Following are a number of back-translations of Colossians 2:17:
Uma: “because all those customs and laws are just like figures-of-speech. God gave those laws long ago to be figures-of-speech for the goodness [salvation] that would come later. Kristus, He is the fulfillment of those figures-of-speech.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “All the Yahudi laws about these were for reminding them as to what they were waiting for that should come in the future. But/and-what’s-more this that they were waiting for, has indeed already come – and this is Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For things like that were made long ago to be only shadows of which had not yet happened; however, the true thing that was pictured by them was Christ.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because all these-things that were taught back then, they are like a mere shadow that goes-ahead-of the shadow-owner. It means to say, that’s how-people back then -knew that in-the-future there would be someone/something to take-the-place of those rules. But here now Cristo has most-certainly arrived who is their proper replacement, therefore he is the one we ought to follow.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For all these things that the Jews were practising in the past, they are only like a picture for what was being-referred-to (lit: caused-to-be-hit) was, the coming work of Cristo. Well now he has arrived, therefore why should we still do these things when their fulfillment has now arrived?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “These things are things which had validity before Christ came. But now in that Christ has come, now they don’t.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.
When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”
This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.
In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the GermanGute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).
In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.
In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:
Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )
In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with a sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):
“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”
Paul characterizes these rules and the beliefs which they are based on as a mere shadow of things in the future, that is, they are unreal, they are not valid. What is meant by “what is to come” (Revised Standard Version)? Jerusalem BibleNew English BibleTranslator’s New TestamentNew International Version translate “what was to come” (see Beare, Moule) which may better represent the idea, since the reality has already come in Christ. So the translation may be “They are only a shadow of things to come” or “They are only a shadow of what was to come.” For a similar distinction between Jewish Law and the Gospel see Heb 8.5, 10.1.
The phrase all such things must often be translated as “such rules,” or “such observances,” or even “obeying such rules.”
The concept of a shadow of things in the future may be extremely difficult to comprehend in some languages, for it may be difficult to imagine the future casting a shadow. In certain instances, however, one may speak of “a reflection” or even of “a mirror reflection.” Therefore a shadow of things in the future may be expressed as “a mirror reflection of what will happen in the future.” If, however, one assumes that the reference is to the past as something which has already occurred in the incarnation, then one may speak of “a reflection of what was to happen,” and if necessary, as “a reflection of what was to happen and which did happen.” Otherwise, the expression might be interpreted to mean that the purpose implied in such rules was actually voided.
The reality is Christ translates the Greek “but the body (is) of Christ.” The word “body” is used occasionally in the sense of substance or reality, that is, what is real, true, as opposed to delusion or illusion (commentators cite passages in Philo and Josephus). Some commentators suggest that “body” here refers also and specifically to “the body of Christ,” the Church, in which the real, as opposed to the unreal, has been made manifest. No translation, however, attempts to make this thought explicit (but see New American Bible “the reality is the body of Christ”).
The reality is Christ may be expressed as “what is real is Christ” or “what exists is Christ.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
a shadow of the things to come: This is a figure of speech. A person’s shadow shows something about what that person is like. In a similar way, the Jewish laws about food and the celebration of religious festivals helped the Jews to know, before he came, something about the Messiah, the Savior whom God had promised to send them.
2:17b
but the body that casts it belongs to Christ: This phrase continues the figure of speech from 2:17a. All the rules and customs were like a “shadow,” but Christ is like the body that makes the shadow.
General Comment about 2:17
If you need to explain this figure of speech in your translation, you could say something like:
These regulations are like a shadow that is cast by someone who is approaching; that is, they only represent the spiritual blessings that Christ himself has now given to you (adapted from SSA of 2:17).
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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