mystery

The Greek, Ge’ez, and Aramaic that is translated as “mystery” in English is translated as “wisdom which was hidden” in Mezquital Otomi, as “that was not possible to be understood before” in Huehuetla Tepehua, as “which was not known in time past” in Central Tarahumara (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in Newari as “hidden meaning” or “hidden matter” (source: Newari Back Translation).

complete verse (Ephesians 3:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ephesians 3:4:

  • Uma: “Long ago, there was an intention of God that was not yet known by mankind. His intention was this: that people who are not Yahudi people also get blessings from God together with the Yahudi people. His intention also was that those who are not Yahudi people become one-body with the Yahudi, and that they as well receive what God promised to all his children. They receive it because of their connection with Kristus Yesus, since they have believed in the Good News. Long ago, that intention of God’s for the Yahudi people and those who are not Yahudi people was not yet known by mankind. But God himself told me that intention of his in a vision, like what I have already written earlier. What I wrote, although it is short, it makes clear God’s intention that Kristus brought to pass. And when you read it, you will understand the intention of God that was not yet known by mankind from long ago, as I also understand it. Previously, his intention was not announced to men. But at this time, God’s intention has become clear to us (excl.) his holy apostles and prophets, because the Holy Spirit made it clear to us (excl.).” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And when you read it, you will also understand what has been made known to me about Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when you read this, you will know what I understand about that which was hidden long ago concerning Christ.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And if moreover you read it carefully, you will come-to-know my understanding of that plan of his which will be fulfilled because of Cristo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “which if you read you will observe how much is my understanding of this hidden decision/counsel concerning Cristo.)” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But now if you have seen this paper, then you are assured that the word about Christ which no one knew, is what I know about.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Christ, Messiah

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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 German Gute 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 Greek Septuagint‘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.”

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Christ .

Translation commentary on Ephesians 3:3 – 3:4

As the Hdb|fig:Table_EPH3-2.jpg translation shows, verse 3 begins with “that,” which introduces the content of the “grace” given Paul: God had revealed the secret to him, and it was his responsibility to proclaim this secret to the Gentiles.

“By revelation”: see 1.17. This simply states how the writer acquired his knowledge of the secret; it does not say when or how that revelation came to him. Good News Translation makes the actor explicit: God revealed.

“Was made known”: the passive has as its implicit actor God himself: God made it known (see the same verb in 1.9). In some languages it will be necessary to say “God made me to know it.”

In some languages there may be a problem involved in translating the verb revealed, for it may be necessary to specify whether this was a revelation by sight or by word. If one uses a verb meaning “to see,” it would appear as though God had shown Paul some kind of blueprint. In general, a verb for speaking and conversely for hearing would seem to be better. However, in some instances it is possible to translate “God caused me to know about his secret plan” or “… his plan which had not been made known before” or “… which people had not known about before.”

“The secret”: see 1.9, and see the secret of Christ in verse 4.

The thought logically progresses from here (“was made known to me the secret”) to the beginning of verse 6 “(that) the Gentiles are” (which gives the content of the secret); verses 3b-5 are a digression from the main thought. Moffatt actually places verses 3b-5 within parentheses, to make clear the progression of thought.

“As I wrote before”: this may refer (1) to the same document (so nearly all commentators; specifically 2.11-22, which describes the oneness of Jews and Gentiles in the church), or (2) to other documents (so Goodspeed, who thinks it refers to Paul’s letters; but “briefly” is hardly appropriate for all of Paul’s letters). Barclay translates “I have briefly written to you in the earlier part of this letter”; Translator’s New Testament says it more succinctly, “as I have already briefly said”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “I have just now spoken briefly of it.”

In many instances it is impossible to be ambiguous about the statement I have written briefly about this, for the tenses in the receptor language may require one to indicate whether the event took place only a short time before or quite a long period before. The temporal relationship can sometimes be made clear by translating the first part of verse 4 as “and if you read what I have just written” or “if you pay attention to what I have just said.”

If you will read; “by reading (it)”: quite often the Greek verb “to read” in the New Testament means “to read aloud in public”; so Colossians 4.16; 1 Thessalonians 5.27; Revelation 1.3 (see also Mark 13.14). In the passages cited the public occasion would be the worship service in the church. This may be the meaning here (so Barth and others); but Westcott and Beare take it to mean here private reading: “for study and contemplation” (Beare). It cannot be proven which of the two is correct; if in a given language a choice must be made, perhaps the first meaning is preferable.

In a number of languages it is quite impossible to be ambiguous concerning the nature of the reading, for the choice of terms indicates clearly whether the reading is “silent reading” or “voiced reading.” In some instances it may be important to translate if you will read as “if you will listen carefully to what has been read,” since presumably not everyone would be reading the same document aloud.

Learn about and understanding translate two related terms, the verb “to grasp, perceive, know” and the noun “insight, grasp” (see the verb “to understand” in 5.17). You can learn about my understanding may be expressed as “you can find out how I understand” or “you can come to learn how I regard.”

The secret of Christ: here the phrase can be almost a technical term for the Christian message as it is in Colossians 4.3. Barth takes the phrase to mean that Christ is the secret; Caragounis takes “of Christ” to be an objective genitive, “the mystery concerning Christ.” It seems better to understand the phrase to mean “the secret (plan) put into effect by Christ.” In this context it does not seem that Christ himself is the secret as such. So instead of translating the secret of Christ, as Good News Translation has done, it will be better to translate “God’s secret plan carried out by Christ,” or “God’s plan which was not known before but which Christ is now causing to happen.”

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 3:4

3:4a

In reading this, then: The word this refers to the writing Paul referred to in 3:3b.

then: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word then because it is good English style. It should only be translated if it would be natural to do so in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

When/if you read this…
-or-
As you read this ⌊earlier passage⌋…

3:4b

you will be able to understand my insight: In the Greek text, the phrase you will be able to understand my insight is in the present tense.

So here is another way to translate this phrase:

you can understand my insight

my insight: The phrase my insight refers to Paul’s ability to see and understand God’s formerly unknown plan concerning Christ.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

you can perceive my insight (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
you can see that I truly understand (New Century Version)

mystery of Christ: The word mystery means “something that has not been explained.” In this context, mystery of Christ can mean “the secret (plan) put into effect by Christ.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the secret purpose of Christ (Revised English Bible)
-or-
God’s secret plan carried out by Christ,
-or-
the hidden plan concerning Christ
-or-
the secret plan that tells about Christ

Also, see how you translated “the mystery of his will” in 1:9a and “the mystery” in 3:3a.

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