grace

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“The Greek word charis, usually translated by English ‘grace,’ is one of the desperations of translators. The area of meaning is exceptionally extensive. Note the following possible meanings for this word in various contexts of the New Testament: ‘sweetness,’ ‘charm,’ ‘loveliness,’ ‘good-will,’ ‘loving-kindness,’ ‘favor,’ ‘merciful kindness,’ ‘benefit,’ ‘gift,’ ‘benefaction,’ ‘bounty,’ and ‘thanks.’ The theological definition of ‘unmerited favor’ (some translators have attempted to employ this throughout) is applicable to only certain contexts. Moreover, it is quite a task to find some native expression which will represent the meaning of ‘unmerited favor.’ In some languages it is impossible to differentiate between ‘grace’ and ‘kindness.’ In fact, the translation ‘kindness’ is in some cases quite applicable. In other languages, a translation of ‘grace’ is inseparable from ‘goodness.’ In San Miguel El Grande Mixtec a very remarkable word has been used for ‘grace.’ It is made up of three elements. The first of these is a prefixial abstractor. The second is the stem for ‘beauty.’ The third is a suffix which indicates that the preceding elements are psychologically significant. The resultant word may be approximately defined as ‘the abstract quality of beauty of personality.’” (Source: Nida 1947, p. 223)

Other translations include (click or tap here to see more):

  • Inuktitut: “God’s kindness that enables us” (source: Andrew Atagotaaluk)
  • Kwara’ae: kwae ofe’ana (“kindness to one who deserves the opposite”) (source: Norman Deck in The Bible Translator 1963, 34ff. )
  • Chichewa: “being favored in the heart by God” (Source: Ernst Wendland)
  • Sayula Popoluca: “God’s favor” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Caribbean Javanese: kabetyikané (“goodness”)
  • Saramaccan: bunhati (“good heart”)
  • Sranan Tongo: bun ati (“good heart”) or gadobun (“God’s goodness”)
  • Eastern Maroon Creole: (gaan) bun ati (“(big) good heart”) (source for this and three above: Jabini 2015)
  • Fasu: “free big help”
  • Wahgi: “save without reward” (source for this and the one above: Deibler / Taylor 1977)
  • Warao: “goodness of his obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions” (source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ) — see other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.
  • Nukna: “God gave his insides to one.” (“The ‘insides’ are the seat of emotion in Nukna, like the heart in the English language. To give your insides to someone is to feel love toward them, to want what is best for them, and to do good things for them.” (Source: Matt Taylor in The PNG Experience )
  • Uma: “(God’s) white insides” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Hindi, Bengali: anugraha (Hindi: अनुग्रह, Bengali: অনুগ্রহ) from graha: “grasp, a reaching out after, with gracious intent” (source: R.M. Clark in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 81ff. )
  • the German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) uses a large variety of translations, including “undeserved friendliness,” “wonderful work of God,” “loving attention,” “generous,” but also “undeserved grace” (using the traditional German term Gnade)

In Latvian the term žēlastība is used both for “grace” and “mercy.” (Source: Katie Roth)

In the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) and the Buku Lopatulika version (1922/2018) it is translated with chisomo. This word was earlier used to refer to a charm that people were using for others to like them. It meant that on his/her own, a person would not be qualified to be liked by people. But with this charm, people would look at that person more kindly. This is also used in a number of Old Testament passages for what is typically translated as “find favor” or “gracious” in English, including Exodus 33:12, Numbers 6:25, or Psalm 84:11. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

