reveal

The Greek that is translated as “reveal” in English is translated in Maan with the expression “take the leaf from it.” (Source: Don Slager)

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gal. 3:23)

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 either select the inclusive form (including the writer and the readers of this letter) or the exclusive form (referring to only Paul and Galatian and/or Jewish Christians).

Source: SIL International Translation Department (1999).

complete verse (Galatians 3:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 3:23:

  • Uma: “Long ago, before we knew to believe in Yesus, we submitted to laws and commands. Our life then can be compared to a person who is imprisoned, for we were tied-up with many kinds of laws and commands. We were tied-up with those laws and commands until the time came God caused us to know who Kristus was, and we believed in him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Formerly when we (incl.) not yet trusted in Isa, we (incl.) were as if figuratively imprisoned by the law and so-that we (incl.) could/did not get out until (lit. as-long-as not yet) we (dual) knew/we understood that ones/our (dual) trusting is what rescues us (dual)/a person.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now before it was revealed to us that we could get life by means of believing in Jesus, it’s as if we were imprisoned by the Law. The Law was like a guard which watched over us so that we might not get out until the time when the way was revealed to us which is our believing in Jesus Christ.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Before the time arrived of people’s believing in Cristo, we were like prisoners who were confined and guarded by the law until the coming of Cristo whom we have been believing/obeying.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When Cristo whom people were to trust in had not yet come, it’s like we were being imprisoned by those laws, and we couldn’t get out until the time when he would open the way/trail of trust and belief in himself.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Before Christ arrived here, it was the law which commanded the people. The law was in force until we came to know that it was Christ we believe in order to have our sins taken care of.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

believe, faith

Translations of the Greek pistis and its various forms that are typically translated as “faith” in English (itself deriving from Latin “fides,” meaning “trust, faith, confidence, reliance, credence”) and “believe” (from Old English belyfan: “to have faith or confidence in a person”) cover a wide range of approaches.

Bratcher and Nida say this (1961, p. 38) (click or tap here to read more):

“Since belief or faith is so essentially an intimate psychological experience, it is not strange that so many terms denoting faith should be highly figurative and represent an almost unlimited range of emotional ‘centers’ and descriptions of relationships, e.g. ‘steadfast his heart’ (Chol), ‘to arrive on the inside’ (Chicahuaxtla Triqui), ‘to conform with the heart’ (Uab Meto), ‘to join the word to the body’ (Uduk), ‘to hear in the insides’ (or ‘to hear within one’s self and not let go’ — Nida 1952) (Laka), ‘to make the mind big for something’ (Sapo), ‘to make the heart straight about’ (Mitla Zapotec), ‘to cause a word to enter the insides’ (Lacandon), ‘to leave one’s heart with’ (Baniwa), ‘to catch in the mind’ (Ngäbere), ‘that which one leans on’ (Vai), ‘to be strong on’ (Shipibo-Conibo), ‘to have no doubts’ (San Blas Kuna), ‘to hear and take into the insides’ (Kare), ‘to accept’ (Pamona).”

Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap here to read more):

  • Western Kanjobal: “truth entering into one’s soul”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “following close after”
  • Huichol: “conform to the truth”
  • Loma: “lay one’s hand on it”
  • Mashco Piro: “obey-believe”
  • Mossi: “leaning on God” (this and all the above acc. to Nida 1952, p. 119ff.)
  • Tzeltal: “heart believe / heart obedience” (source: Marianna C. Slocum in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 49f. — see also wisdom (Proverbs))
  • Thai: “place one’s heart in” (source: Bratcher / Hatton 2000, p. 37)
  • Cameroon Pidgin: “to put one’s heart in God” (source: Jan Sterk)
  • Kafa: “decide for God only” (source Loren Bliese)
  • Martu Wangka: “sit true to God’s talk” (source: Carl Gross)
  • Muna: kataino lalo or “stickiness of heart” (for “faithfulness”) (source: René van den Berg)
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “confidence” (source: Larson 1998, p. 279)
  • Limos Kalinga: manuttuwa. Wiens (2013) explains: “It goes back to the word for ‘truth’ which is ‘tuttuwa.’ When used as a verb this term is commonly used to mean ‘believe’ as well as ‘obey.'”
  • Ngiemboon: “turn one’s back on someone” (and trusting one won’t be taken advantage of) (source: Stephen Anderson in Holzhausen 1991, p. 42)
  • Mwera uses the same word for “hope” and “faith”: ngulupai (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Kwang: “put one’s chest” (Source: Mark Vanderkooi right here )
  • Yala: ɔtū che or “place heart” (in John 5:24; 5:45; 6:35; 6:47; 12:36; 14:1); other translations include chɛ̄ or “to agree/accept” and chɛ̄ku or “to agree with/accept with/take side with” (source: Linus Otronyi)
  • Matumbi: niu’bi’lyali or “believe / trust / rely (on)” and imani or “religious faith” (from Arabic īmān [إيما]) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Ebira: “place one’s liver on something” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 60)
  • Barí: a word related to standing in a hammock. Bruce Olson (1972, p. 159f.) tells this story — click or tap here to read more)

