cross

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The Greek that is translated as “cross” in English is often referred to a visualization of the cross’ shape. In Mandarin Chinese and Japanese, for instance, it is translated as 十字架 (Chinese: shízìjià; Japanese: jūjika) — “10-character-frame” because the character for “10” has the shape of a cross) or in Ancient Greek manuscripts with the staurogram (⳨) a ligature of the Greek letters tau (Τ) and rho (Ρ) that was used to abbreviate stauros (σταυρός), the Greek word for cross, and may visually have represented Jesus on the cross.

A staurogram spelling of the word σταυρον (as Ϲ⳨ΟΝ) in Luke 14:27 (Papyrus Bodmer XIV, 2nd century). Source: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Elsewhere it refers to the function, e.g. a newly coined term, like one made up of two Sanskrit words meaning “killing-pole” (Marathi NT revision of 1964), “wood to-stretch-out-with” (Toraja-Sa’dan), or “nailing pole” (Zarma). A combination of the two seems to be used in Balinese, which employs a word for the crossbeams in a house, derived from a verb that can refer both to a beam that stretches from side to side under a roof, and to a person stretched out for torture (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel). Similarly, in Lamba it is translated “with umutaliko — ‘a pole with a cross-piece, on which maize was normally tied’ from the verb ‘talika’ which, strangely enough, is used of ‘holding down a man with arms and legs stretched out, someone gripping each limb.'” (Source C. M. Doke in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 57ff. ).

“In Mongolian, the term that is used is togonoltchi mott, which is found in the top of a tent. The people on the steppes live in round felt-yurts and the round opening on the top of the tent serves as a window. The crosswood in that opening is called togonoltchi mott. ‘Crucified’ is translated ‘nailed on the crosswood.’ This term is very simple, but deep and interesting too. Light comes to men through the Cross. What a privilege to be able to proclaim such a message.” (Source: A. W. Marthinson in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 74ff. )

In Mairasi it is translated as iwo nasin ae: “chest measurement wood.” “This term refers to the process of making a coffin when a person dies. The man making the coffin takes a piece of bamboo and measures the body from head to heel. He then breaks the stick off at the appropriate point. For the width he measures the shoulders and then ties the two sticks together in the shape of a cross. As he works, he continually measures to make sure the coffin is the correct size. At the gravesite, the coffin is lowered. Then the gravecloth, palm leaves, and finally the chest measurement stick are laid on top of the coffin before the dirt is piled on. This term is full of meaning, because it is in the shape of a cross, and each person will have one. The meaning is vividly associated with death.” (Source: Enggavoter, 2004)

In Lisu it is translated as ꓡꓯꓼ ꓐꓳ ꓔꓶꓸ DU — lä bo tɯ du: “a place to stretch the arms across” (source: Arrington 2020, p. 215), in Noongar as boorn-yambo: “crossed tree” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Yagaria as malipu yava or “cross-wood,” Alekano as “cross-wise tree,” in Kuman (PNG) as endi pirake or “vertical and horizontal beam” (source for this and two above: Renck 1990, p. 81), and in Tibetan as rgyangs shing (རྒྱངས་​ཤིང་​།), lit. “stretch + wood” (“translators have adopted the name of this traditional Tibetan instrument of torture to denote the object on which Jesus died”) (source: gSungrab website ).

The English translation of Ruden (2021) uses “stake.” She explains (p. xlv): “The cross was the perpendicular joining of two execution stakes, and the English word euphemistically emphasized the geometry: a cross could also be an abstract cross drawn on paper. The Greeks used their word for ‘stake,’ and this carries the imagery of what was done with it, as our ‘stake’ carries images of burning and impaling. ‘Hang on the stakes’ for ‘crucify’ is my habitual usage.”

See also crucify, cross (carry), and this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Galatians 5:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 5:11:

  • Uma: “Relatives, there are people who say that I myself teach people to follow the circumcision custom of the Law of Musa. Those words are not [emphatic] true! If my teaching were like that, the Yahudi wouldn’t be opposing me. My teaching is: we must believe in Kristus, for only because of the death of Kristus crucified do we become straight in God’s sight. Precisely because of this teaching of mine, the Yahudis are dead-set / out-to oppose me.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “My brothers who trust in Isa Almasi, there are people who say that I yet teach reportedly, that we (incl.) ought to be circumcised so that we (incl.) are considered straight by God. If this is true why am I yet persecuted by the Yahudi? If I were teaching that a person ought to be circumcised, I would no longer be the-object-of-their-anger even though I taught also about the death of Isa Almasi on the post.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “My brothers, there’s some people who say that I have not yet given up teaching that it’s necessary that we (incl.) be circumcized. But if this were true, why are the Jews still trying to harm me? Because if I taught that it is necessary to be circumcised, they would not be angry with me even if I also teach the death of Christ as our (incl.) substitute.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “As for me, there are those who reportedly are saying I am teaching that Gentiles need to get-circumcised when/if they believe, but think-about this brothers. If that were true, why then am I still being-hardshipped? Because if I were teaching that it was necessary for a person to get-circumcised, the Jews would then not be offended at what I am preaching concerning Cristo’s death on the cross.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “My brethren, don’t believe what some are saying, that even I, I indeed am teaching that people need to be circumcised in order to be saved. But how can that be the truth, for if I truly were teaching this, why am I still up to this time being hardshipped/persecuted by my fellow Jews? For of course if I am teaching that it’s necessary to be circumcised in order to be saved, I am not teaching that only the death of Cristo on the cross is where we can obtain salvation, which is the thing-being-stumbled-and-fallen-over by these fellow-countrymen of mine.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But, I, my dear brethren, if I told you to mark your bodies, then the Jews wouldn’t hate me. But now they are angry with me because I teach that the only thing that saves a person is that Christ died on the cross.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

