The Greek that is often translated as “deacon” in English is translated as kavumbi in Chokwe, someone “who serves another, not from compulsion or for a wage, but because of vumbi or grace.” (Source: D. B. Long in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 87ff. )
A number of English translations (Revised Standard Version 1952, Phillips 1958, Jerusalem Bible 1966 and its later revisions, Lattimore 1982, Christian Community Bible 1997, The Orthodox New Testament 2004, and New Catholic Bible 2019) use the feminine form deaconess in Romans 16:1. This can also be found in some French translations (La Bible Du Semeur 1992, Louis Segond 1910, La Bible de Communautés Chrétiennes 1994, and Nouvelle Edition de Genève) as well as the majority of Spanish, Italian, and German versions (French: diaconesse, Spanish: diaconisa, Italian: diaconessa, German: Diakonisse).
One French translation (La Bible Du Semeur), the English translation by Helen Barrett Montgomery (1924), and a couple of German translations (BasisBibel 2021 and Gute Nachricht Bibel 1968 / 2018) also use the feminine form of deacon in 1 Timothy 3:11 (for a discussion on this, see Translation commentary on 1 Timothy 3:11).
The Greek that is translated as “blameless” or “guiltless” or similar in English is translated in Huautla Mazatec as ni̱jme jìn kjoa̱ xi chꞌao tjín koansjaitꞌain or “do not find any ugly / bad matter for them.” Jean Paul Gotopo Maldonado who is participating in the work on a new translation explains: “In Huautla Mazatec there is no term to indicate the irreproachable character of a person, therefore this concept is described with a phrase.” (Source: Jean Paul Gotopo Maldonado)
In Isthmus Mixe, “someone who is blameless” is “someone who hasn’t stolen, who hasn’t done damage.” (Source: John Beekman & Harwood Hess in Notes on Translation, March 1963, p. 1ff.)
In the Catholic Mandarin ChineseSigao version it is translated with a historical Chinese idiom: wúkě zhǐzhāi (無可指摘 / 无可指摘) or “beyond reproach (lit. “nothing to point out”).” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Timothy 3:10:
Uma: “If there are people who want to be helpers in the Lord’s work, test their character first, and if they are above reproach [lit., not accuse-able], only then can they be appointed to do that work.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “And before they are titled to help the leader in the prayer-house their custom ought to be observed first. If it is observed that their custom is really good they can be titled to help the leader.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is a person whom you choose as deacon, his behavior must be investigated first. Then if there is no bad behavior of his that you know about, he may be chosen as a deacon.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Those whom you choose to be-helping, they must first be verified/confirmed so that if no sin of their becomes-known, then it-can-be that they will serve.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Therefore make sure first of their nature/ways. And then provided nothing can be observed in their nature/ways which would make them unacceptable, well they will be acceptable to hold the responsibility/job of helper to the overseer.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “These men must first have the way they walk be seen. Then if no evil is found they can receive the position to help at the church.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
For the first time in this letter, the expression let them is used; in fact it occurs twice in this verse. Quite often this expression has the meaning “to allow,” “to permit.” This is the force of the second occurrence of the expression in this verse: “they are allowed to serve as deacons.” In the first occurrence, however, the expression has an imperative force, which means that as far as the deacons are concerned, there is no option being offered. Deacons must be tested before they are allowed to serve. In many languages this third person imperative needs to be restructured in order to make sure that it is understood as a command, as indeed Good News Translation has done (so also Contemporary English Version “They must first prove themselves. Then … they can serve…”).
In this verse we are given information that is not mentioned in connection with the “bishops,” namely, that candidates to become deacons need to undergo some kind of testing before they can serve as deacons. It is possible to interpret the word also in the text to relate this practice with the bishops as well, so New English Bible “no less than bishops.” It is more likely that also refers back to verse 9, with the sense that those who are being considered to become deacons should be tested in order to ascertain whether they are holding fast to the revealed truth of the faith. Good News Translation seems to follow this second interpretation, and translators are urged to do likewise. Another way of expressing this first clause is “They should go through testing first.” However, in languages that avoid the passive voice, translators will need to find the agent of tested. Since this is not certain, one may use a more general agent and say, for example, “The believers should test them first” or “People should test them first.”