    One evening, though, Bobby began to ask questions. We were sitting around a fire. The light flickered over him. His face was serious.

    ‘How can I walk on Jesus’ trail?’ he asked. ‘No Motilone [speakers of Barí] has ever done it. It’s a new thing. There is no other Motilone to tell how to do it.’

    I remembered the problems I had had as a boy, how it sometimes appeared impossible to keep on believing in Jesus when my family and friends were so opposed to my commitment. That was what Bobby was going through.

    ‘Bobby,’ I said, ‘do you remember my first Festival of the Arrows, the first time I had seen all the Motilones gathered to sing their song?’ The festival was the most important ceremony in the Motilone culture.

    He nodded. The fire flared up momentarily and I could see his eyes, staring intently at me.

    ‘Do you remember that I was afraid to climb in the high hammocks to sing, for fear that the rope would break? And I told you that I would sing only if I could have one foot in the hammock and one foot on the ground?’

    ‘Yes, Bruchko.’

    ‘And what did you say to me?’

    He laughed. ‘I told you you had to have both feet in the hammock. ‘You have to be suspended,’ I said.’

    ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘You have to be suspended. That is how it is when you follow Jesus, Bobby. No man can tell you how to walk His trail. Only Jesus can. But to find out you have to tie your hammock strings into Him, and be suspended in God.’

    Bobby said nothing. The fire danced in his eyes. Then he stood up and walked off into the darkness.

    The next day he came to me. ‘Bruchko,’ he said, ‘I want to tie my hammock strings into Jesus Christ. But how can I? I can’t see Him or touch Him.’

    ‘You have talked to spirits, haven’t you?’

    ‘Oh,’ he said. ‘I see now.’

    The next day he had a big grin on his face. ‘Bruchko, I’ve tied my hammock strings into Jesus. Now I speak a new language.’

    I didn’t understand what he meant. ‘Have you learned some of the Spanish I speak?’

    He laughed, a clean, sweet laugh. ‘No, Bruchko, I speak a new language.’

    Then I understood. To a Motilone, language is life. If Bobby had a new life, he had a new way of speaking. His speech would be Christ-oriented.

  • Awabakal: ngurruliko: “to know, to perceive by the ear” (as distinct from knowing by sight or by touch — source: Lake, p. 70) (click or tap here to read more)

    “[The missionary translator] Lancelot Threlkeld learned that Awabakal, like many Australian languages, made no distinction between knowing and believing. Of course the distinction only needs to be made where there are rival systems of knowing. The Awabakal language expressed a seamless world. But as the stress on ‘belief’ itself suggests, Christianity has always existed in pluralist settings. Conversion involves deep conviction, not just intellectual assent or understanding. (…) Translating such texts posed a great challenge in Australia. Threlkeld and [his indigenous colleague] Biraban debated the possibilities at length. In the end they opted not to introduce a new term for belief, but to use the Awabakal ngurruliko, meaning ‘to know, to perceive by the ear,’ as distinct from knowing by sight or by touch.”

  • Language in southern Nigeria: a word based on the idiom “lose feathers.” Randy Groff in Wycliffe Bible Translators 2016, p. 65 explains (click or tap here to read more):


    What does losing feathers have to do with faith? [The translator] explained that there is a species of bird in his area that, upon hatching its eggs, loses its feathers. During this molting phase, the mother bird is no longer able to fly away from the nest and look for food for her hungry hatchlings. She has to remain in the nest where she and her babies are completely dependent upon the male bird to bring them food. Without the diligent, dependable work of the male bird, the mother and babies would all die. This scenario was the basis for the word for faith in his language.

