9now I rejoice, not because you were grieved but because your grief led to repentance, for you felt a godly grief, so that you were not harmed in any way by us.
The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.
Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
The Greek and Hebrew that is often translated as “repent” or “repentance” is (back-) translated in various ways (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight):
Embu: “change heart” (“2 Cor. 7:10 says ‘For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.’ In ordinary speech the terms ‘repent’ and ‘regret’ are used interchangeably in Embu, so that this verse comes out as: ‘godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no repentance,’ which is contradictory. The problem was solved by using ‘changing heart’ in the first, and ‘sadness’ in the second.”) (source: Jan Sterk)
Muna: dofetompa’ao dhosa bhe dodoli ne Lahata’ala: “radically-end sin and to turn to God” (source: René van den Berg)
Bacama: por-njiya: “fetch sand” (“Before the coming of Christianity 100 years ago, when the elders went to pray to the gods, they would take sand and throw it over each shoulder and down their backs while confessing their sins. Covering themselves with sand was a ritual to show that they were sorry for what they had done wrong, sort of like covering oneself with sackcloth and ashes. Now idol worship for the most part is abandoned in Bacama culture, but the Christian church has retained the phrase por-njiya to mean ‘repent, doing something to show sorrow for one’s sins’” — source: David Frank in this blog post .)
“In Tzotzil two reflexive verbs to communicate the biblical concept of repentance are used. Xca’i jba means to know or to reflect inwardly on one’s self. This self inquiry or self examination is similar to the attitude of the prodigal son where Luke 15:17 records that ‘he came to his senses.’ Broke, starving, and slopping hogs, the prodigal admitted to himself that he was in the wrong place. The second reflexive verb ‘jsutes jba’ means turning away from what one is and turning to something else. In a sense, it is deciding against one’s self and toward someone else. It is similar to the attitude of the prodigal son when he said, ‘I will get up and go to my father’ (v. 18).” (source: Aeilts, p. 118)
Enlhet “exchange innermosts.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
Merina Malagasy: fifonana, deriving from mifona “meaning ‘to completely uproot so that something new can grow’ (a term also used for the loss of a baby tooth) (source: Brigitte Rabarijaona)
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.
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 7:9:
Uma: “So, that’s why I say my heart is not sorry. In fact I’m happy! I’m not happy because you were sorrowful. I’m happy because your sorrow lead you to repent from your behavior that was not good. For even though your hearts were sad reading that letter of mine, your sadness of heart God used as a way to bring blessings to you. So, you didn’t suffer-loss because of my letter.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But now I am glad. It is not that I am glad because you were sad, but the reason that I am glad is, for because of your sadness you have changed your doings. That your sadness was from God so that you would regret. That is why I said that that letter was for your good. (came home for your good)” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And now I’m happy– not because you were sad but rather, because you corrected your activities through your being sad. And as for that sorrow of yours, it was an instrument of God. That’s why it was good for us to write that letter.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But now, here I’ve been made-really-happy, not because I made-you -sad but rather because your sorrow resulted in your repenting (same word as regret). That sorrow of yours, it was indeed also according to what God wanted so that your faith would not be hurt.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But now, my mind/inner-being is happy. It’s not that I’m happy that you grieved, but rather what I am happy about is, that grief of yours, that’s what led you to repent-of/be-sorry-for and drop your sins. That grief of yours, (it was) in accordance with God’s will. Therefore rather than your believing/obeying being destroyed by that letter of mine, good results were achieved.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now I am very glad. But I am not glad because you were sad. Rather I am glad that your being sad caused you to change your thoughts. God caused you to be sad for what you were doing in order that the letter I wrote to you worked for your good and didn’t harm you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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 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.
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).
This verse begins in Greek with the word “now,” implying a contrast between how he had felt and how he now feels. Though he was sad for a while because of the effect his letter had on the Corinthians, “now” he is happy.
Grieved: this is the same verb as translated “made … sorry” and “grieved” in the previous verse. See comments there.
The word repenting contains two aspects of meaning: admission and regret of doing wrong, and a resolve to change one’s behavior. And note that Good News Translation has brought out the idea of change by translating “change your ways.” Barclay attempts to reflect the same thing with “change of mind.” See comments on “regret” in the previous verse regarding the distinction between “regret” and “repent.”
The words godly grief are difficult to interpret and translate, as the different translations of these words by Good News Bible and Revised English Bible indicate: Good News Translation “that sadness was used by God”; Revised English Bible “You bore the pain as God would have you bear it.” Verse 10 contrasts “godly grief” with “worldly grief.” Godly grief appears to be grief that is sincere and is approved by God, not merely a grief or remorse that is shown in order to impress human beings.
So that you suffered no loss through us: the words so that translate a single Greek word that may express either purpose or result. Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and Revised English Bible translate it as expressing result (“and so”), that is, “with the result that we caused you no harm.” It seems better, however, to understand the Greek word as expressing purpose (so Barrett, Martin, Anchor Bible). It was God’s purpose for them to experience grief “in order that” they would not suffer loss. Anchor Bible says “For you were grieved as God willed, that you might not sustain a loss in any way because of us.”
Loss: Paul does not state the nature of the loss. Loss of a future visit by Paul, loss of their salvation, and loss of their positive Christian attitudes have all been suggested by commentators. But the presence of the words “in nothing” in the Greek suggests that Paul was not limiting the idea of a loss to any particular loss. New Century Version includes a separate sentence at the end of the verse to translate you suffered no loss through us: “So you were not hurt by us in any way.” In languages where the passive form is a problem, translators may wish to say “So we did not harm you in any way.”
Through us means “because of what we did” (Revised English Bible “from what we did”). Though it is possible to understand Revised Standard Version as implying that the Corinthians experienced loss because of what others did, such an understanding reads too much into Paul’s words.
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 .
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