circumcise, circumcision

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The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “circumcise” or “circumcision” in English (originally meaning of English term: “to cut around”) are (back-) translated in various ways:

  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “cut the flesh”
  • San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, Navajo (Dinė): “cut around”
  • Javanese: “clip-away”
  • Uab Meto: “pinch and cut” (usually shortened to “cut”)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun, Western Highland Purepecha: “put the mark”
  • Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “put the mark in the body showing that they belong to God” (or: “that they have a covenant with God”)
  • Indonesian: disunat — “undergo sunat” (sunat is derived from Arabic “sunnah (سنة)” — “(religious) way (of life)”)
  • Ekari: “cut the end of the member for which one fears shame” (in Gen. 17:10) (but typically: “the cutting custom”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Hiri Motu: “cut the skin” (source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1079)
  • Garifuna: “cut off part of that which covers where one urinates”
  • Bribri: “cut the soft” (source for this and the one above: Ronald Ross)
  • Amele: deweg cagu qoc — “cut the body” (source: John Roberts)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “cut the flesh of the sons like Moses taught” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Newari: “put the sign in one’s body” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Central Mazahua: “sign in his flesh”
  • Hopi: “being cut in a circle in his body” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Mandarin Chinese: gēlǐ (割礼 / 割禮) or “rite of cutting” (Protestant); gēsǔn (割损 / 割損) or “cut + loss” (Catholic) (Source: Zetzsche)
  • Tibetan: mdun lpags gcod (མདུན་​ལྤགས་​གཅོད།), lit. “fore + skin + cut” (source: gSungrab website )
  • Kutu: “enter the cloth (=undergarments)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Circumcision .

brother (fellow believer)

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.”

See also brothers.

Translation commentary on Galatians 5:11

The first part of this verse consists of a conditional clause, “if I still preach circumcision,” and a rhetorical question, “why am I still persecuted?” The conditional clause could reflect either a charge against Paul by his enemies or a hypothetical case: “if I were preaching….” Most translators favor the former position, in which case it is implied that there was a time (“still”) when Paul actually advocated circumcision. To “preach circumcision” is of course to advocate that circumcision is necessary in order for one to be accepted by God (Knox “I preach the need of circumcision”). In order to make it quite clear that Paul no longer was preaching that circumcision was necessary, it may be essential to indicate that this was an accusation brought by some of the Judaizers. The condition may then be translated as “if, as they say, I continue to preach that men must be circumcised.”

The passive expression why am I still being persecuted? may be made active by translating “why do people still persecute me?” or “… cause me harm?”

As in other contexts, my brothers may be understood as “you, my fellow believers,” or “you who also believe in Christ.”

It may be necessary in some languages to relate the phrase as for me somewhat more closely to what follows, for example, “now consider my situation. Why am I still persecuted…?”

The rhetorical question denies the charge contained in the conditional clause. What the whole sentence means is that if it were really true that Paul was still preaching the necessity of circumcision, he would not be persecuted; or, to state it another way, since Paul is still being persecuted, then it is not true that he continues to preach that circumcision is necessary. If one adopts the interpretation that the condition is purely hypothetical and so contrary to fact, it may be necessary to translate it as “if I were continuing to preach that men must be circumcised—but, of course, I am not preaching that—then….”

The condition if that were true must refer not to circumcision being true, but to the preaching concerning the necessity of circumcision. Therefore, if that were true may be rendered as “if I were really doing that,” or “if I really were preaching that.”

A further consequence of Paul’s alleged continuing advocacy of circumcision would be that his preaching about the cross of Christ would cause no trouble. The expression would cause no trouble translates two words, a noun which is traditionally rendered “stumblingblock” and a verb which means “to cease” or “to pass away” (the same verb as in 5.4). The stumblingblock of the cross is that element in the death of Christ that would lead the Jews to oppose the whole event and hinder them from accepting Jesus as the Messiah. This is expressed in various ways (for example, Phillips “the hostility which the preaching of the cross provokes”; Jerusalem Bible “scandal”). Paul does not say explicitly what this stumblingblock is, but it is clearly implied that it is his interpretation of Christ’s death as making it possible for anyone to be accepted by God on simple trust, and not by doing what the Law requires.

