complete verse (1 Peter 5:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 5:13:

  • Uma: “Greeting from your one-faith relatives who are here in the village of Babilon, who were also chosen by God like you. So also my child Markus, he also sends his greetings.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The believers in Isa Almasi in the place Babilon, they are also chosen by God, send word to you that they remember/love you. Markus also sends word that he remembers/loves you. This Markus I consider like my child.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The believers here in the town of Babylon greet you. God has chosen them just like He has chosen you. Mark also sends greetings to you, and he is like my own true son.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Your fellow believers who are in Babilonia whom God has also chosen, they send-you -greetings. So also Marcos whom I consider as my child.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “You are greeted by all the believers who meet-together here in Roma, those who were chosen by God like you were, who are now his people. You are also being greeted by Marcos who is like a son to me.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Your brethren who live in Babylon send you greetings, those whom God has chosen like he did you. Also Mark whom I consider as my son greets you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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. )

Translation commentary on 1 Peter 5:13

Concluding his final words of greeting, Peter now expresses the regards of fellow Christians in the place where he is writing. Your sister church is literally “she,” but the presence of the description chosen by God makes it very likely that Peter is here referring to a Christian congregation, and this is made explicit in the Good News Translation (also New American Bible “The church that is in Babylon”; Phillips, Knox, Moffatt, Barclay “The Christian church in its modern Babylon”). In 2 John 1, 13, the church is referred to as “the elect lady” and “your elect sister,” indicating that was no uncommon practice at that time to use the feminine gender in referring to Christian congregations.

Your sister church in Babylon may be rendered in some languages as “the church in Babylon which is like a sister to you” or “the church in Babylon which in so many ways is like you”.

Babylon, as the Good News Translation footnote shows, is probably Rome (compare Rev 14.8; 17.5, 18; 18.2; etc.), although Babylon is not used here in a pejorative sense, as it is in Revelation; otherwise it is hard to explain the presence of exhortation regarding obedience to government authorities (2.13-17).

It should be mentioned that there is no universal agreement in this exegetical position. Two other possible interpretations have also been proposed. (1) Babylon is the real Babylon, either the Babylon by the Euphrates or the Babylon in Egypt. Against this, it may be observed that there is no tradition connecting Peter with either of these places. (2) Babylon is used symbolically to mean any place of exile. The Jews in exile could talk about the “waters of Babylon” (Psa 137.1) wherever they were. The meaning here then is “The Christian community here, which is also in exile as you are.” This is actually reflected in some translations, for example, Barclay “The Christian church in its modern Babylon.”

Also chosen by God is literally “who is also chosen,” with God or Christ as the implied agent. For chosen, see 1.2; 2.4, 6, 9. Also chosen by God may be expressed positively as “whom God has also chosen.”

It may be difficult in some languages to speak of a “church sending greetings,” and therefore one may wish to speak of “the believers in the church in Babylon send you greetings.”

Mark may be the John Mark mentioned in Acts 12.12, who was a companion of Paul in his first missionary journey (Acts 13.4-13), and who is referred to several times in Paul’s letters (Col 4.10; Phil 24; 2 Tim 4.11). One strong tradition, originating from Papias and recorded by Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 3.39.15), tells of Mark becoming a secretary to Peter and later framing a gospel out of Peter’s reminiscences. My son does not indicate a biological relationship but is a term of endearment. In a number of languages one cannot speak of “my son Mark” without the implication that Mark was actually the son of Peter. The closest equivalent may be “my close companion Mark” or “my young helper Mark.”

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 5:13

Paragraph 5:13–14

5:13a

The church in Babylon: Here the Greek says literally “She in Babylon.” Most commentators think that this is a figure of speech and that Peter was referring to a church. The Berean Standard Bible makes this explicit, as do some other translations. For example:

Your sister church in Babylon (Good News Translation)

Babylon: Babylon is probably a secret name for Rome. So most commentators think that “She in Babylon” refers to the church in Rome, the city from which Peter was writing the letter. This information can be included in a footnote, if you are using footnotes in your translation.

Peter probably used Babylon as a symbolic name for Rome because Rome was then the capital of the pagan world, just as Babylon had been the capital of the ancient pagan world. In Old Testament times Babylon was a godless city that was the center of opposition to God’s people. Babylon was also where the Jews lived when they were exiled from their own land, and Peter had described the people he was writing to as exiles (1:1c ; 2:11a).

chosen together with you: Peter was saying that God had chosen the believers in Babylon/Rome to be his people, just as he had chosen the Christians to whom Peter was writing.

