brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext), in Martu Wangka as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower”) (source: Carl Gross), and in Mairasi as “in-law” (source: Enggavoter 2004).

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.” The German translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) alternates between “brothers and sisters,” “sisters and brothers,” and “siblings” (Geschwister).

See also brothers.

complete verse (1 Timothy 5:1)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Timothy 5:1:

  • Uma: “If/When you teach people whose age is more than yours, don’t [do it] very harshly. Rather make your words gentle [lit., smooth, fine] firing-up their hearts, you treat them like your own father. Young-men you treat like your relatives.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Don’t scold a man older than you but speak to him well like (to) your father when you have something to teach/instruct him. The men who are young, consider/regard (them) as your brothers/siblings.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Do not speak sharply to an elder, rather advise him as if he were your father. Also advise the young men as if they were your brothers.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If someone sins who is older (male) than you (sing.), don’t speak-harshly/roughly-to (him), but instead gently is the way you (sing.) are to advise him as if he were your (sing.) father. The men also who are younger than you (sing.), count them as if they are your (sing.) brothers/cousins.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Supposing there’s something you find fault with among those you are overseeing there, teach him with respect. If it’s a man who is already old/mature, don’t scold him, but rather talk to him aside/quietly like you’re conversing with your father. Those who are still young, regard them as your siblings.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the old man who does not do what is right, do not speak strongly to him when you reprimand him for what he has done. Beautifully speak to him, treating him as though he were your father. Concerning the young men, treat them as though they were your brothers.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Timothy 5:1

Rebuke is literally “to strike upon,” “to beat upon”; from this has developed the extended meaning “to chastise with words,” “to chide,” “to upbraid,” “to rebuke.” The literal meaning does not occur in the New Testament; in most occurrences the meaning is to express disapproval as a form of punishment, hence “to denounce,” “to reproach,” “to reprimand” (Phillips), “to reprove, censure, scold,” or even “to speak severely to.”

The word for older man is the same word for “elder” (see 5.17, 19; Titus 1.5). Here, however, the term is not used for a person who occupies a particular office in the church, but to a man of advanced age, as the context clearly shows. So Phillips “a senior member of your church,” Jerusalem Bible “a man older than yourself.”

The Greek word for exhort has a wide range of meaning. The meaning in classical Greek writings is “to call to one’s side,” “to summon.” In some places in the New Testament, the word means “to comfort,” “to encourage.” In the present context it means “to appeal to” (Good News Translation), “to advise” (Jerusalem Bible), “to admonish,” “to exhort” (New International Version). However this is translated, it must be ascertained that the term chosen is appropriate to a son-father relationship, since the older man is to be considered like a real father and therefore treated with respect and as one who is in a higher position. A literal translation of the text (for example Revised Standard Version) would not make it clear that Timothy should treat the older man as his own father; this has been made explicit in many translations; for example, Good News Translation “appeal to him as if he were your father,” Jerusalem Bible “advise him as you would your own father.” In some languages it may be necessary to repeat the verb; for example, “appeal to him in the same way that you appeal to your own father.” In other languages one may use an idiomatic expression such as “speak to him from a true heart in the same way that you would speak to your own father” or “speak to him with your heart exposed….”

Treat younger men as brothers is literally “younger men as brothers,” without a verb. The most likely verb to be read with the phrase is exhort that occurs in the first part of the verse; however, many translations supply another verb here, one example being treat. Any verb chosen must be appropriate to a brother-brother relationship in which Timothy would be in a higher position than the younger men. Younger has to do with age and can be related either to Timothy (hence, younger than you are) or, more likely, to the older men (hence older man … younger men). The latter is more likely in view of verse 2. It is also possible that these younger men belonged to an identifiable group within the church. So perhaps we can imagine a church composed of at least four groups: adult men, young men, adult women, young women.

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 .

