chaste behavior, pure, pure conduct

The Greek in 1 Peter 3:2 that is translated in English as “pure conduct” (or “chaste behavior”) is translated in Balanta-Kentohe as “good walk.” (Source: Rob Koops)

The standalone term that is translated as “pure” is translated in Mezquital Otomi as “that which cleanses one’s thoughts,” and in Alekano as “making our insides white.” (Source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).

See also snow (color).

what eagerness to clear yourselves

The Greek that is translated as “what eagerness to clear yourselves” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with “how eager you were to apologize to me.”

complete verse (2 Corinthians 7:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 7:11:

  • Uma: “Your sadness reading my that letter of mine the other day was indeed sadness that followed God’s will. Take a good look at what the fruit of your sadness was. Because of your sadness, your heart really wanted to do what was straight. You said you weren’t on the side of the people who rejected us (excl.). You hated the sins of the guilty person(s), you feared to follow their behavior. You longed for me, you followed my commands, you were ready to punish the guilty person(s). In every way it became clear that your hearts were as clean as a chicken egg [i.e., sincere and innocent] in the matter.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Look at what the outcome of that sadness of yours was, because your sadness was from God. Now you strive/try hard to cause your doings to be straight. You really want to tell me that you were not mixed up in the doing of that person. And you really hate already those shameful deeds of that person. You are also afraid. Now you already want that we (incl.) will see each other again and you want that I am pleased with you. You also immediately punished the person who sinned. Because of all this you have made clear to me that you have nothing to do with his sin.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But as for you, just recount the good which God did through your sorrow. For by means of it, your correction of your activities increased. It became big in your breath that people should know that we had nothing to rebuke about your activity. You were very disgusted with the things that person who sinned did; you were very much afraid of that because you might be included in God’s punishing him. And you were also very lonely for me, and your carrying out my commands to you increased. And that’s not all, because you very quickly punished that person who had done wrong. And you showed that you had no sin in that which he did.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Consider the good that God has done because of that sorrow of yours. Because now you are industrious to show that what you have done is right. You became-angry because of your being-shamed and you became-afraid lest you be punished. You really-want our companionship to become-good again. You were also eager to punish properly the one-who-sinned. Because of all these-things that you have done, you have shown that there is already nothing that you can be accused of in that-aforementioned-thing that happened.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For just look at what was achieved in your lives by that grief which was in accordance with God’s will. Is it not so that you applied yourselves seriously to judging that bad thing that was done among you that I mentioned in my letter, so that it would be recognized that you are no longer regarding-it-as-unimportant, but rather you are now regarding-it-as-disgusting? You really were disgusted with yourselves, and became afraid that you might also be included in being punished. You really were hoping for me to once again be happy with you therefore you got right down to the business of rectifying (lit. faced-up-to well) the things that needed to be fixed there, and passed judgment upon that which needed to be judged. You really caused it to be comprehended that you now had nothing to answer for concerning the sin that that person there did.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “In regard to your sadness of heart when you ea the letter I sent to you concerning the sin there was, God looked well on what you did. Now you can see what happened after you knew what had happened. You were angry because you feared God’s punishment. Therefore you were strengthened to reprimand the one who had done sin. Then it appeared that you did not approve that sin. And now, very much do you want to see me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

will (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-kokoro (みこころ) or “will (of God)” in the referenced verses. Two verses (Ezra 10:11 and Ephesians 1:9) use mi-mune (みむね) with the same honorific prefix and meaning.

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

See also will and doing the will of God.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 7:11

In this verse Paul lists several nouns that involve strong emotions. The nouns appear as a disconnected list, yet every one of them is related to events in the experience of the Corinthians that Titus had reported to Paul (see verses 6 and 7).

The style of this verse in Greek is difficult to capture in translation. A more literal translation than Revised Standard Version may express something of the force and style of the first sentence of verse 11: “For behold this very being made sorrowful by God how great an earnestness it has produced in you—not only that but also eagerness to defend yourselves, not only that but also such indignation, not only that but also such alarm, not only that but such longing, not only that but such zeal, not only that but such punishment!”

For see …: the word translated see is the same one rendered “behold” in 5.17 and 6.2, 9. It is used here to highlight the fact that God used remorse to bring about positive change. The receptor language may have a very different way of focusing on an important notion such as this. But translators should look for the most natural way of doing this.

Earnestness: this noun is rendered by Knox as “devotion.” Anchor Bible speaks of “your concern [to defend yourselves].” The same word is translated “zeal” in Rom 12.8 and 11. It involves enthusiasm and intensity in carrying out any activity. In this context the enthusiasm is for self defense.

The terms in this verse should be understood against the background of 2.1-11. Eagerness to clear yourselves: literally “defense.” The context indicates that the sense is “eagerness to clear themselves of siding with the offender against Paul”. Indeed, they showed indignation, anger, at what the offender had done.

The word alarm is the word usually translated as “fear.” They took very seriously the problem caused by the offender.

On longing and zeal, see comments on 7.7.

The Greek does not state what the object of their longing was, nor does Good News Translation. The object is probably “Paul,” that is, their desire to see him again. Revised English Bible reads “your longing for me,” while Phillips has “you long for my presence.”

The noun punishment carries an implicit subject and object. Who punished whom? Good News Translation states the object to be “wrongdoing.” If, as seems probable, Paul is thinking of the situation discussed in 2.1-11, the one to be punished may be the “wrongdoer” (see 7.12). Revised English Bible says “your eagerness to see justice done!” Indeed Revised Standard Version, what punishment, probably gives a false impression that Paul enjoyed hearing about the kind of punishment that the church exercised.

At every point: literally “in all” as in verse 5 above. Good News Translation attempts to convey this, using the word “whole” in describing the matter. It is also possible to translate “in every way” (Moffatt, New Jerusalem Bible, and Translator’s New Testament).

If Paul is writing about the situation mentioned in 2.1-11, then the matter refers to that incident. However, the matter is probably left vague by Paul because he wants to forget about the case and move on to more important matters.

It may be difficult in some languages to find adequate synonyms for the string of nouns which Paul uses in this verse. In some languages they will have to be translated by a series of verbal expressions such as “it made you very serious. It made you want to prove that you were not wrong. It made you angry and afraid. It made you want to see me. It made you care. It made you want the right thing to be done” (New Century Version).

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 .