sin

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is typically translated as “sin” in English has a wide variety of translations.

The Greek ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) carries the original verbatim meaning of “miss the mark” and likewise, many translations contain the “connotation of moral responsibility.”

  • Loma: “leaving the road” (which “implies a definite standard, the transgression of which is sin”)
  • Navajo (Dinė): “that which is off to the side” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: kasalan, originally meaning “transgression of a religious or moral rule” and in the context of the Bible “transgression of God’s commandments” (source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21ff. )
  • Kaingang: “break God’s word”
  • Bariai: “bad behavior” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Sandawe: “miss the mark” (like the original meaning of the Greek term) (source for this and above: Ursula Wiesemann in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 36ff., 43)
  • Nias: horö, originally a term primarily used for sexual sin. (Source: Hummel / Telaumbanua 2007, p. 256)
  • Mauwake: “heavy” (compare forgiveness as “take away one’s heaviness”) (source: Kwan Poh San in this article )

In Shipibo-Conibo the term is hocha. Nida (1952, p. 149) tells the story of its choosing: “In some instances a native expression for sin includes many connotations, and its full meaning must be completely understood before one ever attempts to use it. This was true, for example, of the term hocha first proposed by Shipibo-Conibo natives as an equivalent for ‘sin.’ The term seemed quite all right until one day the translator heard a girl say after having broken a little pottery jar that she was guilty of ‘hocha.’ Breaking such a little jar scarcely seemed to be sin. However, the Shipibos insisted that hocha was really sin, and they explained more fully the meaning of the word. It could be used of breaking a jar, but only if the jar belonged to someone else. Hocha was nothing more nor less than destroying the possessions of another, but the meaning did not stop with purely material possessions. In their belief God owns the world and all that is in it. Anyone who destroys the work and plan of God is guilty of hocha. Hence the murderer is of all men most guilty of hocha, for he has destroyed God’s most important possession in the world, namely, man. Any destructive and malevolent spirit is hocha, for it is antagonistic and harmful to God’s creation. Rather than being a feeble word for some accidental event, this word for sin turned out to be exceedingly rich in meaning and laid a foundation for the full presentation of the redemptive act of God.”

In Warao it is translated as “bad obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ). See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the Danish Bibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “We would explain terms, such that e.g. sin often became ‘doing what God does not want’ or ‘breaking God’s law’, ‘letting God down’, ‘disrespecting God’, ‘doing evil’, ‘acting stupidly’, ‘becoming guilty’. Now why couldn’t we just use the word sin? Well, sin in contemporary Danish, outside of the church, is mostly used about things such as delicious but unhealthy foods. Exquisite cakes and chocolates are what a sin is today.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

See also sinner.

complete verse (2 Kings 3:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 3:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “In spite of that, Joram held on to the sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat who led the people of Israel to fall into sin/evil.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Nevertheless, looking at him, he kept on causing Israel to sin, like the former king, Jeroboam, son of Nebat.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But he followed the sins of Jeroboam the child of Nebat, which became the reason that those (who) came-from Israel were-committing sin. He did- not ever -turn- away from these sins.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But he committed the sins that King Jeroboam had committed and which led the Israeli people to sin, and he did not stop committing those sins.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 3:3

As noted in verse 2, Nevertheless translates the same Hebrew adverb that is rendered “though” there. Here it marks a return to a consideration of the negative side of Joram’s rule. In spite of his positive contribution to the life of the kingdom of Israel in getting rid of the pillar of Baal, the overall judgment of his reign remains negative. The transition word may be rendered “Nonetheless” (New Jerusalem Bible), “But” (Contemporary English Version), or “Yet” (Revised English Bible).

He clung to the sin: The Hebrew verb rendered clung to is most often used of physical nearness, of a person keeping close to others (Ruth 2.8, 21, 23) or of following closely behind (1 Sam 14.22; 2 Sam 1.6). But it is also used in a more figurative sense of adherence or faithfulness to an idea or a kind of action. In 2 Kgs 18.6 the same verb is translated “held fast [to the LORD].” Some other translations in this context are “he continued to practise the sins” (New Jerusalem Bible), “he kept doing the sinful things” (Contemporary English Version), and “he continued to sin” (New Century Version). In some languages the best way to translate this idea may be to use a habitual form of the verb “to sin.”

The sin of Jeroboam is literally “the sins of Jeroboam.” The ancient Greek version has the singular form, which corresponds to the end of the verse in the Masoretic Text (he did not depart from it). The plural reading of the traditional Hebrew text is adopted by many translations (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Hobbs). While Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom (931–910 B.C.), was guilty of making golden statues of calves to be worshiped (1 Kgs 12.26-30), the intent of the writer here is probably not to focus on one individual act of sin, but on a whole way of life. American Bible speaks of “the sinful way of Jeroboam.” Translators should avoid giving the impression that Joram somehow imitated a particular act of his predecessor. He rather led the people of Israel to commit a variety of sins in the same way that Jeroboam had done.

Which he made Israel to sin: See the comments on 1 Kgs 14.16.

He did not depart from it: This is a negative restatement of the same idea already presented earlier in the verse. But the repetition is intended to emphasize Joram’s determination and persistence in doing evil. The verb in this clause is the same in Hebrew as the one translated “put away” in the previous verse. The writer seems to be emphasizing the fact that although Joram did “get rid of” the pillar of Baal specifically, he did not “get rid of” the general climate of sin in the kingdom. Some translations attempt to show the identity of the two verbs involved; for example, Hobbs has “he turned aside the pillar of Baal … did not turn aside from it.” But given the difference in context, this may not be possible in some languages.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Kings 3:3

3:3a Nevertheless, he clung to the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat

Yet he continued sinning in the way that Jerobam son of Nebat had sinned.

-or-

But he persisted in the sinful practices that ⌊King⌋ Jeroboam the son of Nebat had begun ⌊in Israel⌋ .

3:3b had caused Israel to commit;

Jeroboam had led ⌊the people of⌋ Israel to sin,

-or-

Jeroboam had influenced/encouraged the Israelites to sin ⌊against Yahweh⌋ ,

3:3c he did not turn away from them.

and Joram did not abandon those sinful practices.

-or-

and Joram refused to stop them.

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