complete verse (2 Corinthians 3:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 3:8:

  • Uma: “how much more the power of God’s new Promise that gives us the Holy Spirit in our hearts.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “even more so the new covenant from God’s Spirit, is really great.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If the power which He showed at the time when He gave the Law was great, how much more powerful was His giving the Holy Spirit.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “surely even-more will his godhood and power be seen in his giving his Spirit because of the good news that we (excl.) preach.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “is it not so that his glory/praiseworthiness will all the more be observed in this new initiated-agreement, in which those he is making-an-agreement with are being indwelt by the Espiritu Santo?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But much more beautiful is this word given us by the Holy Spirit.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Spirit (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-tama (御霊) or “Spirit (of God)” in the referenced verses.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also Holy Spirit

Translation commentary on 2 Corinthians 3:8

This is a rhetorical question. For languages in which Paul’s words may be misunderstood to indicate doubt in his own mind, it may be better to change the question to a statement (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible).

Verse 8 completes the comparison begun in verse 7. If the Law of Moses came with such splendor, how much greater is the splendor of the ministry of the Spirit.

Dispensation translates the same Greek word translated as “dispensation” in verse 7. Revised English Bible says “the ministry of the Spirit.” Other versions seek to show the parallel with the previous verse: “the administration of the Spirit” (Moffatt), and An American Translation has “the religion of the Spirit.” But Knox is unable to maintain the resemblance, translating simply “the spiritual law.”

Revised Standard Version slavishly maintains the future tense of the Greek verb will … be. When the Law of Moses was given, the new covenant was an event in the future. But the future tense in English suggests that the new covenant is not a present reality for Paul. For that reason Good News Translation uses the present tense: “how much greater is the glory.”

Verses 7 and 8 have been restructured as follows in one African language:
• 7 The old Laws were written on stones, and the glory of God was seen at that time. The people of Israel could not look [long] at the face of Moses, because it was shining strongly, even though this glory did not last. Therefore, if the Laws whose job is to bring death had glory like that, 8 then the work of the Spirit of God will have greater glory than the Laws. Is this not true?

The final question assumes the answer “Of course” and reflects the rhetorical character of the two verses, but only after having made the affirmation clearly.

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 3:8

3:8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?

If ⌊that is true,⌋ will not the ministry led by the Spirit be even more glorious/full-of-splendor?
-or-
So surely the work of serving in/under the new covenant as the Holy Spirit guides will be even more full of glory/radiance!

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