complete verse (2 Corinthians 8:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 8:10:

  • Uma: “So, these are my words to you, relatives: it is so very appropriate [lit., it is the way] that you finish the work that you began last year, since you, relatives, are the first ones who wanted to gather your helping money, and you also are first ones who began to gather this money. So, like your diligence to make plans, I hope that also is how your diligence will be to continue this work as far as your ability goes.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “You were hep the very first ones who wanted to help and you already started to give last year. Now, this is what I think, it is good if you finish that.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “What I advise you to do is, that collecting of money that you started last year. You were the first ones to collect money to help the people of Judea, and that’s not all, because this idea of helping them came from you. And because of this, you should continue so that you can finish according to what you can do. It is necessary for your desire to be great to finish this work, just like your desire was big when you first started it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore this is my opinion. It would be good if you continue what you already started last-year, for you (appreciation particle) were the first to decide and you indeed also were the first to begin.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well now, this is what I have to say which, as far as I’m concerned, is for your benefit if you do it. Finish-off now what you started last year. For you really were the very-first who not only began but rather also the very-first to desire to do like this.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the money for the help you began to gather last year, I think it is better that you finish doing it. Because at the first you had pleasure in gathering the money before other believers did.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 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 8:10

While there is no new paragraph here in Revised Standard Version, it will probably be better to follow Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, and others in making a break at this point.

In this matter is simply “in this” in Greek. These words may look back to what Paul has just written about the reality of their love, or it may look ahead to his comments about the collection. The latter seems probable, though Paul’s comments about their “love” and about “the collection” are closely related. If it seems necessary to clarify the meaning, translators may consider the following models: “I will tell you what I think about the collection…” or “Now about the matter of gathering money, I want you to know how I feel….”

It is best for you …: literally “for this is fitting for you who were the kind of people not only to do….” The Greek pronoun is not the simple relative pronoun “who.” It is difficult in translation to capture the sense of the pronoun “who were the kind of people,” and neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation do so. God’s New Covenant attempts to preserve the force of this Greek pronoun: “I am simply offering an opinion, that being the proper course to take with people like you who led the way….” Martin also attempts to maintain the force of the Greek pronoun: “for this advice befits you, you who last year were those who….”

A year ago is literally “from last year.” The period covered can be from a couple of months ago to twenty-three months ago. The Greek does not necessarily mean “twelve months ago.” Both a year ago and “last year” are possible translations. The Revised Standard Version translation suggests an interval of twelve months, which is more precise than what we can really know.

You began: the Greek word translated as you began in Revised Standard Version is ambiguous. Literally the word is “you began beforehand,” and Revised Standard Version does not fully capture the sense of this verb. Probably it means that the Corinthians began “first” (Good News Translation), that is, before the Macedonians (so also Martin; see 9.2). Although less likely, it is possible that this means that they began “before Titus had come to Corinth.”

Not only to do but to desire: the logical order is that one first desires something and then one acts on that desire. Paul has reversed the order here, however, to give emphasis to their desire. For Paul it was important that the Corinthians began to collect money for the Christians in Jerusalem, but it was even more important that they had the desire to do so.

A possible model for this verse as a whole is provided by Knox: “I am only giving you my advice, then, in this matter: you can claim that as your due, since it was you who led the way, not only in acting, but in proposing to act, as early as last year.” Providing a different model, Contemporary English Version restructures the verse as follows: “A year ago you were the first ones to give, and you gave because you wanted to. So listen to my advice. [11] I think you should finish what you started.” It should be noted, however, that the Revised Standard Version words now to complete occur as a part of this verse; yet Contemporary English Version translates them as the first part of verse 11, which is where the idea of completion is found in Greek. The problem is that Revised Standard Version has expressed the idea of completing in this verse and then repeated it in the following verse, but Contemporary English Version has chosen to translate this idea only once.

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 8:10

8:10a And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter:

And, I give advice to you about this ⌊matter⌋, because this ⌊matter⌋ will benefit you (plur.),
-or-
And I am telling my opinion to you because doing this deed ⌊as I suggest⌋ will be helpful to you. ⌊My opinion is this:⌋

8:10b Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.

considering that last year you were not only the first to begin giving, but also the first to desire to do that,
-or-
The previous year you were the first ⌊among the churches⌋ to desire to help and to begin to do,

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