law

The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Yucateco as “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198), and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

McKnight’s English translation (publ. 2023) has it as Covenant Code. He explains (p. 301): “The law of Moses was a covenantal arrangement by God with the people of Israel. This code of conduct expected of them was not the same as law in the Roman world or what law means to us today. It is a revelation of God’s will for God’s covenant people but requires ongoing interpretation and adjustments.”

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on John 7:23

The argument of this verse must be understood in the light of the preceding verse. Among the Jews, if two laws conflicted, it was necessary to decide which law had priority. The Jews had already decided that the law of circumcision had priority over the law of the Sabbath day. Jesus now argues that the law of mercy likewise overrides the law of the Sabbath day. From the Jewish point of view, however, this was not true. They would argue that if a person’s life was in immediate danger, then the law of life would have priority over the Sabbath day. But in this situation the man’s life was not in immediate danger. He had been lame for 38 years and Jesus could have waited one more day to heal him, so as not to break the law of the Sabbath day. Jesus argues once again from the lesser to the greater: the law of circumcision, which has priority over the law of the Sabbath, concerns only a part of a man’s body. How much more, then, does the law of mercy have priority over the Sabbath day, since it concerns a man’s whole body!

The passive verbs is circumcised and is not broken may be expressed as active, for example, “If you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath in order not to break Moses’ Law” or “… in order that you may keep the law of Moses” or “… abide by the Law given by Moses.”

Make a man completely well is literally “make a whole man well.” It is translated by Revised Standard Version “made a man’s whole body well.” New English Bible has the same meaning, though with a rather high level of language, “for giving health on the Sabbath to the whole of a man’s body.” Moffatt sees implicit here a contrast between the act of circumcision and Jesus’ deed of healing a man, and so translates “for curing, not cutting, the entire body of a man”; but it is doubtful that one should attempt in this particular passage to bring out such a contrast.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 7:23

7:23a

If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath means “Because you circumcise boys on the Sabbath.” It refers to the situation in 7:22b, where a baby born on the Sabbath is circumcised on the next Sabbath.

Here are other ways to translate this expression:

If someone can be circumcised on the Sabbath (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it (New Living Translation (2004))

7:23b

so that the law of Moses will not be broken: This is a purpose clause. It indicates that the purpose of circumcising on the Sabbath is to avoid breaking (disobeying) the law of Moses. The law of Moses required the people of Israel to circumcise their sons on the eighth day after their birth. In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a positive purpose. For example:

in order to obey the Law of Moses (Contemporary English Version)

The verb phrase will not be broken in this context means “may not be disobeyed.” It is a passive verb.

Here are some ways to translate this verb phrase:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

so that Moses’ Law is not broken (Good News Translation)

• Use an active verb. For example:

to avoid breaking the law of Moses (Revised English Bible)
-or-
to follow Moses’ Teachings (God’s Word)

Translate this verb in the way that is most natural in your language.

7:23c

why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used it as a rebuke. Jesus was saying that the people should not be angry with him for healing a man on the Sabbath. They should not be angry with Jesus because they do the same thing that they accuse him of doing.

There are two ways to translate this rebuke:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

why are you angry with me for making someone completely healthy on a Sabbath? (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? (New International Version)

• Use a statement. For example:

You (plur.) should not be angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath.

Translate this rebuke in a way that is natural in your own language.

making the whole man well: There is an implied contrast between this clause and the act of circumcision, which affected only part of the body. Jesus had made the paralyzed man entirely well, so that his whole body was cured.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

I made a man’s whole body well (English Standard Version)
-or-
I made a man completely well (NET Bible Bible)

the whole man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man is the same word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “boy” in 7:23a. It is good to use the same word in both places to help the reader understand the sentence’s logic. However, the word man in 7:23a refers to a baby boy, and in 7:23c to an adult man. Consider what term you could use that would naturally refer to both a baby and an adult male. For example:

someone(masc)

General Comment on 7:23a–c

In the Greek, as in the Berean Standard Bible, 7:23a–c forms one long sentence, a rhetorical question. In some languages it may be natural to divide this sentence into two or more separate sentences. For example:

For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? (New Living Translation (2004))

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