For Muna, René van den Berg explains the process how the translation team arrived at a satisfactory solution: “Initial translation drafts in Muna tended to (…) use the single word kadawu ‘part, (given) share, gift,’ but this word is really too generic. It lacks the meaning component of mercy and kindness and also seems to imply that the gift is part of a larger whole. Consequently we now [translate] according to context. In wishes and prayers such as ‘Grace to you and peace from God’ we translate ‘grace’ as kabarakati ‘blessing’ (e.g. Gal 1:3). In many places we use kataano lalo ‘goodness of heart’ (e.g. Gal 1:15 ‘because of the goodness of his heart God chose me’) as well as the loan rahamati ‘mercy’ (e.g. ‘you have-turned-your-backs-on the mercy of God’ for ‘you have fallen away from grace’; Gal 5:4). In one case where the unmerited nature of ‘grace’ is in focus, we have also employed katohai ‘a free gift’ (typically food offered to one’s neighbo-1urs) in the same verse. ‘The reason-you-have-been-saved is because of the goodness of God’s heart (Greek charis, Muna kataano lalo), going-through your belief in Kristus. That salvation is not the result of your own work, but really a free-gift (Greek dooron ‘gift’; Muna katohai) of God.’ (Eph 2:8).

In Burmese, it is translated with the Buddhist term kyeh’jooh’tau (ကျေး​ဇူး​တော်). LaSeng Dingrin (in Missiology 37/4, 2009, p. 485ff.) explains: “As regards the Christian term ‘grace,’ Judson [the first translator of the Bible into Burmese] could not have brought the Burmese Buddhists the good news about the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and its benefits (i.e., forgiveness and salvation), without employing the Burmese Buddhist term kyeh’jooh’tau (‘grace’). Deriving from Pali kataññuta (“gratefulness”), kyeh’jooh’tau denotes ‘good deeds for others or benefits,’ which occur among humans. (…) When Christianized, kyeh’jooh’tau also refers to the atoning work of Jesus and its benefits, and can occur between humans and God. The word kyeh’jooh’tau looks very Burmese Buddhist, but it is Christian, too, and conveys the core of the Christian proclamation. Furthermore, kyeh’jooh’tau itself shows that translatability of Christianity cannot be imagined without reliance on Buddhism.” (See also the Burmese entry for God)

In American Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines “compassion” and “giving out.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Grace” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

See also grace to you and grace (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation: Eastern Canadian Inuktitut

ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᒍᕇᑭᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅᑕᖓᑦ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᔾᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᒫᒃ “ᓴᐃᒪᓂᖅ” ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᓪᓕ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᔾᔭᐅᓯᒪᒻᒪᑦ ᐃᒫᒃ “ᒎᑎᐅᑉ ᑐᙵᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᑎᑦᑎᕙᑦᑐᖅ.”

(Translator: Julia Demcheson)

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Jude 1:4)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the writer and readers of the letter).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Jude 1:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of Jude 1:4:

  • Uma: “Relatives whom I love! My purpose at first, I was going to write to you a letter, speaking of the goodness that we receive all-together from God. But now, I feel like there is something urging/forcing me to change my first purpose. For there are people in our midst who are bringing wrong teaching. That’s why I say/think I had better write you a letter to strengthen your hearts to oppose those who carry that false teaching. Because God announced/delivered the true teaching to all people whom he-has-made-his-portion so that we believe it, and that teaching must/may not be changed. Those people who carry false teaching, they have entered into our midst, they say they are our one-faith relatives. But actually they do not submit to God. They say that we may satisfy the evil desires of our hearts, because God is loving. That teaching of theirs is very evil, because they just turn-around/twist the teaching of the white insides [i.e., grace] of God, and they repudiate our one and only King and Lord, He is Yesus Kristus. Those false teachers will certainly be punished. From long ago, there were prophets who foretold the punishment that God made-certain for them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The reason that I instruct you is, because there are people who do not fear God who have mixed in with you and-what-is-more you don’t know it. These people change the teaching about the love and mercy of our (incl.) God so that they can do bad. These people do not believe-obey Isa Almasi, our (incl.) only Master and Lord. It is written in the holy-book of old that people like them will be punished.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason it’s necessary for me to say this is because there are some people who have joined themselves to you, but they are hiding the fact that what they believe is not correct. They have no respect for God; they would like to change the true doctrine, for they teach that it is permissible for us to engage in immorality, for they say God is very gracious and he will forgive us just the same. They do not believe that Jesus Christ is our master and our Lord. The prophets of God long ago wrote about what their punishment would be.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because there are reportedly those who have no thoughts toward God who have joined you, concealing/denying their evil motives and character/behavior. They change the truth about God’s grace/mercy, because they say that never-mind reportedly if believers do whatever their bodies desire that is evil and dirty, because God is reportedly (reassurance particle) very-merciful/gracious. Nor do they acknowledge the truth concerning Jesu Cristo who alone is the Lord whom we serve. Their punishment was predicted in the written word of God long-ago.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because there are some who are mixed in with you now whose motives (usually bad connot.) haven’t been grasped/understood by your mind/thinking. As for these people, their following/obeying is really far from the will of God. And from long ago, already contained in the writings was the punishment being held in store for them. Because they’re gently-persuading you with their false teaching which they are substituting concerning the grace/mercy of God. For they say, as long as we have believed, even if we don’t control ourselves but indulge evil desires, nothing at all will happen to our harmony with the Lord, because he is after all gracious/merciful. And they really reject the rule of Jesu-Cristo, for they don’t acknowledge that he only is our Master and Lord/Chief.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because there where you live are some who secretly plan to deceive you. Long ago it was written in the Holy Book that these are the people who will be punished because they do not have the faith. Concerning the mercy God gives, they say that it allows one to do evil. And they deny God who alone has power to have us in his charge. Also they deny our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Christ, Messiah