What Paul is saying here is that if it were true that he is still advocating circumcision, then his preaching about the death of Christ on the cross would no longer cause any trouble for the Jew. But, since his preaching is still causing trouble, it is not true that he continues to advocate circumcision.

Preaching about the cross of Christ may require some minor amplification in order to indicate that Paul was not merely talking about the cross as an object but about the cross as an instrument of Christ’s death or a symbol of his death, for example, “preaching about Christ’s dying upon the cross,” or “preaching about the meaning of Christ’s death on the cross.”

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 5:11

Paragraph 5:11–12

In this paragraph, Paul concluded his discussion about circumcision. He made it clear that he was not preaching that people should be circumcised to be made right with God. He strongly condemned the false teachers who did teach this.

5:11a–b

if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?: This is a rhetorical question. Paul used this rhetorical question to prove that he did not preach that a person needs to be circumcised.

The word if introduces a statement that is not true. If Paul were still preaching circumcision, then he would not be persecuted. But since he was being persecuted, the Galatians should know that he did not preach circumcision.

It appears that the false teachers had accused Paul of being inconsistent. They perhaps said that in some circumstances he still taught circumcision.

Some ways to translate this proof are:

• As a rhetorical question. In this rhetorical question, it may be necessary to make it clearer that Paul does not preach circumcision. For example:

if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? (New Living Translation (2004))

• As statement followed by a rhetorical question. For example

I do not teach that a man must be circumcised. If I teach circumcision, why am I still being attacked? (New Century Version)
-or-
Some people say that I am still preaching ?that it is necessary to be? circumcised. But if that were true, why am I still being persecuted?

• As statement followed by a tag question. For example:

if I still preached that circumcision is necessary, I would not still be persecuted, would I?

• As a statement. For example:

if I still preached circumcision, then I would not still be persecuted.
-or-
if I were continuing to preach that people must be circumcised, then I would not be persecuted. ?However, I am still being persecuted. So you can be sure I am not preaching circumcision? .

Use whichever form is natural in your language for Paul to prove that he did not preach circumcision.

5:11a

brothers: As in 1:11a, the word brothers refers to “spiritual brothers.” They were Paul’s “fellow believers.” The word includes both men and women. It does not refer to Paul’s biological brothers.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

brothers and sisters (NET Bible)
-or-
fellow believers
-or-
my friends (New Revised Standard Version)

In some languages, it will be natural to put this word first in the verse. See the Display for an example.

if I am: In 5:11, Paul switched from talking about the false teachers to talking about himself. He used the emphatic form of the pronoun I in Greek to focus on his actions.

Some other ways to begin this verse are:

But as for me…, if I (Good News Translation)
-or-
As for me, if I
-or-
if I myself

preaching circumcision: The clause preaching circumcision means “announcing or proclaiming that a person must be circumcised in order for God to accept him.”

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

preach that circumcision is necessary (Good News Translation)
-or-
preach that people need to be circumcised (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
preach ?that a person must be? circumcised ?to be made right with God?

5:11b

why am I still being persecuted: The verb being persecuted means “made to suffer because of one’s religious beliefs.” This verb first occurred in 1:13b.

This verb is passive. Some ways to translate it are:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

why am I still being made to suffer
-or-
how is it that I am still persecuted

• Use an active verb. For example:

why are ?the Jews? persecuting me

5:11c

In that case: The phrase In that case is the translation of one Greek conjunction. This conjunction introduces what would happen if it were true that Paul still preached circumcision.

Some other ways to connect 5:11c to the rest of the verse are:

In such a case
-or-
If that were true (Good News Translation)
-or-
If I still taught circumcision (New Century Version)

the offense of the cross has been abolished: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as offense is often translated “stumbling block” (as in the Revised Standard Version) or “stumbling stone.” It is a figure of speech that refers to something that causes opposition, disapproval, anger, or revulsion. The message of the cross does that.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

the cross wouldn’t be offensive anymore (God’s Word)
-or-
no one would be offended that ?I preach about Christ’s death on? the cross
-or-
my preaching about the cross would not be a problem (New Century Version)

cross: Here the word cross is a figure of speech called a metonymy. The cross represents the gospel message. This message teaches that the only thing that a person needs to do to be saved is to believe that Christ died on the cross for his sins. The true gospel does not include circumcision.

Some ways to translate cross are:

Christ’s death on the cross
-or-
the message of Christ’s death
-or-
salvation through the cross of Christ alone
-or-
the gospel of Christ’s death on the cross for salvation

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