Jesus

The Greek Iēsous is “only” a proper name but one with great importance. The following quote by John Ellington (in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 401ff. ) illustrates this:

“In Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus Christ, Joseph is told that when Mary gives birth to a son ‘you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’ (1:21). This name is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name [Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) which is a short form of a name meaning] ‘the Lord [Yahweh] saves.’ The name is very significant and is in itself especially dear to Christians around the world. (…) Unquestionably great importance is attached to the name of Jesus by Christians of all persuasions and backgrounds.”

While Iēsous (pronounced: /i.ɛː.suːs/) is transliterated as “Jesus” (pronounced /ˈdʒiːzəs/) in English (but was translated as “Hælend” [the “healing one”] in Old English — see Swain 2019) it is transliterated and pronounced in a large variety of other ways as well, following the different rules of different languages’ orthographies, writing systems and rules of pronunciation. The following is a (partial) list of forms of Jesus in Latin characters: aYeso, Azezi, Boiyesuq, Cecoc, Chesús, Chi̍i̍sū, Chisɔsi, Ciisahs, Ciise, Ciisusu, Djesu, Ɛisa, Ƹisa, Eyesu, Gesù, Gesû, Gesü, Ġesù, Ghjesù, Giêsu, ꞌGiê‑ꞌsu, Giê-xu, Gyisɛse, Hesu, Hesús, Hisus, Hisuw, Ià-sŭ, Iesen, Ié:sos, Iesu, Iesui, Iesusɨn, Iesusiva, Ié:sos, Ihu, Īhu, Iisus, Iisussa, Ijeesu, iJisọsị, Iji̍sɔ̄ɔsi, Iosa, Íosa, Ìosa, İsa, I’sa, Isiso, Isõs, Ísu, Isus, Isusa, Iisussa, Isuthi, Itota, Îtu, Isuva, Izesu, Izesuq, Jasus, Jeeju, Jeesus, Jeesuse, Jeezas, Jehu, Jeisu, Jeju, Jejus, Jesesi, Jeshu, Jeso, Jesoe, Jesosa, Jesoshi, Jesosi, Jesosy, Jesu, Jesû, Jesua, Jesuh, Jesuhs, Jesuo, Jesús, Jésus, Jesúsu, Jethu, Jetsóó, Jezed, Jezi, Jézi, Ježiš, Jezu, Jezus, Jézus, Jėzus, Jēzus, Jezusi, Jėzus, Jezuz, Jiijajju, Jíísas, Jiisusi, Jiizas, Jíìzọ̀s, Jisas, Jisase, Jisasi, Jisasɨ, Jisaso, Jisesi, Jisɛ̀, Jisos, Jisọs, Jisɔs, Jisu, Jiszs, Jizọs, Jizɔs, Jizọsi, Jizọsu, Jòso, Jusu, Jweesus, Ketsutsi, Njises, ọYẹsọ, Sesi, Sisa, Sísa, Sisas, Sises, Sīsū, Sizi, Txesusu, uJesu, Ujísɔ̄si, ŵaYesu, Xesosi, ´Xesús, Xesús, Yasu, Ya:su, yasuɛ, Yasuuⓐ, Ɣaysa, Yecu, Yeeb Sub, Yeeh Suh, Yeesey, Yeeso, Yeesso, Yēēsu, Yehsu, Yëësu, Yeiqsul, Yeisu, Yeisuw, Yeshu, Yē shú, Yeso, Yéso, Yesò, Yëso, Yɛso, ye-su, Yésu, Yêsu, Yẹ́sụ̃, Yěsù, Yésʉs, Yeswa, Yet Sut, Yetut, Yexus, Yezo, Yezu, Yiesu, Yiisa, Yiisu, Yiitju, Yis, Yisɔs, Yisufa, Yitati, Yusu, ‑Yusu, :Yusu’, Zeezi, Zezi, Zezì, Zezuz, Zezwii, Ziizɛ, Zisas, Zîsɛ, Zjezus, Zozi, Zozii, and this (much more incomplete) list with other writings systems: ᔩᓱᓯ, ᒋᓴᔅ, Հիսուս, ᏥᏌ, ኢየሱስ, ያሱስ, ܝܫܘܥ, Ісус, Їисъ, 耶稣, იესო, ईसा, イエス, イイスス, イエスス, 예수, येशू, येशो, ਈਸਾ, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ජේසුස්, যীশু, ଯୀଶୁ, ཡེ་ཤུ་, ‘ঈছা, இயேசு, ಯೇಸು, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ယေရှု, ઇસુ, जेजू, येसु, เยซู, យេស៊ូ, ᱡᱤᱥᱩ, ယေသှု, యేసు, ᤕᤧᤛᤢ᤺ᤴ, އީސާގެފާނު, ਯਿਸੂ, ꕉꖷ ꔤꕢ ꕞ, ⵏ⵿ⵗⵢⵙⴰ, ଜୀସୁ, يَسُوعَ,ㄧㄝㄙㄨ, YE-SU, ꓬꓰ꓿ꓢꓴ, 𖽃𖽡𖾐𖼺𖽹𖾏𖼽𖽔𖾏, ꑳꌠ, ᠶᠡᠰᠦᠰ (note that some of these might not display correctly if your device does not have the correct fonts installed).

