lose heart

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “lose heart” or similar in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically as “grow tired” and in Makonde as “lose strength in one’s heart.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (2Cor. 4:16)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (2 Corinthians 4:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 4:16:

  • Uma: “So, that is why I said earlier, we don’t lose heart [lit., our (excl.) hearts are not lessened]. Even though this body of ours(excl.) its strength is getting less-and-less, but our (excl.) hearts are constantly being renewed every day.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore we (excl.) are diligent, we (excl.) do not stop preaching. Even if our (excl.) body becomes weak and we (excl.) grow old, nevertheless our (excl.) trust continues to become strong every day.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And because of this, our working hard cannot be removed. Every day our bodies become older and weaker; but in spite of that, every day also God increases His strengthening of our faith.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore we (excl.) don’t get discouraged, because even though our (incl.) bodies are weakening, the life that is in us that doesn’t die is daily becoming-stronger.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That is why we (excl.) (lit. our bones) are not getting weary/discouraged, for even though every day our (excl.) bodies keep on growing older and deteriorating, every day also we (excl.) keep being given by God that we are becoming-healthy/strong in regard to our believing/obeying and new life which is the gift of the Espiritu Santo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Therefore never does my heart turn back. Even though more and more my strength is lost, yet my thoughts are strengthened day by day.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 2 Corinthians 4:16

So: the transition word used here is a rather strong one linking the following declaration to what has just been said. It is rendered “thus” (Anchor Bible), “no wonder…!” (Revised English Bible), “that is why…” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “hence” (Moffatt). It is probably not wise to leave it untranslated as in Contemporary English Version and New American Bible.

We do not lose heart: this is linked to 4.1, where the same verb is used, but it is also linked in thought to the previous verse: the apostles are encouraged by the extension of God’s grace. It is not clear whether all of the first person plural pronouns in this section include the readers, or whether the readers are included only in verse 10. If the pronouns are exclusive, neither is it clear whether Paul includes his companions or only himself (so Moffatt).

The second part of this verse is similar in thought to 3.18.

Outer nature: this refers to the physical part of human existence. Paul does not use this expression elsewhere, but in Rom 6.6 he does talk about “the old person” with much the same sense (likewise Col 3.9 and Eph 4.22). Some possible translation models here are “our body [or, bodies]” (New American Bible, Contemporary English Version), “the physical part of us” (Barclay), and “the outward part of our nature” (Knox).

Wasting away: the verb used here may be rendered “is gradually decaying” (Good News Translation), “wearing out,” or “gradually dying” (Contemporary English Version).

Inner nature: the reference is to the nonphysical, spiritual part of one’s being and stands in contrast with the outer nature. The same expression is translated by Revised Standard Version as “my inmost self” in Rom 7.22 and may be seen as practically synonymous with the “new creature” in 5.17 and Gal 6.15. It has been translated here as “we ourselves” (Contemporary English Version), “our inner being” (New American Bible), “our spirit inside us” (New Century Version), and “our inner life” (Knox).

Being renewed: this verb stands in contrast with wasting away and has been rendered “is refreshed” (Knox), “receives fresh strength” (Phillips), “are being made stronger” (Contemporary English Version).

Note that New International Version uses the adverbs “outwardly” and “inwardly” to translate the two difficult terms in this verse, and that New American Bible reverses the order of the two contrasting parts, speaking first of renewal “even though our body is being destroyed.”

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 4:16

4:16a Therefore we do not lose heart.

Therefore, we (excl.) do not become dejected.
-or-
So we do not despair.

4:16b Though our outer self is wasting away,

But although our bodies decay,
-or-
Even though our bodies weaken ⌊with age and suffering⌋,

4:16c yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.

yet our inner being is being made new again each day.
-or-
yet every day ⌊God⌋ makes our spirits completely strong/healthy/good again.

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