The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated in English as “painful” or “sorrow” is translated in Huba as “cut the insides.” David Frank explains: “Huba has just one expression that covers both ‘angry’ and ‘sad.’ They don’t make a distinction in their language. I suppose you could say that the term they use means more generically, ‘strong emotional reaction’ (source: David Frank in this blog post ). Similarly, in Bariai it is “the interior is severed/cut” (source: Bariai Back Translation).
In Noongar it is translated as koort-warra or “heart bad.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
In Enlhet it is translated as “going aside of the innermost.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:6:
Uma: “You were just sad to hear my words earlier that said I am about to go.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Your livers are really grieved because of this which I told you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Rather, you are very troubled because I told you what you are going to have to endure later on.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But yes, that’s-understandable (lit. so-it-is + concessive particle), because you are sad (thoughts hurt) on-account-of what I have told you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well now that I am telling you, your mind/inner-being really feels very bad.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Yet now because I told you this you are sad.” (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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
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).
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®).
And now that I have told you is literally “Because I have told you these things.” Moffatt translates “No, your heart is full of sorrow at what I have told you.” Although Good News Translation brings in something of the temporal aspect (now that), it does retain the causative force as primary.
Hearts in the Greek text is literally “heart,” but most translators find it natural to use the plural in English. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch merely translates “you are sad,” while New American Bible renders “you are overcome with grief.” Although normally in Hebrew thought the “heart” relates primarily to the intellect, here it is obviously connected with the emotions. In some languages such emotions as sadness are expressed in idiomatic ways, for example, “to weep within” or “to have tears within one’s heart” or “to mourn within one’s abdomen” or “to grieve within the spleen.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Instead: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Instead here connects a negative statement (16:5b) to a positive statement (16:6). This kind of expression emphasizes the positive statement. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. Here are some ways to show the emphasis:
• Use the conjunction “but” as in the New Revised Standard Version.
Yet, none of you asks me where I’m going. But because I’ve told you this, you’re filled with sadness. (God’s Word)
• Use a conjunction other than “but.” This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:
…and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. (New International Version)
• Do not use a conjunction. For example:
But none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Your hearts are filled with sadness because I have told you these things. (New Century Version)
• Change the order of the clauses. For example:
But you are very sad because I said these things, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’
You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.
your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have told you these things: The phrase these things probably refers to what Jesus just said in 16:5a that he would leave his disciples. Verse 16:7 implies that they were sad because Jesus was going away.
your hearts are filled with sorrow: This clause means “you are very sad.” For example:
you are sad at heart (New Jerusalem Bible) -or-
your hearts are full of sadness (Good News Translation)
The pronoun your is plural and refers to the disciples. The heart was the source of emotions. In some languages it may be natural to use a different body part, or to refer directly to the person. For example:
there is sadness in your minds/livers -or-
You are very sad from hearing all of this. (Contemporary English Version)
sorrow: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sorrow here means “sadness,” “grief,” “distress,” or “anxiety.” It refers to the disciples’ emotional reaction when they heard that Jesus would leave them. Here are other ways to translate this word:
grief (New International Version) -or-
sadness (NET Bible)
In some languages it may be natural to translate this as an adjective or a verb. For example:
very sad (Contemporary English Version) -or-
distressed -or-
You grieve (New Living Translation (2004))
General Comment on 16:6
What Jesus had told the disciples caused them sorrow. In some languages it may be natural to rearrange the clauses in these clauses, mentioning the result (sorrow) first. For example:
You grieve because of what I’ve told you. (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
You are very sad from hearing all this. (Contemporary English Version) -or-
Your hearts are filled with sadness because I have told you these things. (New Century Version)
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