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In some languages the different confessions have selected different transliterations, such as in Belarusian with Isus (Ісус) by the Orthodox and Protestant churches and Yezus (Езус) by the Catholic church, Bulgarian with Iisus (Иисус) by the Orthodox and Isus (Исус) by the Protestant church, Japanese with Iesu (イエス) (Protestant and Catholic) and Iisusu (イイスス) (Orthodox), or Lingala with Yesu (Protestant) or Yezu (Catholic). These differences have come to the forefront especially during the work on interconfessional translations such as one in Lingala where “many hours were spent on a single letter difference” (source: Ellington, p. 401).

In Literary and Mandarin Chinese where transliterations of proper names between the Catholic and Protestant versions typically differ vastly, the Chinese name of Jesus (Yēsū 耶稣) remarkably was never brought into question between and by those two confessions, likely due to its ingenious choice. (Click or tap here to see more).

The proper name of God in the Old Testament, Yahweh (YHWH), is rendered in most Chinese Bible translations as Yēhéhuá 耶和華 — Jehovah. According to Chinese naming conventions, Yēhéhuá could be interpreted as Yē Héhuá, in which Yē would be the family name and Héhuá — “harmonic and radiant” — the given name. In the same manner, Yē 耶 would be the family name of Jesus and Sū 稣 would be his given name. Because in China the children inherit the family name from the father, the sonship of Jesus to God the Father, Jehovah, would be illustrated through this. Though this line of argumentation sounds theologically unsound, it is indeed used effectively in the Chinese church (see Wright 1953, p. 298).

Moreover, the “given name” of Sū 稣 carries the meaning ‘to revive, to rise again’ and seems to point to the resurrected Jesus. (Source: J. Zetzsche in Malek 2002, p. 141ff., see also tetragrammaton (YHWH))

There are different ways that Bible translators have chosen historically and today in how to translate the name of Jesus in predominantly Muslim areas: with a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) (which is used for “Jesus” in the Qur’an), the Greek Iēsous, or, like major 20th century Bible translations into Standard Arabic, the Aramaic Yēšūaʿ: Yasua (يَسُوعَ). (Click or tap here to see more.)

Following are languages and language groups that use a form of Isa include the following (note that this list is not complete):

