brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext), in Martu Wangka as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower”) (source: Carl Gross), and in Mairasi as “in-law” (source: Enggavoter 2004).

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.” The German translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) alternates between “brothers and sisters,” “sisters and brothers,” and “siblings” (Geschwister).

See also brothers.

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (2Cor. 9:3)

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.

complete verse (2 Corinthians 9:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 9:3:

  • Uma: “But even so, I think I had better send Titus and company [lit., they Titus] ahead of time to you, so that they can help you organize your gift. So, I hope that when I arrive, I will find you already ready, for I have already told the Makedonia people that you were already ready. Let it not be [lit., don’t-don’t] that the matter I praised you about, is just a lie.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, now I have told our (incl.) brothers Titus and company to go (to you) to help you gather your help, so that the people know that my praising you is really true and that you are prepared to give your help as I said.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And now I’m sending to you these brothers of ours (incl.) so that they might help you to carry out what I said about you, for perhaps it might be that it was just words. However, I know that you will carry it out just the same and that you will prepare that which you want to help with, according to what I said.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But I am nevertheless sending those aforementioned brothers of ours to help you in order that it will be seen that my boasting about you has not been just words with no weight and in order that what you give will be prepared like I have said.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That is why I have sent ahead there these siblings of ours so that I will not be ashamed for this my speaking highly of you, and so that that-with-which-you -will-help will be prepared ahead of time, just like I said (it would).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But now I am sending our brothers to repeat the word. Because I want that you should gather the money of your help before I arrive there. And I have already told the people that you are ready to help.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

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 9:3

As noted in “Translating 2 Corinthians,” page 5 and at the beginning of chapter 8, some interpreters regard both chapters 8 and 9 to have been parts of separate letters that were later pieced together to form part of 2 Corinthians as we now have it. One’s decision on this issue has important implications for the translation of this verse, as the following comments will indicate.

The word But indicates a contrast: Paul has the feeling that there is no need to write (9.1), since he knows that the Corinthians are ready to give (9.2); yet he is sending co-workers on ahead of himself to be sure that the money is ready when he will arrive later.

I am sending is in the past tense in Greek, “I sent” (so King James Version, Reina-Valera revisada). New American Standard Bible has “I have sent.” If chapter 9 was originally a separate letter written after chapter 8, then perhaps Paul had already sent these co-workers on to Corinth. If, however, chapters 8 and 9 were originally written as part of the same letter, then the verb “I sent” is probably an epistolary aorist and should be translated in the present tense (see explanations at 8.17 and 9.5). Since we now have the letter in the form of a single, whole letter, the latter explanation should probably be adopted by modern translators.

The brethren translates the Greek word for “brothers.” Though this word sometimes seems to include Christian women also, in this verse it probably does refer to men only. Paul is referring to the three persons already mentioned in 8.16-24. The words “these brothers” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and Moffatt) or “these friends” (Revised English Bible) indicate that Paul is referring to brothers who have already been mentioned. Though the brethren may possibly refer only to the two unnamed men of 8.16-24, Titus is probably included (see 8.18). Translators may want to make explicit the identity of “these brothers”: “I am sending Titus and the two others” (Contemporary English Version). Or one may prefer to say simply “these three men.”

If chapter 9 was a separate letter written later than chapter 8, then possibly the brethren do not refer to Titus and the two brothers of chapter 8 but rather to other Christians whom Paul had sent. The translations of Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version cited in the previous paragraph assume that these two chapters originally were part of the same letter as they now exist.

So that our boasting about you might not prove vain: this explains not why Paul is sending the delegation, but why he expects the Corinthians to be ready with their offering when they arrive. It may be better in some languages to make this a separate sentence as in Contemporary English Version: “This will prove that we were not wrong to brag about you.”

This case means in the matter of their being ready to contribute to the collection. Another way of saying this would be “in this matter” (Barclay). And note that Contemporary English Version leaves this part of the verse implicit.

Ready: in many languages it will be necessary to state clearly what is only implied in this word: “ready to help” or “ready to give.”

As I said you would be: or “just as I promised others you would be ready [to give].”

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 9:3

9:3a But I am sending the brothers in order that

But in another way, I am sending the ⌊three⌋ brothers so that
-or-
Yet from another standpoint, I am sending ⌊those⌋ fellow-believers to you so that

9:3b our boasting about you in this matter should not prove empty,

our (excl.) boasts about you regarding this ministry will not become vain/empty/wrong,
-or-
the boasts we made about you ⌊supporting the poor believers⌋ will prove true.

9:3c but that you will be prepared, just as I said.

and/but so that you (plur.) may be ready ⌊with your gift⌋, just as I had said/boasted.
-or-
Rather, ⌊I am sending the brothers⌋ so that your gift will be prepared ⌊when I come⌋, just as I have been telling/boasting ⌊to the Macedonian churches⌋ that you would do.

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