  • Teribe: mär: “pick one thing and one thing only” (source: Andy Keener)
  • Tiv: na jighjigh: “give trust” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Luba-Katanga: Twi tabilo: “echo” (click or tap here to read more)

    “Luba-Katanga word for ‘Faith’ in its New Testament connotation is Twi tabilo. This word means ‘echo,’ and the way in which it came to be adapted to the New Testament meaning gives a very good idea of the way in which the translator goes to work. One day a missionary was on a journey through wild and mountainous country. At midday he called his African porters to halt, and as they lay resting in the shade from the merciless heat of the sun. an African picked up a stone and sent it ricocheting down the mountain-side into the ravine below. After some seconds the hollow silence was broken by a plunging, splashing sound from the depths of the dark river-bed. As the echo died away the African said in a wondering whisper ‘Twi tabilo, listen to it.’ So was a precious word captured for the service of the Gospel in its Luba Christian form. Twi tabilo — ‘faith which is the echo of God’s voice in the depths of human sinful hearts, awakened by God Himself, the answer to his own importunate call.’ The faith that is called into being by the divine initiative, God’s own gift to the responsive heart! (Source: Wilfred Bradnock in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 49ff. )

J.A. van Roy (in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 418ff. ) discusses how a translation of “faith” in a an earlier translation into Venda created difficult perceptions of the concept of faith (click or tap here):

The Venda term u tenda, lutendo. This term corresponds to the terms ho dumela (Southern Sotho), and ku pfumela (Tsonga) that have been used in these translations of the Bible, and means “to assent,” “to agree to a suggestion.” It is important to understand this term in the context of the character of the people who use it.

The way in which the Venda use this term reveals much about the priority of interpersonal relationships among them. They place a much higher priority on responding in the way they think they are expected to respond than on telling the truth. Smooth interpersonal relationships, especially with a dominant individual or group, take precedence over everything else.

It is therefore regarded as bad form to refuse directly when asked for something one does not in fact intend to give. The correct way is to agree, u tenda, and then forget about it or find some excuse for not keeping to the agreement. Thus u tenda does not necessarily convey the information that one means what one says. One can tenda verbally while heartily disagreeing with the statement made or having no intention whatsoever to carry out what one has just promised to do. This is not regarded as dishonesty, but is a matter of politeness.

The term u sokou tenda, “to consent reluctantly,” is often used for expressing the fatalistic attitude of the Venda in the face of misfortune or force which he is unable to resist.

The form lutendo was introduced by missionaries to express “faith.”

According to the rules of derivations and their meanings in the lu-class, it should mean “the habit of readily consenting to everything.” But since it is a coined word which does not have a clearly defined set of meanings in everyday speech, it has acquired in church language a meaning of “steadfastness in the Christian life.” Una lutendo means something like “he is steadfast in the face of persecution.” It is quite clear that the term u tenda has no element of “trust” in it. (…)

In “The Christian Minister” of July 1969 we find the following statement about faith by Albert N. Martin: “We must never forget that one of the great issues which the Reformers brought into focus was that faith was something more than an ‘assensus,’ a mere nodding of the head to the body of truth presented by the church as ‘the faith.’ The Reformers set forth the biblical concept that faith was ‘fiducia.’ They made plain that saving faith involved trust, commitment, a trust and commitment involving the whole man with the truth which was believed and with the Christ who was the focus of that truth. The time has come when we need to spell this out clearly in categorical statements so that people will realize that a mere nodding of assent to the doctrines that they are exposed to is not the essence of saving faith. They need to be brought to the understanding that saving faith involves the commitment of the whole man to the whole Christ, as Prophet, Priest and King as he is set forth in the gospel.”