  • Indo-Iranian languages: Persian, Dari, Central Pashto, Southern Pashto all use Eysa (عيسی or عيسىٰ for Southern Pashto), Sindhi uses Eysey (عيسيٰ), Southern Balochi Issa (ایسّا), Central Kurdish (Sorani) and Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) use Îsa (عیسای and Иса respectively), Turkmen has Isa, and Tajik Isoi (Исои — compare Iso/Исо in the Tajik Qur’an)
  • Turkic languages: Turkish uses İsa, Kazakh, Kumyk, Nogai, Crimean Tatar all have Isa (Иса), Kirghiz has Iysa (Ыйса), Uzbek has Iso (Исо — compare Iiso/Ийсо in the Uzbek Qur’an), Bashkir uses Aaisa (Ғайса), North Azerbaijani İsa, Uighur uses Eysa (ئەيسا), and Kara-Kalpak İysa (Ийса)
  • Caucasian languages: Bezhta and Lezghian use Isa (Иса), Avaric has Aisa (ГІиса), and Chechen Iza (Иза)
  • Various African languages: Somali, a Cushitic language, has Ciise, Kabyle has Ɛisa and Tahaggart Tamahaq has Yeswa (both Berber languages), the Saharan languages Central Kanuri, Manga Kanuri have Isa, the Atlantic-Congo languages Dagbani, Mampruli, and Bimoba use Yisa, and the Chadian Arabic Bible has Isa (عِيسَى)
  • 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 ).
  • Some languages have additional “TAZI” editions (TAZI stands for “Tawrat, Anbiya, Zabur, and Injil” the “Torah, Prophets, Psalms and Gospel”) of the New Testament that are geared towards Muslim readers where there is also a translation in the same language for non-Muslims. In those editions, Isa is typically used as well (for example, the Khmer TAZI edition uses Isa (អ៊ីសា) rather than the commonly used Yesaou (យេស៊ូ), the Thai edition uses Isa (อีซา) rather than Yesu (เยซู), the Chinese edition uses Ěrsā (尔撒) vs. Yēsū (耶稣), and the English edition also has Isa rather than Jesus.)

In German the name Jesus (pronounced: /ˈjeːzʊs/) is distinguished by its grammatical forms. Into the 20th century the grammatical rules prescribed a unique Greek-Latin declination: Jesus (nominative), Jesu (genitive, dative, vocative), Jesum (accusative), from which today only the genitive case “Jesu” is still in active use. Likewise, in Seediq (Taroko), the morphological treatment of “Jesus” also occupies a special category by not falling under the normal rule of experiencing a vowel reduction when the object-specific suffix an is added “since it was felt that the readers might resent that the name has been changed that drastically.” (Compare Msian for “Moses” (Mosi) as an object, but Yisuan for “Jesus” (Yisu).) (Source: Covell 1998. p. 249)

In Lamba the name ŵaYesu consists of a transliteration Yesu and the prefix ŵa, a plural form for “proper names when addressing and referring to persons in any position of seniority or honor.” While this was avoided in early translations to avoid possible misunderstandings of more than one Jesus, once the church was established it was felt that it was both “safe” and respectful to use the honorific (pl.) prefix. (Source C. M. Doke in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 57ff. )

In virtually all sign languages, “Jesus” is signed with the middle finger of each hand pointing to the palm (or wrist) of the other in succession (signing the nails of the cross). In the context of Bible translation this has been pointed out as theologically problematic since the “semantic connections of the original name Jesus do point towards ‘salvation,’ they do not naturally lead to crucifixion.” (Source: Phil King in Journal of Translation 1 (2020), p. 33ff.)


“Jesus” in German Sign Language (source )

Following is the oldest remaining Ethiopian Orthodox icon of Jesus from the 14th or possibly 13th century (found in the Church of the Saviour of the World in Gurji, Ethiopia). As in many Orthodox icons, Jesus’ right hand forms the Greek letters I-C-X-C for IHCOYC XPICTOC or “Jesus Christ.” Another interpretation of the right hand is that it shows three fingers pointing to the Trinity, while the two other fingers point to Jesus’ two natures.

source (c) Jacques Mercier and Alain Mathieu

Orthodox icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

The following is the so-called “Wales Window for Alabama.” It is a stained-glass window by the artist John Petts from Carmarthenshire, Wales, created in response to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which took place in 1963:

Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )

The style of the following drawing of Jesus by Annie Vallotton is described by the artist as this: “By using few lines the readers fill in the outlines with their imagination and freedom. That is when the drawings begin to communicate.” (see here ; see also We All are One in Christ)

Illustration by Annie Vallotton, copyright by Donald and Patricia Griggs of Griggs Educational Service.

Other visual representation of Jesus in TIPs include several non-Western styles of art: traditional Korean art, traditional Chinese art, modern Chinese abstract art, northern and central Thailand’s popular art, Indian Hamzanama style, traditional Vietnamese art, or Japanese prints.