The nature of the testing is less than clear. Some understand it to be a period of probation (for example, Weymouth “must undergo probation”), or at any rate a formal testing of some kind; Good News Translation can in fact be understood in this way. Others understand it to refer to the practice of designating people who demonstrate the appropriate qualities; these people are constantly observed, and it is from them that deacons are selected when necessary. The testing has for its purpose to prove themselves blameless. The term for blameless means “irreproachable” and is a synonym for “above reproach” in 3.2.
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• The believers should test them first, and if they find that these helpers are without fault, then they should allow them [the helpers] to serve.
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 .
Additionally, they must first be tested: Paul told Timothy that someone who might become a deacon should be tested to discover if he had the right qualities. Only if he had these qualities should he be appointed as a deacon.
Paul did not say who should test a deacon. So it is recommended that you do not explain that either. Perhaps you could say:
Let them prove themselves.
But, if in your language you need to specify who tested the deacons, it is recommended that you use a general term. For example, you could say:
The believers must test them
Paul also did not explain the way that deacons should be tested. There are many possibilities, but it is recommended that you avoid specifying any method of testing in your translation.
first: In this context, this means before starting to serve as a deacon.
3:10b
if they are above reproach: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as above reproach means that the men being tested cannot be truthfully be accused of doing wrong. It has a similar meaning to the word that the Berean Standard Bible also translates as “above reproach” in 3:2a.
3:10c
let them serve as deacons: That is, once these men have passed the test, they can be appointed as deacons.
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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.
Ce verset décrit brièvement le processus par lequel les diacres entrent en fonction. Il comprend deux verbes principaux, tous les deux des impératifs à la troisième personne, littéralement « Qu’ils soient mis à l’épreuve » et « Qu’ils servent ».
Qu’eux aussi soient d’abord mis à l’épreuve : en grec il y a deux conjonctions, και… δέ kai… de, que la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible rend par eux aussi. Ces conjonctions pourront aussi exprimer un léger contraste, « Mais on doit d’abord mettre les diacres à l’épreuve ». L’impératif en grec peut être rendu de plusieurs manières en traduction : par une expression comme « Il faut » (Bible en français courant), par un subjonctif, « Qu’on les mette… à l’épreuve… » (Nouvelle Bible Segond, voir Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), ou par une autre expression, « On doit d’abord les examiner » (Parole de Vie).
Si les deux conjonctions sont prises dans le sens d’aussi (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Bible du Semeur), on pourrait dire « Comme l’évêque, les diacres devraient d’abord être mis à l’épreuve ». On pourrait aussi dire « Il faut d’abord qu’on les mette à l’épreuve » Bible en français courant ou « on doit d’abord… » (Parole de Vie). Notons que plusieurs versions évitent le passif, en utilisant d’autres stratégies.
Le verbe mettre à l’épreuve veut dire « tester », « essayer » en vue de déterminer les capacités de quelqu’un. En Luc 14.19, quelqu’un achète des bœufs et les « essaient ». Ici les candidats diacres seront testés. La nature de l’épreuve n’est pas précisée, mais il pourrait s’agir d’une période d’essai ou d’une vérification par la communauté chrétienne que les candidats ont les qualités énumérées (1 Tim 3.8).
ensuite, si on n’a rien à leur reprocher est littéralement « sans blâme étant », synonyme du terme employé en 1 Tim 3.2. Ce même terme est employé en Tite 1.6,7, à propos d’un ancien et d’un évêque. La formulation conditionnelle conviendra dans plusieurs langues, ainsi « Alors, si on trouve que la personne est irréprochable… » En grec cette proposition se trouve à la fin du verset, mais dans la majorité des langues, elle sera placée à son début.
ils exerceront le ministère du diaconat est littéralement « qu’ils servent », encore un impératif à la troisième personne. On pourrait utiliser un futur comme la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible ou d’autres versions : « ils pourront travailler comme diacres » (Bible en français courant), « ils pourront servir comme diacres » (Parole de Vie), « on les admettra aux fonctions de diacres » (Bible de Jérusalem). En effet Paul donne l’ordre que ceux qui passent l’épreuve avec succès soient admis à ce ministère. Mais notons qu’à cette étape de l’histoire, les structures ecclésiastiques sont en train de se mettre en place. Parler d’un diaconat semble un peu prématuré. Ainsi on pourrait dire « servir » ou « travailler comme diacres ».
Source: Zogbo, Lynell & Ellingworth, Paul La première lettre à Timothée – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.
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