We quote at length from this article because what Martin says of the current concept of faith in the Church is even to a greater extent true of the Venda Church, and because the terms used for communicating that concept in the Venda Bible cannot be expected to communicate anything more than “a mere nodding of assent”. I have during many years of evangelistic work hardly ever come across a Venda who, when confronted with the gospel, would not say, Ndi khou tenda, “I admit the truth of what you say.” What they really mean when saying this amounts to, “I believe that God exists, and I have no objection to the fact that he exists. I suppose that the rest of what you are talking about is also true.” They would often add, Ndi sa tendi hani-hani? “Just imagine my not believing such an obvious fact!” To the experienced evangelist this is a clear indication that his message is rejected in so far as it has been understood at all! To get a negative answer, one would have to press on for a promise that the “convert” will attend the baptism class and come to church on Sundays, and even then he will most probably just tenda in order to get rid of the evangelist, whether he intends to come or not. Isn’t that what u tenda means? So when an inexperienced and gullible white man ventures out on an evangelistic campaign with great enthusiasm, and with great rejoicing returns with a list of hundreds of names of persons who “believed”, he should not afterwards blame the Venda when only one tenth of those who were supposed to be converts actually turn up for baptismal instruction.

Moreover, it is not surprising at all that one often comes across church members of many years’ standing who do not have any assurance of their salvation or even realise that it is possible to have that assurance. They are vhatendi, “consenters.” They have consented to a new way of life, to abandoning (some of) the old customs. Lutendo means to them at most some steadfastness in that new way of life.

The concept of faith in religion is strange to Africa. It is an essential part of a religion of revelation such as Christianity or Islam, but not of a naturalistic religion such as Venda religion, in which not faith and belief are important, but ritual, and not so much the content of the word as the power of it.

The terms employed in the Venda Bible for this vital Christian concept have done nothing to effect a change in the approach of the Venda to religion.

It is a pity that not only in the Venda translation has this been the case, but in all the other Southern Bantu languages. In the Nguni languages the term ukukholwa, “to believe a fact,” has been used for pisteuo, and ukholo, the deverbative of ukukholwa, for pistis. In some of the older Protestant translations in Zulu, but not in the new translation, the term ithemba, “trust”, has been used.

Some languages, including Santali, have two terms — like English (see above) — to differentiate a noun from a verb form. Biswạs is used for “faith,” whereas pạtiạu for “believe.” R.M. Macphail (in The Bible Translator 1961, p. 36ff. ) explains this choice: “While there is little difference between the meaning and use of the two in everyday Santali, in which any word may be used as a verb, we felt that in this way we enriched the translation while making a useful distinction, roughly corresponding to that between ‘faith’ and ‘to believe’ in English.”

Likewise, in Noongar, koort-karni or “heart truth” is used for the noun (“faith”) and djinang-karni or “see true” for the verb (“believe”) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

See also this devotion on YouVersion .

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Faith (Word Study) .

law

The Greek that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (wsource: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Galatians 3:23

Before the time for faith came (literally, “before the faith came”) is Paul’s way of talking of the time of the reign of the Law. Faith here (literally, “the faith”) refers to what Paul mentioned in the previous verse, namely, faith in Jesus Christ. Some translations indicate this relationship (for example, New English Bible, Moffatt “before this faith came”).

In a number of languages faith must be expressed as a verb, and therefore a certain amount of restructuring may be required, for example, “before it was time that people could trust in Jesus Christ,” or “before people could be related to God by trusting in Jesus Christ.” However, the focus here is upon the extent of time involved, and it may be important to say in some languages “up to the time that people could put their trust in Jesus Christ.”

Kept us all locked up as prisoners translates two Greek verbs. The first may be rendered “kept us guarded,” with the purpose not of protection but of restriction. The second is the same word used in verse 22, but here it has the present participle form, indicating continuous action, and therefore can be translated “being held in confinement,” or “being imprisoned.” What Paul is trying to picture to us is that the Law is like a stern jailer who not only has imprisoned us, but who has made sure that we remain imprisoned by stationing himself on the outside where he can guard us.

The Law is here once again the Jewish law, and not any law as in verse 21b. It is often impossible to personify the Law, and it may even be necessary, as in some other contexts, to speak of the Law as “the laws given by Moses.” One can often say “the laws given by Moses were just like guards who kept us locked up in prison,” “… stood guarding us in prison,” or “… stood guarding us while we were prisoners locked up in jail, so to speak.” Because of the figurative meaning involved, it may be essential in some languages to employ an expression such as “so to speak” or “as it were” in order to identify the figurative interpretation.