See also this devotion on YouVersion .

pronoun for "God"

God transcends gender, but most languages are limited to grammatical gender expressed in pronouns. In the case of English, this is traditionally confined to “he” (or in the forms “his,” “him,” and “himself”), “she” (and “her,” “hers,” and “herself”), and “it” (and “its” and “itself”).

Modern Mandarin Chinese, however, offers another possibility. Here, the third-person singular pronoun is always pronounced the same (tā), but it is written differently according to its gender (他 is “he,” 她 is “she,” and 它/牠 is “it” and their respective derivative forms). In each of these characters, the first (or upper) part defines the gender (man, woman, or thing/animal), while the second element gives the clue to its pronunciation.

In 1930, after a full century with dozens of Chinese translations, Bible translator Wang Yuande (王元德) coined a new “godly” pronoun: 祂. Chinese readers immediately knew how to pronounce it: tā. But they also recognized that the first part of that character, signifying something spiritual, clarified that each person of the Trinity has no gender aside from being God.

While the most important Protestant and Catholic Chinese versions respectively have opted not to use 祂, some Bible translations do and it is widely used in hymnals and other Christian materials. Among the translations that use 祂 to refer to “God” were early versions of Lü Zhenzhong’s (呂振中) version (New Testament: 1946, complete Bible: 1970). R.P. Kramers (in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 152ff. ) explains why later versions of Lü’s translation did not continue with this practice: “This new way of writing ‘He,’ however, has created a minor problem of its own: must this polite form be used whenever Jesus is referred to? Lü follows the rule that, wherever Jesus is referred to as a human being, the normal tā (他) is written; where he is referred to as divine, especially after the ascension, the reverential tā (祂) is used.”

In Kouya, Godié, Northern Grebo, Eastern Krahn, Western Krahn, and Guiberoua Béte, all languages of the Kru family in Western Africa, a different kind of system of pronouns is used (click or tap here to read more):

In that system, one kind of pronoun is used for humans (male and female alike) and others for natural elements, non-liquid masses, and some spiritual entities (one other is used for large animals and another one for miscellaneous items). While in these languages the pronoun for spiritual entities used to be employed when referring to God, this has changed into the use of the human pronoun.

Lynell Zogbo (in The Bible Translator 1989, p. 401ff. ) explains: “From informal discussions with young Christians especially, it would appear that, at least for some people, the experience and/or concepts of Christianity are affecting the choice of pronoun for God. Some people explain that God is no longer ‘far away,’ but is somehow tangible and personal. For these speakers God has shifted over into the human category.”

In Kouya, God (the Father) and Jesus are referred to with the human pronoun ɔ, whereas the Holy Spirit is referred to with a non-human pronoun. (Northern Grebo and Western Krahn make a similar distinction.)

Eddie Arthur, a former Kouya Bible translation consultant, says the following: “We tried to insist that this shouldn’t happen, but the Kouya team members were insistent that the human pronoun for the Spirit would not work.”

In Burmese, the pronoun ko taw (ကိုယ်တော်) is used either as 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he, him, his) reference. “This term clearly has its root in the religious language in Burmese. No ordinary persons are addressed or known by this pronoun because it is reserved for Buddhist monks, famous religious teachers, and in the case of Christianity, the Trinity.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 202ff. )

In Thai, the pronoun phra`ong (พระองค์) is used, a gender-neutral pronoun which must refer to a previously introduced royal or divine being. Similarly, in Northern Khmer, which is spoken in Thailand, “an honorific divine pronoun” is used for the pronoun referring to the persons of the Trinity (source: David Thomas in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 445 ). In Urak Lawoi’, another language spoken in Thailand, the translation often uses tuhat (ตูฮัด) — “God” — ”as a divine pronoun where Thai has phra’ong even though it’s actually a noun.” (Source for Thai and Urak Lawoi’: Stephen Pattemore)

The English “Contemporary Torah” addresses the question of God and gendered pronouns by mostly avoiding pronouns in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (unless God is referred to as “lord,” “father,” “king,” or “warrior”). It does that by either using passive constructs (“He gave us” vs. “we were given”), by using the adjective “divine” or by using “God” rather than a pronoun.

