one

The Greek that is translated as “one” in English in these verses (John 10:30, 17:11, 17:21, 17:22, and 17:23) is translated in Kikuyu as Ć©mwe or “one singular entity.” This translation required a complex theological interpretation in relation to the nature of the trinity and the unity of Jesus and his disciples. The translators determined that both the unity of the Father and Jesus is that of “one person” or “the same” as well the unity between Jesus and his followers (and the followers to each other).

A.R. Barlow (in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 29ff. ) explains:

“‘One’ in Kikuyu is expressed by the stem -mwe combined with a prefix appropriate to the noun it qualifies (when used as an adjective) or represents (when used as a pronoun). As in all Bantu languages, nouns fall into groups or classes, each of which, generally speaking, has its distinctive prefix. Thus with the word for ‘shoe’ (kiratu) –mwe becomes kÄ©mwe (kÄ©ratĆ© kÄ©mwe ‘one shoe’); with the word for ‘man,’ ‘person,’ ‘being’ (mĆ©ndĆ©) it becomes Ć©mwe (mĆ©ndĆ© Ć©mwe “one person”). Singular and plural are likewise distinguished by change of prefix, and a singular noun necessitates the use of a singular prefix with its associated adjective or pronoun, whereas a plural noun requires its adjective or pronoun to take a plural prefix.

“In common with other adjective-pronouns –mwe assumes plural as well as singular forms. When used with a plural noun it conveys one of three meanings: (a) ‘one lot (set. kind, family, fraternity, group, etc.),’ (b) ‘the same,’ or (c) ‘some.’ The form appropriate to persons, men, beings (andĆ©) is amwe.

“So in translating ‘one’ in any of the above passages in St. John’s Gospel we have to choose between Ć©mwe (sing.) and amwe (pl.).

“The choice involves questions as to the nature of the Trinity and the character of the unity which being ‘in Christ’ imparts to His followers, both in relation to Himself and to one another. This is a case in which the translator cannot avoid theological issues.

“In John 10:30 (‘I and my Father are one’) by using Ć©mwe we are stating ‘I and my Father are one (person, entity)’ or ‘the same.’ Grammatically the use of Ć©mwe (sing.) is wrong; ‘I and my Father’ should strictly be followed by the plural amwe. But the use of amwe (‘one lot’) would denote a mere family or sectional relationship.

In John 17:11 and 17:22 (‘so that they may be one, as we are one’) also, grammar demands amwe (in both occurrences of ‘one’). But this would again limit the desired degree of unity to that of membership in a family or other (more or less) close association: ‘that they may be united (associated, belong to the same fraternity), even as we are united (etc.).’ If a deeper, more mystical union is to be indicated we are thrown back on Ć©mwe: ‘that they may be one person (one entity), even as we are one person (one entity).’ Or are we to differentiate between the disciples and the Divine Persons and use amwe for the former and Ć©mwe for the latter?

“In all these passages the existing Kikuyu New Testament has Ć©mwe, whether the reference is to the disciples or to Christ and the Father. As far as I am aware this has never been criticized by our African Christians, although in 17:11, 21, and 22 its use in ‘that they (all) may be one’ might even convey the sense ‘that they (all) may be reduced to one,’ i.e. to a single individual!”

Note: All three currently (2022) available Kikuyu Bible translations (Ibuku Rĩrĩa Itheru Rĩa Ngai; Kiugo Gĩtheru Kĩa Ngai, Kĩrĩkanĩro Kĩrĩa GĩkƩrƩ Na Kĩrĩa KĩerƩ; and Kĩrĩkanĩro Gĩa GĩkƩyƩ) still only use Ʃmwe in all of the above instances.

See also this lectionary in The Christian Century .

In the Protestant Mandarin Chinese Union Version and the Catholic Sigao version the oneness is expressed with a historical Chinese idiom: hĂ© Ă©r wĂ©i yÄ« (ćˆè€Œç‚ș侀 / ćˆè€Œäžș侀) or “united as one” is used. (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)

In Polish, just like in Greek, a differentiation is made between a neuter “one” (“one thing”) and a masculine “one” (“one person”). Polish Bible translation use the neuter form (jedno), following the Greek. (Source: Piotr Szuszkiewicz)

See also one in hand.

peace (inner peace)

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is usually translated into English as “peace,” when referring to one’s inner peace, is (back-) translated with a variety of idioms and phrases:

In American Sign Language it is signed with a compound sign consisting of “become” and “silent.” (Source: Yates 2011, p. 52)


“Peace” in American Sign Language (source )

See also peace (absence of strife) and this devotion on YouVersion and this one on Bible Gateway .

he is our peace

The Greek in Ephesians 2:14 that is translated as “(he is our) peace” in most English translations is translated in Guhu-Samane as “He is our peace-feather.”