Until this coming faith should be revealed presents the translator with several difficulties in understanding and interpreting the passage. The Greek word for until (literally “into”) may be either temporal (Good News Translation and some other translations) or purposive; that is, an event introduced by “into” can be the purpose of the immediately preceding and related event. In this particular passage, the Law’s act of confinement and imprisonment may be said to have as its purpose preparation for embracing and accepting the faith when it is finally revealed. This latter interpretation is followed by some translations (for example Moffatt “with the prospect of the faith that was to be revealed”).

In this coming faith should be revealed it is important to understand “coming” (literally, “about to be”) as modifying not faith but the revelation of it. Faith here is the same faith referred to at the beginning of the verse, namely, faith in Jesus Christ.

From the Greek text of verse 25, it is clear that at the time of writing the revelation is already past, and therefore faith has already been revealed. The time of the coming of faith is future only in relation to the time of the Law, and not in relation to the time when Paul was writing this letter.

The clause until this coming faith should be revealed poses problems for the translator. In the first place, this coming faith is extremely difficult to render in some languages. One may say in some cases “this trusting in Jesus which people would do,” or “this trusting in Jesus which would happen later.” Moreover, the passive expression should be revealed may need to be made active, with God as the agent, for example, “until the time that God would show.” However, if this final clause is to be understood as purpose, then one may say “so that God would show.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Galatians 3:23

Paragraph 3:23–25

In this paragraph, Paul’s main point is that we are sons of God through faith in Christ. The role of the law is finished because Christ has come. He pointed out that once people have become children of God, they are entitled to all the blessings of the new life in Christ. He reminded the Christians in Galatia that they became children of God through faith. Because they were now children of God there was no longer a dividing line between Jew or non-Jew, male or female, slave or free.

3:23a

In 3:23, Paul continued his discussion about the law and the promise/faith. He connected this verse to the previous verses with a Greek conjunction that many English versions translate as “now.” In this context, “now” is not a time word.

The Berean Standard Bible has not translated this conjunction, and some other versions, such as the New International Version and New Living Translation (2004), also do not translate it. In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction either. Connect 3:23a to 3:22b in a way that is natural in your language.

Before this faith came: The word faith refers to “faith in Jesus Christ” (from 3:22b). So this clause refers to the time before people could be made right with God through faith/believing in Christ.

Another way to translate this clause is:

Before ?the way of? faith ?in Christ? came

In some languages, it is not natural to say that faith came. In other languages, faith must be translated as a verb. In those languages, some ways to translate this clause are:

before the time of believing/trusting ?in Christ?
-or-
before the time arrived ?when people could? believe/trust ?in Christ?
-or-
When ?Christ in whom people should? believe/trust had not yet come

See faith, Meaning 1 in the Glossary.

3:23b

we were held in custody under the law: The words held in custody mean “held captive,” “held prisoners,” “confined,” or “guarded.”

This is a passive clause. Some ways to translate this clause are:

As a passive clause. For example:

we were held prisoners by the law (New International Version)
-or-
we were placed under guard by the law (New Living Translation (2004))

As an active clause. For example:

the Law kept us all locked up as prisoners (Good News Translation)
-or-
The Law controlled us and kept us under its power (Contemporary English Version)

This clause is also a figure of speech called personification. In this figure of speech, Paul spoke of the law as if it were a prison guard who guarded people in prison. In some languages, it is not natural to keep this personification. Some ways to translate this clause without using personification are:

the law was like a guard who held us in prison
-or-
we were like prisoners whom the law guarded

In your translation, do not use a word that implies “protected.”

3:23c

locked up: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as locked up is the same Greek word as in 3:22a, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “confined.” You should translate it in a similar way or in the same way as you did there. For example:

confined
-or-
under the power of
-or-
controlled

In some languages, it may be necessary to begin a new sentence here. For example:

We were locked up
-or-
The law kept us in prison

until faith should be revealed: This clause refers to a particular period of time. It is the time that lasted up to the time when God revealed/showed the way of faith in Christ. That time happened when Christ came. When it happened, the time ended during which people were prisoners to the law. The time of the law ended.

This is a passive clause. Some ways to translate this clause are:

Use a passive clause. For example:

until the coming ?way of? faith ?in Christ? was revealed
-or-
until the ?time? came ?when? believing/trusting ?in Christ? was shown ?to us?

as an active clause

until the ?time? came ?when God? revealed/showed ?to us? that we should believe ?in Christ?

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