Some Protestant and Orthodox English Bibles use a referential capitalized spelling when referring to the persons of the Trinity with “He,” “His,” “Him,” or “Himself.” This includes for instance the New American Standard Bible or The Orthodox New Testament, but most translations do not. Other languages where this is also done (in most Bible translations) are Twents as well as Indonesian and Malay. In the latter two languages this follows the language usage according to the Qur’an, which in turn predicts that usage (see Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1991, p. 442ff. and The Bible Translator 1997, p. 433ff. ).

See also first person pronoun referring to God.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Gender of God .

Translation: Chinese

在现代汉语中，第三人称单数代词的读音都是一样的（tā），但是写法并不一样，取决于性别以及是否有生命，即男性为“他”，女性为“她”，动物、植物和无生命事物为“它”（在香港和台湾的汉语使用，动物则为“牠”）。这些字的部首偏旁表明了性别（男人、女人、动物、无生命事物），而另一偏旁通常旁提示发音。

到1930年为止，基督教新教《圣经》经过整整一百年的翻译已经拥有了十几个译本，当时的一位圣经翻译者王元德新造了一个“神圣的”代词“祂”，偏旁“礻”表示神明。一般汉语读者会立即知道这字的发音是tā，而这个偏旁表示属灵的事物，因此他们明白这个字指出，三位一体的所有位格都没有性别之分，而单单是上帝。

然而，最重要的新教圣经译本（1919年的《和合本》）和天主教圣经译本（1968年的《思高圣经》）都没有采用“祂”；虽然如此，许多其他的圣经译本采用了这个字，另外还广泛出现在赞美诗和其他基督信仰的书刊中。（资料来源：Zetzsche）

《吕振中译本》的几个早期版本也使用“祂”来指称“上帝”；这个译本的《新约》于1946年译成，整部《圣经》于1970年完成。克拉默斯（Kramers）指出：“‘他’的这种新写法（即‘祂’）产生了一个小问题，就是在指称耶稣的时候，是否一律使用这个敬语代词？《吕振中译本》遵循的原则是，在称呼耶稣这个人的时候，用一般的‘他’，而在称呼耶稣神性的时候，特别是升天之后的耶稣，则用尊称‘祂’。”

Translator: Simon Wong

Translation commentary on Ephesians 3:20 – 3:21

The prayer ends with this doxology. Good News Translation attempts to keep the whole in a single sentence by translating To him who … or even think of: to God; the Greek text has only “to him who is able … to him” (see Revised Standard Version).

The subject of the sentence is the glory (verse 21), which is directed to God in the prayer, worship, and praise of redeemed mankind. God, to whom the glory is given, is described as one who is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of. The verb translated ask for is the same one used in 3.13, and think of translates the verb used also in 3.4; so much more translates a compound adverb “exceeding abundantly above” (King James Version; see its use also in 1 Thes 3.10; 5.13).

The complex grammatical relationship expressed in verses 20 and 21 may require considerable restructuring in some languages. For example, it may be necessary to begin this doxology as “we should give glory to God who by means of his power…” or “we should praise God who by means of his power….” It may then be necessary to break up this rather extended sentence into two or three parts.

By means of his power working in us: see similar language in 1.19; power translates dunamis (see 1.19, 21; 3.7, 16) and working translates the Greek verb energeō (see 1.11, 19; 2.2).

The clause who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of may also require some extensive restructuring, for example, “he is able to do so much more than we can ever think of asking for or even imagine, and he does this because of the way his power works in us” or “… what his power causes us to do” or “… what his power is able to help us to do.”

In this passage glory means the expressions of praise and honor which are offered to God by the worshiping community.

In the church and in Christ Jesus: both the church and Christ Jesus are spoken of as the “place” where this tribute of praise and honor is paid. Although formally the same, the preposition “in” must mean two different things, since the church is a group of people, or an institution, while Christ Jesus is a person. Robinson explains the parallelism between the two: “glory in the Body alike and in the Head.” Translator’s New Testament translates “glory in the church, through our union with Christ Jesus”; Goodspeed has “through the church and through Christ Jesus.”

