harden

The Greek that is translated as “to harden” or similar in English is translated in Mwera as “to become stubborn.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also harden heart and hardness of heart..

hardness of heart

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “hardness of heart” in English is translated as “large heart” has been translated in many ways:

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated colloquially as wie vernagelt or “obtuse” (in Mark 6:52 and 8:17).

While Moba has a rich metaphorical library using the concept of “heart” (pal) it follows very different paradigms compared to Greek, Hebrew and English concepts. The parallel expression of “hardened heart” means “courageous” or “encouraged” (see hearts burning) so in the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation various constructs are used to translate “hardness of heart,” including “not willing to change one’s mind” (in Mark 3:5) or “make temptation into the heart” (John 12:40). (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )

See also stubborn / hardness of heart.

complete verse (Hebrews 3:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 3:15:

  • Uma: “Strengthen each others’ heart every day, like what is written in the verse that we read earlier that said: ‘Today, if you hear the voice of God, don’t any longer harden your hearts, like your grandparents long ago who rejected [him].'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “This is what the holy-book says, ‘When/if you hear God’s voice this day, don’t cause your livers to be hard as your ancestors of old who really did not want to follow/obey God.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For it’s like the word of God which I have already written which says, ‘Today if you will hear the words of God to you, it’s necessary that your breath not become hard like your breath was long time ago when you resisted God.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Let us think again of what God caused-to-be-written which says, ‘Today, if you hear God’s words, do not harden your minds like your ancestors did when they opposed God.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I will again remind you of that which is contained in the writing of the past which says, ‘Now/today, if you have heard what God is saying, hopefully don’t harden your heads like what those (people) did in that they opposed him.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “It is written in the Holy Book the word which says: ‘Concerning this day, listen to the word God speaks to you. Do not reject the word God speaks now. Do not do like the old-time people did in the desert when they rejected what God said,’ it says.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

voice (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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 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-koe (御声) or “voice (of God)” in the referenced verses. This is used specifically to refer to the “voice” of God or used in a reference of God saying something.

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

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 Hebrews 3:15

It is difficult to see exactly how this verse is related to its context. The possibilities are as follows:
(a) Good News Translation and other common language translations solve the problem by making it a separate sentence, unrelated to anything else. This is the simplest practical solution and probably the best.
(b) Put verse 14 in round brackets (parentheses) and thus link “while it is said” (Revised Standard Version) with verse 13. This raises almost as many problems as it solves.
(c) Link “while it is said” with hold firmly to the end (verse 14) is a rather awkward way of introducing a repetition of the quotation; compare Moffatt “this word ever sounding in our ears, To-day…” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). This is the construction and punctuation chosen by the UBS Greek New Testament, first to third editions.
(d) Some editions of the Greek text, followed by Knox, Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible, link verses 15 and 16. New American Bible has “When Scripture says, ‘Today, if you should hear his voice, harden not your hearts as at the revolt,’ who were those that revolted when they heard that voice?” This translation rightly assumes that the writer of Hebrews goes on quoting the psalm until he reaches the word “rebel,” because he wishes to comment on that word.

This is what the scripture says must often be restructured, as in other instances, as “This is what one may read in the Scriptures” or “… at one place in the holy writings.”

The content of this passage should be translated in essentially the same manner as these words are rendered in verses 7b-8a.

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 .