Richert explains: “This affords a delightful cultural and physical ‘exegesis’ for the future teachers, who apply it in this manner. They have an idiom, ‘he is my pinion,’ meaning ‘he is my mainstay;’ for no bird can fly without its pinion feathers. Therefore they first apply this to Christ in his relationship to mankind before the event of Calvary. Then as the feather must be carved in order to be the effective symbol of peace, so Christ was crucified in order to bring peace on earth. In the context of Eph. 2 this is very meaningful to the Guhu-Samanes.”

Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff.

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Eph. 2:14)

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 inclusive form (including the non-Jews).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Ephesians 2:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ephesians 2:14:

  • Uma: “For Kristus, he is the one who unites-us / makes us at peace with God and with our companion. He gave his body to be killed to become our substitute/redemption, and with his death he freed us from the Law of the Yahudi religion with all its commands and orders. He did that in order to destroy the differences that come-between/separate the Yahudi people and those who are not Yahudi people like an earthen wall. So, we (excl.) Yahudi people along with you who are not Yahudi people, he united us / made us at peace. He united us in order to make us a new people/mankind who are connected with him. In that way Kristus made peace/unity.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (incl.) have been given peace because we (incl.) have been reconciled by Almasi; we (excl.) the Yahudi and you the non Yahudi, he has removed the cause for our (incl.) enmity as if figuratively he has broken down the wall that was between us (incl.).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for us (excl.) Jews and you who were not Jews, Christ made it so that our relationship together is now peaceful because he made us (incl.) to be companions. By means of His letting himself be killed on the cross, He removed our being against each other which was just like a wall which was separating us.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because Cristo himself is the basis of the harmony of us Jews and Gentiles. He has unified our minds because he removed the source of our hating-each-other.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Really, because of this Cristo, we are now reconciled, we (excl.) Jews and you who are not Jews. He has made-us-one now for he has now erased our opposition to each other which was a barrier between us, preventing our being-able-to-be-friends.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “And now, it is Christ who caused that you are friends with God now. Jews and non-Jews alike are now become just one group. Because Christ took away the word which kept us apart.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Ephesians 2 in Jamaican Sign Language and Jamaican Country Sign Language

Following is the translation of Ephesians 2 into Jamaican Sign Language, intermixed with Jamaican Country Sign Language (see here for Country Sign ):


Source: Jamaican Sign Language Bible Translation

2:1-3 I am Paul. To the people of the church in Ephesus. Remember when you were not yet Christians, when you used to live in sin just like the rest of the world. You were dead. You were controlled by the unseen spirit of the Devil- that same spirit now working in the people who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate and selfish desires of our sinful nature. We should have faced God’s anger because of our sinful ways.

2:4-5 But God is merciful and he loves us very much, even though we were dead because we were detached from Him and lived in sin just like the rest of the world. He has given us a new life and has united us with Him through Jesus Christ. It is only by God’s grace that we have been saved.

2:6-7 Just as God raised Jesus from the dead and seated him in heaven, so will He raise us from the dead and seat us in heaven because we are united with Jesus Christ. God did this so He can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

2:8-10 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. You can’t take credit for this because it is a gift from God. We are saved only by His grace through Jesus Christ. We are God’s precious creations, His masterpiece, made new in Jesus Christ so that we can live the right way according to the plan that He had for us long ago.

2:11-13 Remember that you non-Jew used to be outsiders. You were called uncircumcised by Jews who were circumcised. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

2:14-16 Jesus united Jews and non-Jews into one people when, in his own body on the cross he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and non-Jews by creating in himself one new people from the two groups, united in peace and harmony with each other and God.

2:17-18 The non- Jews [who were called outsiders] and the Jews [who were called Christians] were now united in peace. Now all of us can come to God the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

2:19-22 So now you non-Jews are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are now members of God’s family. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. Just like a house is built on a solid foundation, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles who spread the word of God. The cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. In him, we become a holy temple for the Lord. In Christ we are built together [Jews and non-Jews] and are made into a holy place where God lives through the Spirit.

