complete verse (Galatians 5:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 5:18:

  • Uma: “So, if we are led by the Holy Spirit, we do not need to submit to the Lord’s Law delivered by Musa.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If that is what you follow the will of God’s Spirit, the law no longer has a-hold-on/authority-over you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, if we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit we are not submitted to the Law which Moses left behind.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But if God’s Spirit is the one who is directing you, you don’t need to follow the law.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But if we are now being guided/supervised by the Espiritu Santo, we are now outside/released from our striving for salvation through our obeying the laws of Moises.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “If the Holy Spirit teaches us what to do, then we need not fear the punishment which the law gives.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

law

The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez 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.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

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

Spirit (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-tama (御霊) or “Spirit (of God)” in the referenced verses.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also Holy Spirit

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Galatians 5:18

This verse is almost universally regarded as a summary of Paul’s argument in the whole chapter. It reinforces verse 16, where Paul has asserted that those who are led by the Spirit do not satisfy the desires of the human nature. Here Paul is asserting that if they are led by the Spirit, they are not subject to the Law.

The expression the Spirit leads you (literally, “you are being led by the Spirit”) is to be taken as more or less equivalent to “walk by the Spirit” in verse 16. Actually, the two expressions come out almost the same in Good News Translation and other translations (Phillips “live your whole life in the spirit … follow the leading of the Spirit”; New American Bible “live in accord with the spirit … guided by the spirit”; New English Bible “guided by the Spirit … led by the Spirit”). The tense of the verb suggests continuing action, which makes it possible to come out with a translation such as “if you continue to be led by the Spirit.” One may also translate “if you do what the Spirit tells you to do,” or “if you obey what the Spirit of God says you should do.”

You are not subject to the Law is literally “you are not under law.” “Law” here is taken by the majority of scholars to refer to the Jewish Law. However, since the noun does not have an article, some scholars understand it as referring to any law, whether Jewish or Gentile. This latter position is reflected in New English Bible (“you are not under law”) and Jerusalem Bible (“no law can touch you”).

Not subject to the Law is “not being a slave to the law,” that is, not following the law’s precepts in order to win God’s approval.

One may also render you are not subject to the Law as “you are not compelled to do all that the laws say,” or “it is not necessary for you to be obedient to all the laws.” The relation between the person and the Law may, however, be reversed in some instances, and one may translate “then the laws do not command you,” or “… do not have authority over you.”

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 .