10For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive due recompense for actions done in the body, whether good or evil.
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 5:10:
Uma: “For the time will certainly come, we all must face Kristus to have him examine our work, and every one of us will get a return for the word that we did while we were still in the world, whether it was good or bad.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Because we (incl.) all really have to come-out/appear before him and he will judge us (incl.) so that we (incl.) receive each one the reward/repay that is fitting/right for us (incl.). Our (incl.) reward/repay will match our (incl.) doings here in the world, good or bad.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For everyone of us (incl.), it is necessary that we come before Christ in the future, because He will examine our doings so that each one of us might receive the wages, which is proper for all that we have done here on the earth, whether it is good or whether it has no value.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because we must all face Cristo so that he will judge us so that each one will be rewarded according to what he has done while on this earth, whether good or bad.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Because, this is the truth, the day will come when each one of us, we really will be brought before Cristo the Judge, so that we will receive the reward in harmony with what we have done, good or evil, here in this world.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Because for all of us, concerning how we have walked here on the earth, there will come the day when Christ will judge us. Then there will be given to each one that which he deserves, whether good or suffering for how he walked during the days he lived.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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 inclusive form (including the addressee) (source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.). SIL International Translation Department (1999) also states that it could be an exclusive meaning (if not used parenthetical) a usage that Tok Pisin follows.
The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.
When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”
This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.
In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the GermanGute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).
In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.
In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:
Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )
In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with a sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):
“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”
For: the transition word used here introduces an additional argument for Christians seeking to live lives pleasing to Christ. In other languages this transition may be conveyed by “Indeed,” or “Truly,” or possibly “After all” (Contemporary English Version).
The judgment seat of Christ: the judgment seat was the judicial bench of a city court in the Roman Empire. Paul uses this imagery to refer to the judging activity of Christ. In Rom 14.10b it refers to the “judgment seat of God.” It is used of Pilate in Matt 27.19 and John 19.13. The same Greek word is often translated “tribunal” in Acts. In some languages it is a mistake to focus on the word seat. The idea may be contained in a verbal expression such as “we must all be judged in the presence of Christ” or “Christ will sit in judgment over every one of us.”
The second part of this verse is literally “in order that each one may receive the things through the body according to that which he did, whether good or evil.” The words “through the body” apparently go with the words according to what he has done and not with the words one may receive. The sense is that people will be judged according to the things that they did while living here on earth, that is, in the body.
Receive: in some languages the same verb is not appropriate for both receiving punishment and receiving commendation or blessing. In such cases it may be necessary to translate this term by two different words in the receptor language. Some may have to say “be punished” and “be blessed,” or use active forms of these two verbs with God as subject.
The words “whether good or evil” occur at the end of the sentence in Greek and may go with the word receive (Revised Standard Version), with has done (Good News Translation), or with both of these verbs (New International Version and Revised English Bible). Each interpretation makes good sense in the context, and each is grammatically possible.
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 .
5:10a For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
for each of our (incl.) ⌊lives⌋ will be revealed before Christ in his place as judge,
-or-
Because God will reveal all that every one of us have done before Christ our judge,
5:10b that each one may receive his due
in order that each one ⌊of us(incl.)⌋ may receive what we deserve
-or-
so that he would reward/compensate each one
5:10c for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.
for things that we did while in this ⌊earthly⌋ body, whether good or bad/worthless.
-or-
according to whatever we (incl.) did while living on earth, whether ⌊those deeds were⌋ good or bad/immoral.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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