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, Jetsóó, 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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Timothy 1:15

The expression The saying is sure occurs five times in the Pastoral Letters (in addition to here, it occurs also in 3.1; 4.9; 2 Tim 2.11; and Titus 3.8) but nowhere else in the New Testament. The formula is used to emphasize not only the importance but primarily the trustworthiness of the saying to which it refers. In some of these occurrences it is not easy to determine whether the formula refers to what precedes or to what follows. In the present case, however, it clearly points to what follows, namely, to the statement regarding the role of Christ as savior of sinners. In order to make this clear, it may be necessary in some languages to put the formula after the statement, as indeed some translations have done (for example, Contemporary English Version “ ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’ This saying is true, and it can be trusted”). In some languages it will be helpful to say “The following saying is true” or “The words that follow are true….” Other languages may follow CEV’s model above and say something like “ ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’ This is a saying that is true and we can trust (or, place our hearts in) it.” The term for saying (literally “word”) is used in the Pastoral Letters in a variety of ways, as, for example, a message from God (4.5), a synonym for teaching or doctrine (4.6), actual speech (4.12), and preaching (5.17). In the present case “word” refers to a particular statement with a special content that needs to be emphasized. Sure translates the same word that is translated “faithful” in verse 12. The focus on each instance is on trustworthiness—in the former case, of Paul, and in the present case, of the statement.

The trustworthiness of the statement is further stressed and enhanced by the addition of the expression worthy of full acceptance. Worthy describes something or someone as deserving of recognition because of merit, value, or worth. Acceptance conveys the idea of believing something to be true and deserving to be recognized and received; full stresses the completeness of the recognition and reception of the truth of the statement. Good News Translation combines these elements admirably: “to be completely accepted and believed.” One may also express this as “that we can completely accept and believe” or “that we can receive with no reservations, and can believe.”

The statement that follows is about Christ Jesus and his mission as Savior of sinners. Came into the world is perhaps a reference to the Incarnation; world refers not primarily to the created order (the universe) but to the world of human beings; this part of the statement is quite similar to John 1.14, “The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us” (Good News Bible). Save can be understood negatively as rescue from danger and positively as restoration to a state of well-being in the present life as well as preservation after death; furthermore, the term can be used in a physical, moral, or spiritual sense. In the present context the moral and spiritual sense seems to be in focus: through the action of Christ, sinners are rescued from their bad moral and spiritual condition and are given divine salvation or new life, that is, life that is in accordance with God’s will. Sinners are people whose lives and actions are contrary to the will and law of God. In some languages this clause will be rendered as “Christ Jesus came into the world to free evil people from their bad condition.” Furthermore, it will be more natural style in certain languages to begin this verse with this statement; for example, “ ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to free sinners from their evil condition!’ This saying is true.” However, it is also possible to reverse the order of the clauses; for example, “People have sinful hearts (or, minds), so they sin. But Christ Jesus came to rescue them from their sinful condition.”

An example of these sinners that Christ Jesus came to save is Paul himself. He describes himself as the foremost of sinners; this is literally “first,” but not in a chronological sense (that is, not the first one to commit sin) but in terms of seriousness of sin, hence foremost, “worst” (Good News Translation), or even “greatest.” The focus here is not on Paul’s moral lapses or immoral conduct but on his rejection of Christ that led him to become one of the greatest persecutors of Christ’s followers. His description of himself as the worst of sinners expresses both his sense of helplessness because of his rejection of Christ, and the greatness of Christ’s act of bestowing on him new life that was completely undeserved and unexpected.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• The following is (or, The words that follow are) a true saying that we can receive with no reservations and believe: Christ Jesus came into the world to free people who do sinful things from their evil condition. I am the worst (or, greatest) of such people.

Or:
• “Christ Jesus came into the world to free sinners from their evil condition!” This saying is true, and we can trust it. I am….

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 Timothy 1:15

Paragraph 1:15–17

In the same way that Christ saved Paul, he will also save everyone else who believes in him, no matter how sinful they are.

1:15a

This is a trustworthy saying: This is an expression that Paul used often in his letters to Timothy and Titus. See 1 Timothy 3:1, 4:9; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 1:9, 3:8. You should try to use the same expression of introduction in all these places. Paul used this expression to introduce a saying that was well-known among believers at that time. This saying is found in 1:15c.

trustworthy: Paul said that this saying (1:15c) about Christ was trustworthy. That means that it was true and reliable. Other ways to say this could be: “This saying really is true,” or “people should believe this.”

saying: A saying is an expression that is well known to people. In some languages it may be possible to use a word like “proverb.”

