The Greek words that are often translated with “assurance” in English are translated in Lisu with a combination of “to know” + “faith” + “satisfied.”
Arrington (2020, p. 74) explains: “A persistent stumbling block with the Bible translation was that the Lisu language lacked many essential words that were commonly used in the biblical text. In 1931, Leila Cooke reported that Lisu church leaders had approved the addition of seventy-one words to the Lisu language at recent Bible schools at Muchengpo and at Gospel Mountain. ‘Among these is the word for assurance.’ To make the new word they combine the Lisu ‘to know,’ ‘faith,’ and ‘satisfied.’”
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.
Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 3:14:
Uma: “For we, we have received a portion in Kristus, as long as what we believed in from the beginning we hold on to continually until the end with hearts that are not uncertain/wavering.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Because we (incl.) all are companions with Almasi if we (dual) really cause our (dual) trust to be firm in him from the beginning to the end.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For as for us (incl.) if we hold tight to our former trust in Christ, then all of us (incl.) have relationship with Him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because if our faith is perseverant starting from the first until the last day, we will also continue to have-fellowship-with (lit. companion-with) Cristo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Because, as for us, Cristo is now our constant companion provided, right to the end, our assurance remains firm that the things concerning Cristo that we have been believing from back in the past are true.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Concerning all of us who believe his word, if we are strengthened so that we do not depart from the word right through to the end, then it will come to us that we will walk with Christ there where he rules.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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 GermanGute 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 GreekSeptuagint‘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.”
The word for are refers to an indefinite period including past, present, and in this context, future. It is not the simple present tense of 3.6, so the writer can include a reference to the end without inconsistency. Otherwise, this verse has much in common with 3.6.
Partners is one of the writer’s favorite words (see 1.9; 3.1; 6.4; 12.8). It is used literally of fishermen in Luke 5.7. We are all partners with Christ may be rendered as “we work together with Christ” or “we join with Christ in working together.”
If we hold firmly is best treated as an emphatic expression of continuation; for example, “if we continue steadfastly” or “if we continue not moving at all.”
Modern translations adopt confidence. Some commentaries note that the Greek word also has a philosophical meaning, “real being,” as in 1.3, but this is irrelevant here and should be ignored.
The confidence we had at the beginning may be expressed as “the trust which we showed when we began to believe” or even “the strong trust which we showed when we first believed.”
In a number of languages one cannot say to the end, since it is necessary to specify what end is involved. Probably the most satisfactory rendering is “to the end of our lives” or “as long as we live.”
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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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