, “inheritance” is used to describe what someone leaves behind after his death. Since God is the source of this inheritance, then it would logically follow that he died. In most cases, therefore, a restructuring of the metaphor, as Good News Bible has done, is the best way to bring out the meaning of the verse and to avoid misunderstandings.
There may be some confusion in a literal translation of that God keeps for his people, since this might suggest something that God keeps away from his people, that is to say, God protects it all in heaven for his own good and not for other people. It may therefore be better to speak of the rich blessings that God keeps for his people as “the rich blessings which God has promised his people.” The clause that God keeps for his people is an expansion of what occurs in Greek simply as “kept in heaven for you.” The concept of “keeping” is reflected in the following clause, which begins the second sentence of verse 4, namely, He keeps them for you in heaven. It may be important, however, to render He keeps them for you in heaven as “he keeps them safe for you in heaven.”
To make clear that this inheritance should not be understood as material possession, Peter then proceeds to describe them negatively, by using three adjectives. They cannot decay is literally “imperishable” (as in Revised Standard Version; compare Jerusalem Bible “can never be spoilt”; Barclay “immortal”; Knox “incorruptible”). Cannot spoil is literally “undefiled”; in religious language, it has the sense of “pure.” The reference is not to ceremonial defilement, but to the defilement of anything evil, both spiritual and ethical. They cannot fade away is literally “unfading,” which in Greek secular literature is used to describe a flower, the beauty of which never fades. The meaning of all three has been expressed clearly by the paraphrase of one scholar: “untouched by death, unstained by evil, unimpaired by time” (Beare, pages 83-84).
The three expressions which characterize the “inheritance” are not related in the Greek text to the place in heaven, as is suggested by Good News Translationwhere they cannot decay or spoil or fade away. The location may be implied in the Greek text, but the descriptive phrases are primarily qualifiers of the inheritance and should not be employed in such a way as to suggest that only in heaven the inheritance cannot decay or spoil or fade away.
The expression cannot decay may be expressed in some languages simply as “will not rot” and cannot … spoil may be expressed as “cannot become bad” or “… impure.” Cannot … fade away must often be expressed simply as “cannot disappear” or “will not disappear.”
The last clause in the Greek text “kept in heaven for you” has been transformed by the Good News Translation into an active construction, with God as the agent, and transferred to the beginning of the sentence, indicating the location of the inheritance. As for the word “kept,” two things should be noted. First of all, it denotes the idea that God is watching over the inheritance, and keeping it safe for his people. Some other ways of expressing this idea are “reserved” in heaven (Phillips, Knox “stored up for you in heaven”). Secondly, the word in the Greek is a perfect participle, indicating that the inheritance is a fact that now exists. The Good News Translation captures this idea by using the present tense (compare Barclay “he is keeping”). The word for heaven is plural, and some translations have kept this form (for example, Jerusalem Bible “in the heavens”), however, most commentators agree that the plural has no particular significance here, but simply reflects the Hebrew way of speaking of heaven. Accordingly, most translations simply use the singular form, in accordance with modern language usage.
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 .
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 show 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. )
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