Verse 21 may be restructured in a form somewhat parallel to what is required in some languages for verse 20, for example, “we who are in the church and who are in union with Christ Jesus should always praise God forever and ever.”

The final words, for all time, forever and ever, translate a very full and redundant phrase, “for all the generations of the age of the ages”; for “generations” see 3.5, and for “age” see 3.9, 11. See similar language in Colossians 1.26.

Before translating verses 20 and 21, translators should consider what a normal formula for a doxology would be in their language. Very often doxologies used in church worship services are based on biblical ones and may or may not be similar to normal benedictions and blessings in the language (and therefore may or may not be well understood by the people). Some languages have to start off with verse 21, using a phrase such as, “May glory (great honor) come to God…,” or they may be able to keep the order that is in the text by putting a phrase at the beginning of verse 20 such as “May it be….”

In English (and in Greek) God is not mentioned until verse 21, and in verse 20 it simply says to him. In many languages this is not possible and it would be important to name God in verse 20.

It may also be necessary in many languages to make the attributes of God that are given in verse 20 declarative sentences. Thus, “God is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for or even think of, because of his power working in us. To him be the glory….”

In a context such as this in verse 21 where glory is being directed to God, translators may have to use the expression such as “great honor,” “great power,” or “great authority.”

Amen translates the Greek amēn, which represents the Hebrew word meaning “so be it” or “yes, it is so,” the response given by the worshiping congregation to the petition or praise being offered to God.

In many Christian congregations the term Amen has already been borrowed, and in such a context as this it can be used, although many people understand Amen as being merely a sign for the end of a prayer. For a number of languages the more appropriate equivalent of Amen is “we agree.”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ephesians 3:21

3:21a

to Him be the glory: A literal English translation of the Greek is “to him the glory.” There is no explicit verb in Greek, so you may need to supply one.

Here are some examples of how to translate this phrase:

• Using the form of a blessing. For example:

That God’s name be big
-or-
May he be honored through Christ

• Using the form of a command. For example:
-or-

⌊Give⌋ to God the glory…

• Using the form of a statement. For example:

God deserves glory…
-or-
Glory belongs to God (God’s Word)

glory: There are two aspects to the word glory in this verse:

(a) praise,

(b) the manifestation of God’s divine perfection and power.

Paul probably had both of these things in mind. When Paul said, “to him [be] glory” he meant “God should be praised because of his greatness.” Some ways to translate this are:

May God be praised for his greatness
-or-
Praise God because of his greatness ⌊which is seen⌋
-or-
May people speak very highly about God’s goodness/majesty/bigness

He did not mean that God must be given some glory because he does not have any.

See glory, Meaning 2 in the Glossary for more information.

3:21b

in the church: The word church here means “God’s people” or “the people who believe in Christ.” It does not refer to a building.

So the phrase “To God be glory in the church ” means that God’s people should glorify God through what they do. People should see God’s glory in his people.

Here are some other ways to translate 3:21a–b:

Praise God because of his greatness ⌊which is seen/shown⌋ in his people
-or-
God deserves/merits praise because of his power ⌊which others can see⌋ in his people
-or-
Let us praise God for his greatness ⌊which⌋ his people ⌊display/show⌋

Also, see how you translated church in 3:10a. And see church in the Glossary for more information.

in Christ Jesus: The phrase in Christ Jesus is parallel grammatically to the phrase “in the church.” We should also praise God because of his greatness that is seen in the church and in Christ Jesus. It may be helpful to translate 3:21a–b as:

To him be praise ⌊for his glory which is seen⌋ both in the church and in Christ Jesus

In some languages, it may be necessary to translate these two phrases in Christ Jesus and “in the church” as two different clauses. For example:

May God’s name be truly high among God’s people, ⌊and⌋ through the work of Christ Jesus, may God’s name always be high with no end.

3:21c

throughout all generations, forever and ever: The phrase throughout all generations and the phrase forever and ever both refer to very long periods of time. Paul used both statements to emphasize that people should never stop praising God.

