The name that is transliterated as “Isaac” in English is signed in Spanish Sign Language and French Sign Language with a sign that is linked to his mother’s laughter when she hears that she will be pregnant with him (referring to Genesis 18:12 – 18:15) and also is the meaning of the Hebrew “Isaac” (Yitschaq — “he laughs”):
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 writer and the readers of this letter).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)
In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 4:28:
Uma: “This is like the words of the Holy Book that say: "You (sing.) are glad [emp], barren woman, who has not ever given-birth! Be glad and hoot ("halelo’" [from excitement or joy], you who have not one time suffered birthing a child. Because even though you (sing.) are barren, the number of your (sing.) descendants will be more than those of the woman who had-children to start with." We, relatives, are the ones who have become the children of God, according to God’s promise. We are like Ishak, the child of Abraham who was born according to God’s promise.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “My brothers, we (incl.) are the children of God because his covenant/promise was fulfilled by him. We (incl.) are like Isahak born by Sara as God’s fulfillment of his covenant to Ibrahim.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “So, brothers, in the same way also we have become children of God because He fulfilled His promise, just like Isaac was born to Sarah because the promise of God to Abraham was fulfilled.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Brothers, we who believe, we have a similarity to Isaac, because he was born on account of what God promised, and we also, we are counted as Abraham’s children because of that same what-God -promised.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well now, brethren, we who are now believing/obeying Cristo, we are God’s children who are the fulfillment of what he promised, just like Isaac that child of Sara.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now we, my dear brethren, are like Isaac whom God promised would be born in that God promised that we would be his children.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Paul here starts to apply the allegory specifically to his readers, at the same time bringing to their attention the two sons of Abraham, whose mothers have so far been the focus of Paul’s discourse. Now at the beginning of the verse is clearly continuative rather than temporal. The closest equivalent in some languages is “on the basis of this comparison,” or simply “hence” or “therefore.”
Some translations adopt the reading “we” instead of “you,” but the latter seems to be the better reading, both from external and internal evidences. Paul once again addresses his readers with the more or less formal my brothers, which he has used twice before. As in many similar contexts, this may be rendered as “my fellow believers” or “you who trust Christ along with me.”
They are God’s children as a result of his promise (literally, “are children of promise”). The clue to the meaning of the expression is found in the last part of the verse: just as Isaac was. Just as Isaac was conceived, not through natural means, but through the fulfillment of God’s promise, so the Galatians also have become God’s children, not through their own efforts, much less through natural and physical descent, but exclusively as a fulfillment of what God promised to Abraham.
As a result of his promise may be rendered as “because that was the way in which God had promised it would happen,” or “because God had made a promise.”
The final clause, just as Isaac was, may require certain expansion because of the rather severe ellipsis, for example, “in the same way Isaac became Abraham’s son because of what God had promised,” or “in the same way Abraham had a son, Isaac, because of what God had promised,” or “… because God had promised Abraham that such would happen.”
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 .
In this paragraph, Paul showed the Galatians how the allegory about the free woman and the slave woman applied to their situation.
4:28a
Now: In this verse, Paul began to apply his allegory of the previous paragraph. Begin this verse in a way that shows that Paul is going to make an application. For example:
And so -or-
So then -or-
Here is the point
In some languages, you may not need to use a connecting word or phrase.
you, brothers: Paul used the pronoun you and the word brothers to directly address the Galatians. He wanted them to pay attention to what he was about to say.
Some ways to translate these words are:
you, my ?dear? fellow believers -or-
you, fellow believers ?in Christ? -or-
you, my ?dear? friends
you: There is a textual issue here:
(1) Some Greek manuscripts have you. For example:
you (Good News Translation)
(Berean Standard Bible, English Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, NET Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004), New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation)
(2) Other Greek manuscripts have we. For example:
we (Revised Standard Version)
(Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, King James Version, Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1), with the majority of English versions.
4:28b
like Isaac:Isaac was the name of the son of Abraham and Sarah, the free woman whom Paul spoke of in 4:22–23. He was free. Paul compared the Galatian believers to Isaac.
Some ways to translate this phrase are:
just like Isaac, ?the son of the free woman? -or-
in the same way as Isaac
are children of promise: Isaac was born because of God’s promise to give Abraham a son. In the same way, the Gentiles have been born spiritually because of God’s promise to bless all nations through Abraham. The Gentiles are Abraham’s spiritual children. They are free.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
are ?counted as Abraham’s? children ?because? of ?God’s? promise -or-
you have become ?Abraham’s? children ?because? of the promise ?that God made?
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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