born again, born from above

The Greek that is translated “born again” or “born from above” in English is translated in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac as “have new life,” in Tenango Otomi as “live anew,” or in Tojolabal as “become new like a little baby.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)

The English The Translator’s New Testament (publ. 1973) translates this term in a way to cover both sides of its ambiguity: reborn from above.

The now commonly-used English idiom “born again” (meaning to be revived) was first coined in 1382 in the English translation by John Wycliffe (in the spelling borun ayen). (Source: Crystal 2010, p. 288)

For other idioms in English that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

Religious leaders sought him out to find answers to life's deepest questions (image)

“It is unusual for anyone to seek out another at night unless it is desired to be kept secret. Betel nut and condiments are laid out to welcome the guest even at the late hour. Nicodemus’s robe and bared shoulder show he is a religious devotee.”

Drawing by Sawai Chinnawong who employs northern and central Thailand’s popular distinctive artistic style originally used to depict Buddhist moral principles and other religious themes; explanation by Paul DeNeui. From That Man Who Came to Save Us by Sawai Chinnawong and Paul H. DeNeui, William Carey Library, 2010.

For more images by Sawai Chinnawong in TIPs see here.

complete verse (John 3:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:7:

  • Uma: “So, do not be surprised at these my words that say: you all must be born again.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Do not wonder/marvel because I said to you that you all (pl.) must be born again,’ said Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t be surprised by what I say to you that you must be born again.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Don’t (sing.) be surprised then at what I said that you (pl.) must be born again.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “So don’t be amazed by this which I’m saying to you (sing.) that you (pl.) must be given birth to again.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Do not be surprised at what I tell you. All people must live anew.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing religious leaders

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing religious leaders with the formal pronoun, showing respect. Compare that with the typical address with the informal pronoun of the religious leaders.

The only two exceptions to this are Luke 7:40/43 and 10:26 where Jesus uses the informal pronoun as a response to the sycophantic use of the formal pronoun by the religious leaders (see formal pronoun: religious leaders addressing Jesus).

In most Dutch translations, the same distinctions are made, with the exception of Luke 10:26 where Jesus is using the formal pronoun. In Afrikaans and Western Frisian the informal pronoun is used throughout.

first person pronoun referring to God

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on John 3:7

Do not be surprised was an expression frequently used in everyday Jewish life and by the rabbis. In John it expresses a negative attitude, indicating lack of insight by the person addressed.

The first you in this verse is singular, while the second you is plural; for this reason Good News Translation translates the second as you … all (note also Phillips, New English Bible, Moffatt). In Greek the clause is in direct discourse (I tell you, “You…”), but the 4th edition Good News Translation has shifted to indirect.

Again is the same word used in verse 3, and it may also have the meaning of “from above,” as the alternative rendering in Good News Translation suggests. For the reasons mentioned earlier (see verse 4), it seems better to translate again in the text and to use “from above” as an alternative rendering. It may be advisable to include a note here, indicating the ambiguity of meaning or explaining what may be thought of as a “play on the meaning.” The similarity of problems in meaning may be mentioned in relation to both verses 4 and 7.

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 .

formal second person plural pronoun

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 show 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. )