When you translate these phrases, you will need to decide:

(a) whether it is more natural to combine these two phrases into one. An example of combining them is:

for all time/eternity

(b) where to put them in the sentence. Some possibilities are:

• keep them at the end of the verse and begin a new sentence here. For example:

21a Praise God because of his greatness ⌊which is seen⌋ 21b in his people and in Christ Jesus. 21c ⌊Praise him⌋ throughout all time and forever and ever !

• move these phrases to the beginning of the verse after “to him be glory.” For example:

21a,c Praise God forever and ever because of his greatness ⌊which is seen⌋ 21b in his people and in Christ Jesus.

Amen: The meaning of the word Amen is “Indeed it is true” or “May it be so.” Since people most frequently use this word at the end of a prayer, many people think this Greek word means “the end.” But this is not its true meaning.

Translations in many languages simply transliterate this word rather than translating the meaning. You may do the same.

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Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux Éphésiens 3.20-21

Ici se termine la prière de Paul, commencée au verset 14, ainsi que toute la première partie de la lettre qui donne un exposé des différentes doctrines ou enseignements. Paul clôt cette section par une expression de louange, une doxologie, qui met l’accent sur la gloire du Seigneur. La plupart des versions maintiennent une seule phrase pour les deux versets. Dans Éph. 3.20, Paul s’adresse à Dieu et le décrit et dans Éph. 3.21, il exprime la louange proprement dit : «  Dieu agit en nous avec puissance. Et quand nous lui demandons quelque chose, il peut faire beaucoup plus ! Oui, sa puissance dépasse tout ce qu’on peut imaginer ! A lui la gloire, dans l’Église et par le Christ Jésus, dans tous les temps et pour toujours ! Amen ». Si nécessaire, la proposition complexe qui se trouve en grec peut être divisée en des courtes phrases séparées et indépendantes.

Le grec est littéralement « ceci dit, à celui pouvant au-delà de tout, faire infiniment ce que nous demandons ou pensons, selon la puissance de celui qui agit en nous ». Comme certains poèmes en hébreu, ce verset est basé sur une « inclusion » ou « enveloppe ». Deux mots venant de la même racine, δύναμις dunamis, peut et puissance, se trouvent au début et à la fin du verset.

A celui qui peut : ni la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible ni la Bible en français courant ne traduisent la conjonction δέ de, qui se trouve en grec. On pourrait le rendre par « Maintenant à celui qui… » ou « Ceci dit, à celui qui… » Paul utilise la même formule à la fin de sa lettre aux Romains (Éph. 16.25). Paul ne nomme pas Dieu, mais en le décrivant ainsi, il ajoute une note de solennité à cette prière. Si, dans la langue cible, l’identité de celui n’est pas clair, on pourra suivre les versions comme la Bible en français courant qui rend ceci explicite : « A Dieu qui a le pouvoir… »

qui peut : la Bible en français courant a mis « qui a le pouvoir ».

par sa puissance qui agit en nous : la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible place cette proposition au milieu de la phrase, alors qu’elle vient à la fin en grec. Le grec a plutôt « selon la puissance agissant en nous ».

puissance traduit le même mot grec déjà rencontré à plusieurs reprises : voir Éph. 1.19 ; Éph. 3.7, Éph. 3.16. On pourra parler de « pouvoir » ou de « force ».

agit : on pourra aussi dire « qui travaille en nous ». Voir Éph. 1.11, Éph. 1.19 ; Éph. 2.2.

faire au-delà, infiniment au-delà de est littéralement « au-delà de tout faire infiniment ». En grec Paul utilise deux expressions différentes pour mettre l’accent sur le fait que Dieu fait infiniment au-delà de ce que nous pouvons demander ou penser. La Traduction œcuménique de la Bible ainsi que la Bible de Jérusalem maintiennent la répétition d’idées, tandis que plusieurs versions réduisent à une seule expression : « faire infiniment au-delà de tout ce que nous demandons ou pensons » (Nouvelle Bible Segond). L’adverbe composé traduit par infiniment au-delà se trouve également en 1 Thess 3.10 ; 5.13. La Traduction œcuménique de la Bible omet « tout », mais il vaut mieux le retenir, comme dans la majorité des versions.