1:15b

worthy of full acceptance: Because the saying in 1:15c is “trustworthy”, everyone should believe it and should not doubt it in any way. They can be sure that it is true.

1:15c

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: This is the saying that Paul introduced in 1:15a–b.

Christ Jesus came into the world: This refers to when Christ Jesus came to earth the first time and died on the cross.

Christ Jesus: Notice that in this verse Paul referred to Jesus as Christ Jesus instead of “Jesus Christ.” The names “Christ Jesus” and “Jesus Christ” refer to the same person. (Some people, however, think that when Paul used the word Christ before the word Jesus, as in Christ Jesus, he was emphasizing that Jesus was the Messiah.)

In most English versions “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus” are translated in the same order as they occur in the Greek manuscripts. It is recommended that you do the same thing.

However, it is possible that, in some languages, people may be confused to see the names in two different orders. They may even think that Paul was referring to two different people. If this is true in your language, it may be necessary to translate Christ Jesus as “Jesus Christ.” This is the more usual word order in the New Testament.

Christ: The word Christ is used two ways in the New Testament. In the Gospels, Christ is a title for Jesus. It means “the anointed one.” But later, by the time that Paul and others wrote letters to individuals and churches, the word Christ was used as another name for Jesus. It was no longer used as a title. So here and in other New Testament letters you should spell Christ according to the rules of your language.

to save sinners: This is the purpose for which Jesus came into the world. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as save means “to rescue from danger.” In this context, the danger is that if a person does not repent and stop sinning, he will not receive eternal life.

sinners: A sinner is a person who has disobeyed God.

General Comment on 1:15c

Sayings are normally short because people want to remember them. Therefore translate this saying with as few words as possible. It would also be helpful to keep the saying in one sentence. One way to do this is:

Christ Jesus came to earth to rescue people who have sinned.

In some languages it may be helpful to indicate the beginning and end of the saying in some way. For example, you may want to use quotation marks or a different printing style, such as italics. The Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English uses both.

1:15d

of whom I am the worst: Notice that this part of the verse is not part of the saying in 1:15c. One way to make this clear would be to use special punctuation. For example, the New International Version (2011 Revision) uses a dash, that is, —. If you place the saying in quotation marks, make sure you close the quotation marks at the end of 1:15c. Paul added these words to make it personal in this context.

I am the worst: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as worst literally means “first.” Paul meant that he considered himself to be the greatest sinner. This did not mean that Paul had committed more or greater sins than anyone else in the world. It meant that Paul felt as if he were the worst sinner. (Stott, page 53, says, “…when we are convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit, an immediate result is that we give up all such comparisons. Paul was so vividly aware of his own sins that he could not conceive that anybody could be worse. It is the language of every sinner whose conscience has been awakened and disturbed by the Holy Spirit. We may begin like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men’, but we end like the tax collector who beat his breast and said (literally), ‘God have mercy on me, the sinner [Luke 18:9ff.].’ The Pharisee indulged in odious comparisons; as far as the tax collector was concerned, however, there were no other sinners with whom to compare himself; he was the one and only.”) Paul was so aware of his own sins that he could not imagine that anybody could be worse than he was.

General Comment on 1:15a–d

In some languages it may be best to reorder this verse. For example, it may be better to translate the saying before stating that it is trustworthy. One way to do this is:

We believers often say: 15c“Christ Jesus came to the world to save sinners.” 15aThese words are true 15band everyone can believe them without doubting them in any way. 15dAnd I have sinned more than anyone…

© 2003 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Commentaire sur la traduction de 1 Timothée 1.15

Ce verset commence par une formule qui se trouve cinq fois dans les Pastorales et nulle part ailleurs dans le NT. Il s’agit de l’expression elle est digne de confiance, cette parole. Voir aussi 1 Tim 3.1 ; 1 Tim 4.9 ; 2 Tim 2.11 ; Tite 3.8. Dans chaque instance il faudrait décider si la formule s’applique à ce qui la suit ou à ce qui la précède. Ici, il s’applique à ce qui suit, reflétant une proclamation presque liturgique, Christ Jésus est venu dans le monde pour sauver les pécheurs. À cette parole, Paul ajoute son témoignage personnel : dont je suis, moi, le premier. Dans certaines langues, il conviendra de citer d’abord la parole et de la faire suivre par la formule d’attestation : « Cette parole est digne de confiance… »