Commentaire sur la traduction de 1 Timothée 5.1

Paul donne d’autres instructions concernant le ministère de Timothée (5.1–6.19)

Dans beaucoup de Bibles, 1 Tim 5.1 commence une nouvelle section. La Traduction œcuménique de la Bible commence par un sous-titre « Les diverses catégories de fidèles », mais il s’agit plutôt de conseils que Paul offre à Timothée concernant ces différents groupes de personnes On pourrait suivre la Nouvelle Français courant « Les conseils à un responsable d’Église ». En effet, la transition entre les recommandations personnelles à Timothée et les conseils concernant l’organisation de la communauté chrétienne est progressive. 1 Tim 5.1 concerne les vieux, 1 Tim 5.3, les veuves, et 1 Tim 5.20, les anciens. Le reste du passage concerne le ministère de Timothée, en tant que responsable de l’Église ( 1 Tim 5.9) et d’autres conseils ( 1 Tim 5.13, 1 Tim 5.23).

Comment traiter différents groupes au sein de l’église (5.1–6.2a)
5.1-2

Sous forme d’impératifs, Paul donne de courts conseils à Timothée concernant différents groupes de personnes dans l’Église : les vieux, les jeunes gens, les vieilles dames et les femmes plus jeunes. L’Église est composée de familles et des individus, des personnes de tout âge. On pourrait utiliser un sous-titre général comme « Comment se comporter envers les différents groupes de chrétiens ». Le verbe exhorte (1 Tim 5.1) s’applique à plusieurs propositions parallèles :
• exhorte [un vieux] comme père
• les jeunes gens comme frères
• les femmes âgées comme mères
• les jeunes filles comme sœurs…

Le premier conseil dans cette section concerne les vieux. Il ne semble pas s’agir de quelqu’un jouant un rôle de leader ou de responsable dans l’Église comme ailleurs dans les Pastorales (1 Tim 5.17, 1 Tim 5.19 ; Tite 1.5). La mention des autres groupes (jeunes hommes, vieilles et jeunes femmes) démontre qu’il s’agit de cette catégorie d’âge. On pourrait parler d’« hommes âgés » ou des « hommes plus âgés que toi ». Bien sûr, le terme utilisé ne devrait pas avoir une connotation négative. Dans les cultures basées sur l’honneur et la honte, ler respect des vieilles personnes est crucial.

Paul dit à Timothée de ne pas reprendre ces vieilles personnes avec dureté. L’expression a comme premier sens « frapper ». Il ne s’agit pas d’abus physique mais plutôt de reproches sévères qui allaient humilier ces personnes. Le jeune Timothée ne doit pas abuser de son autorité de dirigeant de l’Église pour diminuer ou toucher à la dignité des chrétiens plus âgés. Autrement dit, il doit les respecter.

mais exhorte-le comme un père : la conjonction ἀλλά alla exprime un contraste fort. On pourrait dire « mais au contraire ». Pour exhorte, voir 1 Tim 1.3. On pourrait dire « donne-lui des conseils » (Parole de Vie) ou « encourage-le » (Nouvelle Bible Segond). Ce contexte pourrait indiquer qu’un vieux aurait fait quelque chose demandant une certaine critique, mais Paul dit que, quelle que soit la faute commise ou faiblesse révélée, Timothée doit reprendre cette personne avec respect et douceur.

Comme un père souligne le fait que les chrétiens se voyaient comme une famille plutôt qu’une institution. On pourrait dire « comme si la personne en question était ton père », « comme tu le ferais à ton père ». Voir Bible en français courant dans ce sens.

Traite les jeunes gens comme des frères est littéralement « jeunes comme frères », sans verbe. Si la langue admet de telles structures, le verbe peut être élidé comme en grec. Sinon on pourrait répéter le verbe ou utiliser un autre comme la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible ici, traiter. Dans certains langues il y a deux mots pour frères, l’aîné et le cadet. S’il ne pas de mot général, on parlera ici de « petit frère ».

jeunes gens s’oppose aux vieux qui viennent d’être mentionnés. La forme grecque νέος neos veut dire litt. « nouveau », mais désigne des jeunes personnes. Les cultures diffèrent en ce qui concerne les catégories d’âge. Dans beaucoup de cultures africaines, on est jeune jusqu’à l’âge de quarante ans ! Mais certains biblistes pensent que le mot désigne des gens « plus jeunes » que Timothée.

Exceptionnellement pour le NT, frères a ici le sens d’une parenté littérale, plutôt que de désigner, comme en 1 Tim 4.6, un frère ou une sœur dans la foi.

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