This expression is passive. It may be more natural in your language to make it active and to indicate that God was the one who chose these believers. For example:

God has chosen them (Easy English Bible)

5:13b

my son Mark: Mark is probably the John Mark mentioned in Acts 12:12 who went with Paul on his first missionary journey. When Peter calls Mark my son, that does not mean that Peter was his real father, but that Mark was dear to Peter. If in your language “my son” would mean that Peter had fathered Mark, then you may need to make it clear that this is only a figure of speech. For example, you could say:

who is ⌊like⌋ a son to me
-or-
who is ⌊as dear to me as⌋ a son

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Commentaire sur la traduction de la première lettre de Pierre 5.13

Avant d’achever sa lettre, l’auteur transmet maintenant les salutations de la communauté chrétienne de l’endroit où il se trouve.

La communauté des élus qui est à Babylone est litt. « Celle qui est à Babylone, élue comme vous » (Bible de Jérusalem, Osty-Trinquet). En qualifiant le pronom « celle » d’« élue », Pierre se réfère certainement à une communauté chrétienne (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant). La Parole de Vie parle de « L’Église qui est à Babylone ». En 2 Jean 1 et 13, l’Église est désignée sous le titre de « la Dame élue » et de « ta sœur l’élue ». À l’époque, les chrétiens et surtout les auteurs bibliques avaient l’habitude d’employer le féminin pour se référer aux congrégations chrétiennes.

des élus : Dieu est l’agent implicite du passif élue, d’où l’actif « que Dieu a choisie… » (Bible en français courant). Le verbe grec est un verbe composé συνεκλεκτός suneklektos, « choisir ensemble ». Ainsi la Bible en français courant et la Parole de Vie ajoutent « comme vous » : « Dieu l’a choisie comme vous » (Parole de Vie). Pour élue ou « choisie », voir 1 Pierre 1.1 ; 1 Pierre 2.4, 1 Pierre 2.6, 1 Pierre 2.9.

Babylone est le nom d’une ville antique de la Mésopotamie située sur le fleuve Euphrate, mais les opinions divergent quant à son sens symbolique dans ce passage et ailleurs. Depuis les temps anciens jusqu’aujourd’hui, ce nom représente l’exil, comme cela était le cas pour le peuple juif au moment de la rédaction des Psaumes (voir Ps 137.1 ; 17.5 ; 18.2). Le problème qui se pose ici, c’est que dans 1 Pierre, le nom semble neutre ou au moins non négatif. S’il s’agit de Rome, Pierre ne porte aucun préjudice à cette ville, puisque déjà en 1 Pierre 2.13, il exhorte les chrétiens à respecter les autorités là où ils se trouvent. Ainsi il pourrait regrouper tous les chrétiens dispersés à travers le monde (1 Pierre 1.1). La majorité des versions gardent le nom Babylone, mais s’ils le veulent, les traducteurs sont libres d’ajouter une note d’explication qui évoque le sens de l’exil, la référence à Rome ou à tous les endroits où la diaspora chrétien se trouve.

vous salue ou « vous adresse ses salutations » (Bible en français courant). Dans beaucoup de langues, il sera naturel de dire qu’une communauté envoie ses salutations. Si ce n’est pas le cas, on pourra dire « Les croyants (de l’Église qui est) à Babylone vous adressent leurs salutations ».

ainsi que Marc : ce Marc est probablement le « Jean surnommé Marc » d’Act 12.12, qui fut le compagnon de Paul lors de son premier voyage missionnaire (Act 12.25 ; 13.4-13). Celui-ci est mentionné à plusieurs reprises dans les lettres de Paul (Col 4.10 ; 2 Tim 4.11 ; Phm 24). Selon une tradition ancienne remontant à Papias, évêque de Hiérapolis en Phrygie (vers 150 apr. J.-C.) et rapportée environ 150 ans plus tard par l’historien Eusèbe, Marc aurait été le secrétaire de Pierre à Rome et aurait composé l’Évangile qui porte son nom d’après les souvenirs de Pierre.

mon fils indique non pas une relation biologique de père à fils, mais l’affection que Pierre éprouve à l’égard de Marc. Il se peut que la personne appelée mon fils ait été amenée à la foi par l’apôtre. Ainsi pour Paul, Onésime est « devenu mon fils en Jésus-Christ » (Phm. 1.10 Bible en français courant). Dans de nombreuses langues, il est très naturel de dire Marc, mon fils sans que cela suggère que Marc est le propre fils de Pierre. Si ceci pose un problème, on pourra parler de « mon proche compagnon » ou « mon jeune assistant », mais il est préférable de garder, si possible, le terme fils. On pourra aussi parler de celui « qui est comme un fils pour moi » (Contemporary English Version).

Source: Margot, Jean-Claude. La première lettre de Pierre – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.