Elle est digne de confiance, cette parole : il ne s’agit que de deux mots en grec, πιστὸς ὁ λόγος pistos ho logos. Paul utilise le terme à propos de lui-même en 1 Tim 1.12, mais ici, le mot s’applique à la formule qui suit. La mention du mot λόγος logos rappelle Jean 1.1, « au commencement était la parole ».

et mérite d’être pleinement accueillie par tous est littéralement « de toute acceptation digne ». Le terme « acceptation » ne se trouve qu’ici et en 1 Tim 4.9 dans la Bible grecque. Il correspond à un verbe qui signifie « accepter », « accueillir », ou parfois « approuver », comme par exemple en Act 2.41, à propos de ceux qui « accueillirent » la parole de Pierre.

par tous : plusieurs versions (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Parole de Vie, Bible en français courant) pensent que le mot par en grec introduit qui accueille cette parole. Mais la forme grammaticale semble plutôt modifier le mot « acceptation », ce qui donnera « pleinement accueillie » (Nouvelle Bible Segond), « digne d’une entière créance » (Bible de Jérusalem). Ces dernières propositions semblent plus correctes.

Christ Jésus est venu dans le monde pour sauver les pécheurs semble exprimer une formule liturgique, un crédo qui aurait été cité pendant le culte. Pour Christ Jésus, voir 1 Tim 1.1. Le monde ici désigne la terre, mais l’expression sous-entend que Jésus est né dans ce monde comme un être humain.

pour sauver les pécheurs : le but de la venue de Christ est connu de tous : pardonner et délivrer ceux qui sont séparés de Dieu. Le verbe clé σῴζω sôzô, « sauver », désigne en premier lieu une action qui permet d’échapper à une situation dangereuse. Ainsi, en Act 27.20, les gens perdent tout espoir d’être sauvés pendant une tempête. Mais le verbe a un sens plus large dans les Évangiles, où il signale à la fois une guérison et une délivrance spirituelle. Voir Matt 9.21. En Matt 1.21, le verbe est associé à une délivrance des péchés, lorsque l’ange dit à Joseph que le fils de Marie « sauvera son peuple de ses péchés ». Dans les Pastorales (1 Tim 1.15 ; 1 Tim 2.4 ; 1 Tim 2.15 ; 1 Tim 4.16 ; 2 Tim 1.9 ; 4.18 ; Tite 3.5) et les autres écrits de Paul, le verbe est très fréquent et beaucoup plus général, où il est presque toujours question d’une délivrance spirituelle. Souvent, le danger n’est pas précisé, mais le mot implique toute une gamme de vérités théologiques : sauvé des ténèbres et des péchés, pour rentrer dans le nouveau Royaume de Dieu – sans que tous ces détails soient rendus explicites. Dans beaucoup de langues, il existe des verbes polysémiques qui renvoient à la délivrance physique et spirituelle. Évidemment, la traduction de ce verbe et ses noms apparentés (« Sauveur » et « salut », 1 Tim 1.1 et 2 Tim 2.10) doit être faite avec beaucoup de réflexion.

Pour pécheurs, voir 1 Tim 1.9. Dans certaines langues, ce serait rendu par une expression verbale, « ceux qui font le mal » ou « ceux qui agissent contre la volonté de Dieu ».

Paul se désigne ici comme le premier des pécheurs, littéralement « parmi premier je-suis moi ». Ceci est une proposition très emphatique, qui a besoin d’être rendue d’une manière dynamique : « Et moi, je suis le premier des pécheurs » (Parole de Vie), « je suis, moi, le premier d’entre eux » (Nouvelle Bible Segond). Le sens est, en fait, qu’il est « le pire d’entre eux » (Bible en français courant). Les traducteurs devraient chercher à rendre l’idée d’une manière naturelle dans leur langue, ce qui serait dans certaines, « et moi, je dépasse eux tous ». Paul est peut-être en train d’exagérer, mais il pense certainement à tous les chrétiens qu’il a persécutés, dont certains sont morts, par exemple Étienne (Act 7.58).

Source: Zogbo, Lynell & Ellingworth, Paul La première lettre à Timothée – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.