complete verse (2 Corinthians 1:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 1:16:

  • Uma: “So, because I said you really know the contents of my heart, that’s why I had a plan the other day [lit., yesterday] to visit you twice, so that you would get also get blessings twice. My purpose the other day [lit., yesterday], I would go first of all to visit you on my trip here to Makedonia, and when I returned from here again, I’d stop in on you again, so that you would help me on my trip going to Yudea.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Because I planned hep that before proceeding to Makedoniya I would stop first by and visit you, then on my return trip I would stop by again there so that you could help me in my travels to Yahudiya.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because what was in my mind is that I would stop over with you when I go to Macedonia, and when I return home I would stop in again with you, so that I might be helped by you when I go to the province of Judea.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “This aforementioned original plan of mine was that I would stop-over koma at your location in my going to Macedonia, then I would again visit you upon my return so that you would help-me on my trip to Judea.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For my plan was to stop-by there (=Corinto) on my way to Macedonia, and on my returning, I would stop-by again so that you would help me on my journey to Judea.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because I wanted that when I went to Macedonia I would pass by where you live. When I returned from Macedonia, again I would pass by there where you live. I wanted that you would help me so that I could go on to the land of Judea.” (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 2 Corinthians 1:16

The trip to Judea mentioned here is the same trip referred to in 1 Cor 16.1-4, during which the money for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem was to have been delivered. Corinth was south of the province of Macedonia, whose capital city was Thessalonica. Paul had planned to go to Corinth first, then north to Macedonia, and then back to Corinth, before sailing east for Judea.

The Greek verb translated as send … on in Revised Standard Version often has the additional meaning of helping someone on the journey with food, money, by arranging for travel companions and supplies (see also Rom 15.24, “to be sped on”). Since that meaning seems probable here, Good News Translation says “in order to get help from you.” In some languages it may be a good idea to make this a separate sentence: “In that way you could have helped me on my journey on to Judea.”

Translators should be careful to distinguish the spelling of Judea and Judah. “Judah” is usually an Old Testament term referring to the kingdom in the southern part of the Holy Land consisting of the tribal areas of Judah and Benjamin; the kingdom of Judah was created following the death of Solomon and the dissolution of the United Kingdom (1 Kgs 12ff). Sometimes reference to Judah is found in the New Testament in quotations or references to the Old Testament area. However, Judea is the Greek and Latin form of the term Judah, and this name came to have a more restricted sense referring to a much smaller area around Jerusalem, namely, a Roman province in the southern part of the Holy Land.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Corinthians 1:16

1:16a I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia,

That is, I would pass through your (plur.) city/town on my way to Macedonia
-or-
For I planned to stop briefly with you while I traveled to Macedonia

1:16b and to return to you from Macedonia,

and then to return to you from there/Macedonia,
-or-
and return to you from there/Macedonia.

1:16c and then to have you help me on my way to Judea.

and then to have you help me prepare for my journey to Judea.
-or-
Lastly I planned for you to help with my needs when I go to Judea.

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