Back-translation by Amakedia Wallen, coordinated by Tashi Widmer

Translation commentary on Ephesians 2:14

From here through verse 18 the writer concentrates on what Christ has done in bringing about the reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles and making them one new people, united in Christ.

Verse 14 begins a new sentence that goes without a stop to the end of verse 16; the following translation shows how the Greek text is constructed: see Handbook translation|fig:Table_EPH2-14.jpg.

For Christ himself has brought us peace: The Greek text starts with the emphatic third person pronoun; hence Good News Translation Christ himself. It continues “is our peace” (Revised Standard Version). Here peace is reconciliation, the abolition of the enmity between Jews and Gentiles, so us is inclusive.

In a number of languages it is impossible to speak of “bringing peace,” for a state of peace is not something which can be brought or carried. It may, however, be possible to say “for Christ himself has caused us to be at peace.” At times peace may be expressed more effectively by a negation, for example, “For Christ himself has caused us no longer to be enemies one of the other.”

By making Jews and Gentiles one people translates what is literally “the one who made both of them one.” It may be possible in some languages to translate this statement by “by causing Jews and Gentiles to act like one tribe” or “… to live as though they came from the same region” or “… to live as though they were all of the same clan.”

The wall that separated them; “the wall of separation”: it is probable that the writer had in mind the wall (or balustrade) in the Temple precincts which separated the outside court, the court of the Gentiles, from the inside ones. If any Gentile went beyond this wall, he would be put to death. The wall was about five feet high (1 meter 60 centimeters) and, according to Josephus, at regular intervals, on pillars, notices were posted in Greek and Latin warning Gentiles not to trespass. One such notice in Greek was discovered in 1871; for the text see Robinson, pages 60, 160. The mob scene described in Acts 21.27-29 was caused by the Jews’ mistaken assumption that Paul had taken a Gentile (Trophimus, of Ephesus) beyond the wall into the inner courts of the Temple. But some commentators reject the idea that this is what the wall refers to, since (as Furnish says) the readers would have no knowledge of these details in the Jerusalem Temple. Some commentators believe the allusion is to the Gnostic concept of salvation as the destruction of the wall that separated the heavenly and earthly worlds, which was accomplished by the Redeemer’s descent from heaven.

A strictly literal translation of With his own body he broke down the wall certainly leads to misunderstanding, for it would seem to mean that in some way or other Christ had thrown his body against the wall and in this way destroyed it. Since the reference to his own body is a reference to his death, it may be essential to make this specific, for example, “by his dying on the cross he broke down, as it were, the wall that separated them,” or “… he destroyed the enmity (or, hatred) which separated them like a wall.”

Kept them enemies: “the enmity” is in apposition to “the wall of separation” and serves to define it; of course it was the enmity between Jews and Gentiles that Christ actually destroyed (compare New English Bible “the enmity which stood like a dividing wall between them”).

“In his flesh” goes with “tore down”: in the context of this sentence these words (Good News Translation his own body) refer to the crucifixion of Christ and not just to the incarnation (see in Col 1.22 “his body of flesh”). Barclay, however, takes it to mean the incarnation: “By his incarnation he destroyed the old enmity.” But “in his flesh” can be taken with the following “abolishing” (in verse 13); so Revised Standard Version; New International Version has “by abolishing in his flesh the law,” and Jerusalem Bible has “actually destroying in his own person the hostility.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux ÉphĂ©siens 2.14

2.14-18 dĂ©crit comment le Christ a achevĂ© la rĂ©conciliation entre les Juifs et les non-Juifs, en faisant d’eux un peuple nouveau, uni en lui. 2.14-16 constitue une seule phrase dans le grec oĂč C’est lui … qui est notre paix est la proposition principale. Certaines versions modernes divisent la longue phrase en des phrases plus courtes. 2.14-15 est unifiĂ© par une inclusion : le mot paix dĂ©bute et termine cette petite unitĂ©.

C’est lui … qui est notre paix est la proposition principale d’une longue phrase qui va jusqu’à la fin du Éph. 2.16.