Paul déclare que Dieu peut surpasser aisément ce que nous pouvons demander et imaginer. Il s’agit des sujets de prière que Paul et les lecteurs ont adressés à Dieu, aussi bien que des prières non formulées qui sont restées dans leur imagination. demander sous-entend donc demander dans la prière. imaginer rend le verbe grec « penser », un verbe qui pourra être utilisé ici.

A lui la gloire dans l’Église et en Jésus Christ : encore une fois le nom de Dieu n’est pas mentionné en grec, mais les traducteurs sont libres de rendre ceci explicite si nécessaire : « A Dieu la gloire… »

la gloire est le même terme rencontré ailleurs : Éph. 1.6, Éph. 1.12, Éph. 1.14, Éph. 1.17, Éph. 1.18 ; Éph. 3.13, Éph. 3.16, Éph. 3.21. C’est un terme dont le contenu est riche et varié et ne peut donc pas être rendu partout de la même manière. A lui la gloire est une manière de dire « il mérite notre louange ». Il s’agit presque d’un appel : « Louons-le » ou « Qu’il soit glorifié », c’est-à-dire, « honoré » ou « adoré ».

dans l’Église et en Jésus Christ : en grec il s’agit de la même préposition (ἐν en) rendue ici par dans et en. Cette préposition veut dire aussi « par ». Il est ainsi possible de traduire les deux de différentes façons ici. Ainsi Dieu peut être loué dans la communauté chrétienne, c’est-à-dire, dans l’Église et « par » ou « à cause de Jésus-Christ ». La Bible en français courant et la Parole de Vie disent ainsi : « dans l’Église et par Jésus-Christ ». Il est aussi possible de rendre explicite ces expressions, en disant, par exemple, « Nous qui faisons partie de l’Église et qui sommes en union avec Jésus Christ, nous devrons louer Dieu ». Mais de telles reformulations, en allongeant les phrases, enlèvent en quelque sorte le ton solennel de ces propos de Paul.

Pour l’Église, voir Éph. 1.2.

Jésus Christ est en grec « Christ Jésus » comme dans la Bible de Jérusalem et la Parole de Vie.

toutes les générations, aux siècles des siècles représente une tournure grecque dont le sens est assez clair. La Parole de Vie la rend par « dans tous les temps et pour toujours ». La Nouvelle Bible Segond, comme la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, préfère une traduction plus formelle avec « dans toutes les générations, à tout jamais ». Le mot rendu par générations se trouve dans Éph. 3.5, et le mot traduit par siècles, dans Éph. 3.9 et Éph. 3.11, où il est rendu par « depuis toujours » ou « éternel ». Sans doute, les traducteurs trouveront une tournure dans leur langue qui exprimera le sens de l’éternité, aussi bien dans le passé que dans l’avenir. Un langage semblable se trouve dans Col 1.26.

Amen : ceci est le calque du mot grec αμὴν amên, lui-même une représentation de l’exclamation hébraïque, אָמֵן ʾâmén basé sur le verbe « supporter » ou « confirmer ». C’est le cri par lequel le peuple exprime son accord complet avec ce qui vient d’être dit. Voir, par exemple, Deut 27.15ss. et Néh 5.13. C’est dans ce sens de « confirmation » que Paul l’emploie ici. Dans beaucoup de langues, le mot amen a été emprunté. Souvent il sert seulement à marquer la fin d’une prière. Les traducteurs peuvent décider si la forme utilisée dans leur langue convient ici. Si le mot n’existe pas, on pourra dire « que ce soit ainsi » ou « que cela se passe vraiment ! »

Pour terminer, le modèle suivant provenant d’une langue africaine (yoruba) peut être utile :
La gloire soit à celui qui peut faire plus que tout ce que nous demandons ou tout ce que nous avons dans le cœur, selon sa force qui agit en nous.
Que cette gloire soit à lui dans la communauté et dans le Christ Jésus, de tous les temps et à jamais. Amen.

Source: Zogbo, Lynell. La lettre aux Éphésiens – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2011.