The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “go in peace” into English is an idiomatic expression of farewell which is translatable in other languages as an idiomatic expression as well:
The Greek in James 2:16 that is translated as “keep warm” into English was translated into Kahua as “dress well” since “keep warm” sounds very strange in the permanently hot local climate on the Solomon Islands where Kahua is spoken.
The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is usually translated into English as “peace,” when referring to one’s inner peace, is (back-) translated with a variety of idioms and phrases:
“rest the heart” (Central Mazahua) / “rest within” (Lacandon) (source: Nida 1952, p. 40 and 128ff.) / “wait well in your heart” (Yatzachi Zapotec) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of James 2:16:
Uma: “What is the use if we say to him like this: ‘Be careful walking! [a common expression meaning "have a nice trip"] I hope you (sing.) will be clothed well and eat enough to fill you (sing.)!’ Yet if we don’t give him what he needs, what is the use?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “What is the good if you say to them, ‘May everything be well with you. Put on thick clothes so that you won’t be cold. Eat well.’ Na, if you only speak like that but don’t give them what they need for their bodies, there is no use in it.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “and if we just say to them, ‘I’ll be seeing you. May you be able to get your food and clothing,’ however we do not help them, there is no value in what we said.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “and someone among you says to him, ‘Don’t (sing.) worry about that, may you (sing.) not get cold and may you (sing.) eat enough (lit. correctly),’ and-meanwhile he doesn’t give him (anything), what do-you-suppose is the value/use of that-aforementioned which he said?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well supposing one of you says to him, ‘Go home happy. Hopefully you’ll be caused to have abundant clothing and food.’ But you (sing.) don’t help him in this hardship of his. Isn’t that which you (sing.) said worthless?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Then one of you says to him, ‘Be comforted. Now don’t be cold and don’t be hungry now,’ he will say to him. But if he doesn’t give him clothing to wear and doesn’t give him something to eat, what good do you think he does?” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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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 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).
And one of you says to them: the response to the situation in verse 15 is also hypothetical; it is an extension of the condition started in verse 15. For this reason it may be desirable to start verse 16 again with “if,” as New International Version has done, thus “If one of you says to him.” Grammatically the shift to the plural, as seen in the pronoun them, has occurred in verse 15b. However, it is also possible to translate the clause as “You shouldn’t just say…” (Contemporary English Version) or even “It will be stupid [or, pointless] for one of you to say….” See 2.20 where the opponent in the argument is referred to as a “fool.”
The expression Go in peace is a conventional expression of farewell used often in the New Testament, for example, on the lips of Jesus (Mark 5.34; Luke 7.50; 8.48). It is a common Jewish farewell formula, offering a prayer or best wishes for the one who is leaving. It is often used as a signal of ending an encounter, of sending someone off, and therefore equivalent to saying “goodbye” to someone: “God be with you” (Revised English Bible), or “God bless you” (Good News Translation). It wishes the one departing prosperity and well-being, and therefore can also be considered equivalent to saying “Good luck to you” (so Phillips, New English Bible) or “I hope all goes well for you” (Contemporary English Version). This clause may also be expressed idiomatically; for example, “May you have a peaceful heart,” “Go in quietness of heart,” “Go well,” and so on.
The clause be warmed and filled is a response to “is ill-clad and in lack of daily food.” In Greek the two verbs be warmed and filled can either be passive or middle. If they are taken as passive, the meaning would be “be ye warmed and filled” (King James Version, American Standard Version), and in a shorter form be warmed and filled. However, if they are taken as middle, which appears to be preferred by most translators, the meaning would be “keep warm and eat well” (Good News Translation; so also New American Bible), “keep warm and eat your fill” (New Revised Standard Version), or “keep yourself warm and have plenty to eat” (New English Bible). “Eat well” can be misleading in some languages. The meaning is not to eat good food, but to eat until you are full. In either case the point is the same; instead of offering help to needy fellow Christians, this person simply expresses best wishes. This gesture is hypocritical.
Without giving them …: what James goes on to say includes a contrastive word not brought out by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. It means “but” (so Revised English Bible) or “and yet” (New Revised Standard Version), indicating that there is a shift in thought, and also a transition from the singular one of you to the plural “you do not give.” It is desirable in many languages to keep this transition marker to make the train of thought clearer. Some translators will begin a new sentence here and say, for example, “But what use is it for you to say this, unless…?” The pronoun them here refers to the Christian “brother” and “sister” mentioned in verse 15. The phrase the things needed for the body refers to the necessities of life, or “physical needs” (New International Version). The word needed (“necessity”) is used only here in the New Testament and covers necessities such as food, clothing, and perhaps shelter also. To James kind words without providing actual help is worthless. This makes him repeat the same rhetorical question used at the beginning of verse 14, what does it profit? The expected answer is “Nothing!”
An alternative translation model for this verse may be:
• But you shouldn’t just say, “God be with you! I hope you will be warm and have enough to eat.” What use is it for you to say this if you don’t give them the things that are necessary to keep themselves alive?
Quoted with permission from Loh, I-Jin and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Letter from James. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
one of you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as one of you is literally “any of you(plur).” It refers to any person who claimed to be a Christian among those to whom James wrote this letter.
him: The Greek pronoun that the Berean Standard Bible translates as him is literally “them.” It refers to both men and women. Use whatever is natural in your language to refer to the “brother or sister” in Christ of 2:15a.
2:16b
Go in peace: The phrase Go in peace was a common expression among Jews to say “goodbye” to a person who was leaving. It was a blessing of peace on the person who was leaving.
You should translate this phrase with a common expression that is used in your language when someone leaves. If possible, the expression should include words that wish the person well or that send him off with God’s blessing. For example:
God bless you (Good News Translation)
-or-
good-bye and God bless you (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
Good-bye and have a good day (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
2:16c
stay warm and well fed: This clause is a wish (or prayer) that the person may somehow become warm and get enough to eat. It is not a piece of good advice reminding the person to be sensible and look after himself properly.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
I hope you stay warm and get plenty to eat (New Century Version)
-or-
May you be warm enough and have enough food to eat
2:16d
but does not provide for his physical needs: The Greek is literally “but you(plur) do not give to them the needed things of the body.” Notice that the pronouns “you” and “them” are both plural in Greek. However, in some languages, singular pronouns are more natural. This is what the Berean Standard Bible does. The pronouns you use here should be consistent with those you used in 2:16a.
The phrase his physical needs refers to the food and clothing that the person needs. The believer wishes the person well but does not give the person what he needs to keep warm or to end his hunger.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
but you do not give what that person needs (New Century Version)
-or-
but does nothing to supply their bodily needs (Revised English Bible)
-or-
but he does not give him clothing to wear and does not give him anything to eat
2:16e
what good is that?: This is a rhetorical question. James used this rhetorical question to emphasize that mere talk and good wishes were no help at all. These same words occur in 2:14a.
Some ways to translate this emphasis are:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
…what good does it do? (God’s Word)
-or-
Will that help him?
-or-
That will not help him, right?
• As a statement. For example:
It does no good at all.
-or-
…your words are worth nothing. (New Century Version)
-or-
You will certainly not help that person just by saying those words.
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
General Comment on 2:16a–e
In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:16e at the beginning of the verse. For example:
16eWhat good is it 16aif one of you tells him, 16b“Go in peace; 16cstay warm and well fed,” 16dbut does not provide for his physical needs?
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.
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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