4For while we are in this tent, we groan under our burden because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
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.
The Mal, Karbi and Copainalá Zoque translators chose an inclusive form. D. Filbeck says: “We do not feel that Paul expected to be made an exception to believers in general. Informant insists on inclusive.”
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 5:4:
Uma: “For while we are still living in this world, we groan/suffer for our burden is heavy. But let’s not say thus, we want to die in order to leave this body. Our desire is that we not die but that this body be immediately exchanged for a body that lives forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “As long as our (dual) body in this world still lives, we (incl.) groan because we (incl.) are being burdened (lit. feel heavy). It is not that we (incl.) wish that we (incl.) easily/soon die, but our (incl.) desire is that right now we (incl.) would be given the new body so that this our (dual) body that will die would be exchanged with a body that does not die.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For as for us believers who are still alive here on the earth, we have a difficult time because we are weighted down by the hard things that we have to endure here in this earthly body of ours. However, we really don’t want to leave this body of ours, but rather what we want is that we might be given right now, that new body which comes from Heaven, so that the body which is subject to death might be replaced by the body that has life forever.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “It is certainly true that we are burdened on the earth, so it’s as if we are groaning, but I’m not saying that we want to leave our original bodies that die, but rather that we want our new bodies that never-die to replace (them).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well at present when we are still here in the world, (it’s) like we can’t-be-at-peace because of the weaknesses and deficiencies of this earthly body of ours. It’s not that we are eagerly-awaiting-the-arrival-of death so that we can have these bodies removed, but rather what we are really eagerly-awaiting-the-arrival-of, (it’s) when our present body will be replaced by a far-from-ordinary heavenly body. For when it’s like that, this life of ours that has an end, it will be replaced by a life which has no end.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “While we live here, we sigh because of what we suffer. I do not mean to say that I want to separate from my body. Rather that which we are eager for is that we live there in the home God will give us forever, where no one dies.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Verse 4 is a restatement and expansion of what Paul had written in verse 2. In some languages it may be possible to use a transition word that indicates this clearly. Knox tries to indicate this by beginning the sentence with “Yes….” Others may say “Indeed” (Anchor Bible) or something similar.
This tent refers to the mortal human body (see 5.1). Good News Translation adds the word “earthly.” In order to show more clearly that each person has his or her own individual body, Contemporary English Version has translated using the plural “these tents.”
Not that we would be unclothed: Paul does not want to die before the return of Jesus. Some translators may need to say something like “we are not sighing because we want to die and leave these earthly bodies.”
But that we would be further clothed: Paul’s desire is not to die but rather that the spiritual body be put on him while he is still alive in his physical body. Paul wishes that Christ will return and so transform his physical body before he dies.
What is mortal: a reference to the physical body which will eventually die. In some languages the most natural meaningful equivalent will be simply “this body” or something similar.
Be swallowed up: the verb so translated here is rendered “overwhelmed” in 2.7 and “drowned” in Heb 11.29 (in the context of the Egyptians in the Red Sea). In this context it has the idea of being totally consumed or transformed. New American Bible and Phillips use the verb “absorbed,” while Barclay has “engulfed.” But the passive idea will have to be translated actively in many cases. The meaning is clearly expressed in Contemporary English Version: “It is because we want to change them for bodies that will never die.”
Life is “life immortal” in Revised English Bible. In other languages one may say “eternal life” or “true life.”
There are four possible types of model for this verse as a whole. The first drops the image of clothing altogether:
• Indeed, we humans have bodies that are like tents [temporary dwellings]. We cry because of the burden of pain which we carry. We don’t want to get rid of this body of ours on earth. But we feel the need to get the body that God has prepared for us, because this body that will die will be changed into one that is forever.
The second kind of model drops the image of the tent but keeps the clothing figure:
• Our bodies on this earth will someday die. We complain because of the aches and pains that we have to bear now. It is not that we want to get rid of the body, but we want to have a new body like a new set of clothes. We want to throw away our old clothes and have the new ones put on us, so that what is liable to death will be covered up by life itself.
The third type of model renders both figures of speech in a nonfigurative way:
• Our earthly bodies will not last forever. We cry because of the suffering which they must bear. It is not true that we want to die, but we do want God to change us and give us a new body that will live forever. That is, we want our earthly bodies to be changed into one that will be permanent.
Finally, it may be possible to retain both the tent and the clothing images by selecting the appropriate parts of the above models.
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 .
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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