21Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
For the phrase that is translated as “implanted (word)” or “(word that he plants) in your hearts” in English versions, Kahua uses a term for belly/chest as the seat of the emotions. (Source: David Clark)
In Owa it is translated as “planted in your soul” (=hearts). (Source: Carl Gross)
The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin that is translated as “soul” in English is translated in Chol with a term that refers to the invisible aspects of human beings (source: Robert Bascom), in Yagaria with oune or “shadow, reflection” (source: Renck, p. 81), and in Elhomwe as “heart” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
The Mandarin Chineselínghún (靈魂 / 灵魂), literally “spirit-soul,” is often used for “soul” (along with xīn [心] or “heart”). This is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32, see also Clara Ho-yan Chan in this article )
In Chichewa, moyo means both “soul” and “life.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
The Greek that is typically translated as “gentleness” in English is translated in Suki as gitusaena inae or “not-snatching way.” (Source L. and E. Twyman in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 91ff. )
In Tibetan it is translated as sems dul ba (སེམས་དུལ་བ།), lit. “mind + tame.” (Source: gSungrab website )
The Greek that is often translated as “meek” or “meekness” in English is translated in Malba Birifor as hɛlɛlɛ. David B. Woodford (in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 181 ) tells how that translation was uncovered: “Some words come by the accidents God provides. For a long while we had searched in vain for a word adequate to express ‘meekness.’ Then we gave up (temporarily), and took a walk outside for a break. The grain-stalks left after harvesting were beginning to sprout again, so I said [to the language assistant], ‘Look, they’re sprouting.’ ‘No,’ he said, ‘they’re hɛlɛlɛ.’ ‘What does that mean?’ ‘That is the word we use for new leaves when they are big enough and strong enough to bend and not to break. We use it for people too, who are so strong inside that they don’t need or want to fight you. But if a person is hard and brittle like a dead leaf it means that he is not really strong.’ And that is surely a better word for Bible meekness than anything we can say in English!”
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”
Following are a number of back-translations of James 1:21:
Uma: “That’s why we must give-up all dirty actions and evil behavior that is usual with us, and humble [lit., make-low] our hearts, listening to the word that God plants/scatters in our hearts. For that word of his has-power to free us from the punishment of our sins.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Therefore remove all that causes your liver to be dirty and leave/give-up all your bad/evil deeds. Cause-to-be-low/humble your liver towards God and receive/accept his message/word which he put/placed into your liver. For it is the word/message of God hep that can save you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Stop doing any kind of filthy behavior or wickedness; submit yourselves to God; hold fast to his word which was preached to it for it is what can free you from punishment.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Turn-your-backs-then -on all that is filthy and other kinds of evil that you think-about and do, and humble (lit. lower) your minds moreover to obey the words of God that he has-put-inside your minds which are able to save you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Therefore what is good is, drop/give-up all doing which is disgusting and your evil nature/ways. And then meekly/patiently submit to God and be listening well to his word, for that is what can cause you to be saved.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Therefore depart from all that is evil. No longer do that which is not right. Earnestly believe the word which was planted in your hearts. This word has power to save your souls.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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-kotoba (みことば) or “word (of God)” in the referenced verses.
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).
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.