C’est lui, en effet, qui est notre paix : le texte grec commence par un pronom emphatique de la troisiĂšme personne du singulier, lui. Plusieurs versions commencent par C’est lui. lui est une rĂ©fĂ©rence au Christ, rendue explicite dans la Bible en français courant et plusieurs autres versions modernes. Voir Éph. 2.13. Le deuxiĂšme mot est « car », ce que la Traduction ƓcumĂ©nique de la Bible rend par en effet. La Parole de Vie l’exprime par « Oui, … », ce qui revient au mĂȘme.

est notre paix rend le grec littĂ©ralement. S’il est difficile dans la langue cible de dire que Christ est notre paix, on pourrait dire avec la Bible en français courant « (il) nous a apportĂ© la paix ». On pourrait aussi dire, « il nous donne la paix », « il (a) fait que nous soyons en paix ».

paix : dans Éph. 1.2, le mot paix fait partie de la salutation et semble parler du bien-ĂȘtre en gĂ©nĂ©ral, mais ici il se rĂ©fĂšre Ă  la fin d’hostilitĂ© entre les Juifs et les non-Juifs. S’il y a deux termes pour paix dans la langue cible, l’un dĂ©signant le bien-ĂȘtre, et l’autre l’absence d’hostilitĂ©, c’est le dernier qui doit figurer ici.

de ce qui Ă©tait divisĂ©, il a fait une unitĂ© est la traduction de la Traduction ƓcumĂ©nique de la Bible d’un texte grec assez bref : « il a fait des deux un ». La Nouvelle Bible Segond reste assez proche du texte avec « lui qui a fait que les deux soient un ». En parlant de « deux » dans ce contexte, l’auteur pense certainement Ă  deux peuples, les Juifs et les non-Juifs. La Bible en français courant offre une traduction explicite qui peut servir de modĂšle : « en faisant des Juifs et des non-Juifs un seul peuple ». Les traductions de la Traduction ƓcumĂ©nique de la Bible et de la Bible de JĂ©rusalem (« lui qui de deux rĂ©alitĂ©s n’a fait qu’une ») sont assez abstraites. Il vaut mieux rester prĂšs du texte, soit en mentionnant les Juifs et les non-Juifs, soit en disant « il a rapprochĂ© deux peuples pour en faire un ».

Dans sa chair, il a dĂ©truit le mur de sĂ©paration : la haine. L’expression Dans sa chair aura probablement besoin de quelques Ă©claircissements. sa chair est une rĂ©fĂ©rence au corps du Christ et l’expression dans sa chair peut, selon certains, se rĂ©fĂ©rer Ă  l’incarnation. Mais en considĂ©rant Éph. 2.16, il est plus probable qu’il s’agit de la mort du Christ, c’est-Ă -dire, de son sacrifice sur la croix. La Parole de Vie rend cette idĂ©e explicite : « en donnant sa vie sur la croix ». La Bible en français courant offre un autre modĂšle : « en donnant son corps ». En grec, les mots dans sa chair se trouvent, non pas au milieu, mais Ă  la fin du verset, menant certaines versions, telles la Nouvelle Bible Segond, Ă  lier cette expression au verset suivant. Cependant, ceci n’est pas le choix de la majoritĂ© des versions.

le mur de sĂ©paration a certainement un sens figurĂ© ici, puisque l’auteur utilise cette expression pour dĂ©crire la haine qui existe entre les Juifs et les non-Juifs. Dans l’ancien temple, un mur ou une balustrade sĂ©parait la cour extĂ©rieure, rĂ©servĂ©e aux non-Juifs, de la cour intĂ©rieure rĂ©servĂ©e aux Juifs. Selon la loi de MoĂŻse, si les non-Juifs se rendaient dans cet endroit sacrĂ©, ils seraient mis Ă  mort. Ces faits pourraient ĂȘtre mentionnĂ©s dans une note. Dans la traduction, on peut parler de « la barriĂšre qui les sĂ©parait ». S’il est gĂȘnant de parler d’un mur ou d’une barriĂšre physique, on pourrait dire « la chose qui les sĂ©parait, c’était la haine ».

la haine : l’auteur spĂ©cifie en quoi consiste ce mur de sĂ©paration. Le mot haine exprime l’inimitiĂ©, le fait d’ĂȘtre ennemi de quelqu’un. Voir, par exemple, Jacq 4.4. La Bible en français courant n’utilise pas ce mot abstrait mais dĂ©crit le mur comme « le mur qui les sĂ©parait et en faisait des ennemis ». Mais, Ă©tant donnĂ© que le mot haine revient Ă  la fin du Éph. 2.16, il peut ĂȘtre utile de le maintenir ici. La Parole de Vie peut servir de modĂšle : « le Christ a dĂ©truit le mur de haine qui les sĂ©parait ».

Source: Zogbo, Lynell. La lettre aux ÉphĂ©siens – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exĂ©gĂ©tique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2011.