tongue

The Greek that is translated as “tongue” in English is translated in Binumarien as “lips and teeth” because those are the body parts that are associated with speech. (Source: Oates 1995, p. 269)

complete verse (1 Peter 3:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 3:10:

  • Uma: “In the Holy Book it is written like this: ‘Whoever wants to be glad and have good life must guard/watch his lips, so that he does not utter evil words and isn’t deceitful.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Because the holy-book says hep, ‘Whoever wants to be happy as long as he lives here in the world and have good experiences, he should not say evil things and should not lie.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There is a written Word of God which says, ‘He who wants his life here on the earth to be good and always happy, it is necessary that what he says is not evil and he does not lie.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because there is that which God caused-to-be-written which says, ‘If a person wants to enjoy his life and be-made-happy, he must not speak evil and not tell-lies.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For it’s like what is written in the writing which says, ‘The one who wants his life to be happy and good, he must put far away speech which is evil and deceptive.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This also is what is written in the Holy Book which says: ‘If you want to enjoy how you live or you want to see good days, control your tongues, then do not speak evil and do not speak lies.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

For the Old Testament quote, see Psalm 34:12 – Psalm 34:16.

Translation commentary on 1 Peter 3:10

As in so many instances, it may be necessary to render As the scripture says as “as one may read in the Scriptures” or “as one may read in a passage of Scripture.”

To enjoy life and to see good times (literally “good days”) refer primarily to life on earth in their Old Testament context; the verse is an invitation to anyone who wants to live long and happily. Here, however, these terms are understood in a Christian and eschatological way. Thus life is now understood as eternal life (verse 7) and good days as referring to the final salvation mentioned in 1.5. Despite this fact, it is perhaps best to stick as close as possible to its Old Testament context, since we are dealing here with an Old Testament quotation. Enjoy life is literally “love life,” with “love” used in the sense of “desiring to have,” “to enjoy” (compare Jerusalem Bible “have a happy life”). To see good times is literally “to see good days,” with “days” referring to an extended period of time, and “good” in the sense of “happy, prosperous” (Knox, New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible).

To enjoy life may be rendered as “to live happily” or even “to live and be happy.” In a sense to see good times is essentially equivalent to to enjoy life and may sometimes be rendered as “to experience what is good.”

The clause introduced by the indefinite pronoun Whoever may be rendered as a conditional in some languages, for example, “if anyone wants to enjoy life and wishes to see good times.”

Keep from speaking evil (literally “keep his tongue from evil”) and stop telling lies (literally “his lips from speaking deceit”) are parallel, both referring to malicious verbal activity (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “must not speak evil … must stop telling lies”). “Evil” (Greek kakos) is speech which is malicious and bitter, resulting in the downgrading and shame of the person spoken of. Lies also includes deceitful and treacherous language (see further 2.1; 2.22).

Keep from speaking evil may be rendered as “keep from speaking bad about people,” and stop telling lies may simply be rendered as “stop lying” or “stop deceiving people with words.”

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 3:10

3:10–12

In these verses Peter quoted from Psalm 34 to warn his readers not to do evil to anyone who persecuted them. Peter also wanted to assure his readers that God was concerned for them. As this is an exact quotation from Scripture, it will be good to make this clear, either explicitly in the text or in a footnote.

3:10a

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces a quotation that supports what Peter had just written. It is not itself part of the quotation. Translate this conjunction in a way that is natural for your language.

3:10b

This verse part is a quotation of Psalm 34:12.

Whoever would love life and see good days: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Whoever would love life and see good days is a doublet.

A doublet is the occurrence of two words or phrases together that have the same basic meaning. They are often used for emphasis or poetic effects. The two parts of the expression together mean “Whoever wants to enjoy life” or “Whoever wants to be happy/contented.”

Consider if it is natural in your language to say the same thing in two ways like this. Most English translations do keep the doublet. Examples include:

A person must do these things to enjoy life and have many happy days (New Century Version)
-or-
If you want a happy life and good days (New Living Translation (2004))

3:10c

This verse part is a quotation of Psalm 34:13.

must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech: This verse part is also a doublet. As is common in Hebrew poetry, the second clause restates the first. Together the two clauses mean:

must not say things that are evil

Again, most English translations keep the doublet. For example:

He must not say evil things, and he must not tell lies (New Century Version)

keep his tongue from evil: In this context the word evil refers to things that are intended to harm others. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

keep from speaking evil (Good News Translation)
-or-
stop saying cruel things (Contemporary English Version)

deceitful speech: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deceitful describes untruthful words that are spoken in order to hurt or take advantage of someone else. Here is another way to translate this:

telling lies (New Living Translation (2004))

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