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The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.

When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח‎) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”

This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.

In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the German Gute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).

In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.

In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).

Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:

  • Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
  • Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
  • Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
  • Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )

In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient Greek Septuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):

“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Christ .

Jesus

The Greek Iēsous is “only” a proper name but one with great importance. The following quote by John Ellington (in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 401ff. ) illustrates this:

“In Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus Christ, Joseph is told that when Mary gives birth to a son ‘you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’ (1:21). This name is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name [Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) which is a short form of a name meaning] ‘the Lord [Yahweh] saves.’ The name is very significant and is in itself especially dear to Christians around the world. (…) Unquestionably great importance is attached to the name of Jesus by Christians of all persuasions and backgrounds.”

While Iēsous (pronounced: /i.ɛː.suːs/) is transliterated as “Jesus” (pronounced /ˈdʒiːzəs/) in English (but was translated as “Hælend” [the “healing one”] in Old English — see Swain 2019) it is transliterated and pronounced in a large variety of other ways as well, following the different rules of different languages’ orthographies, writing systems and rules of pronunciation. The following is a (partial) list of forms of Jesus in Latin characters: aYeso, Azezi, Cecoc, Chesús, Chi̍i̍sū, Ciisahs, Ciise, Ciisusu, Djesu, Ɛisa, Ƹisa, Eyesu, Gesù, Gesû, Gesü, Ġesù, Ghjesù, Giêsu, ꞌGiê‑ꞌsu, Giê-xu, Gyisɛse, Hesu, Hesús, Hisus, Hisuw, Ià-sŭ, Iesen, Ié:sos, Iesu, Iesui, Iesusɨn, Iesusiva, Ié:sos, Ihu, Iisus, Iisussa, Ijeesu, iJisọsị, Iji̍sɔ̄ɔsi, Iosa, Íosa, Ìosa, İsa, I’sa, Isiso, Isõs, Ísu, Isus, Isusa, Iisussa, Isuthi, Itota, Îtu, Isuva, Izesu, Izesuq, Jasus, Jeeju, Jeesus, Jeesuse, Jeezas, Jehu, Jeisu, Jeju, Jejus, Jeso, Jesoe, Jesosa, Jesoshi, Jesosy, Jesu, Jesû, Jesua, Jesuh, Jesuhs, Jesuo, Jesús, Jésus, Jesúsu, Jethu, Jezed, Jezi, Jézi, Ježiš, Jezu, Jezus, Jézus, Jėzus, Jēzus, Jezusi, Jėzus, Jezuz, Jiijajju, Jíísas, Jiizas, Jíìzọ̀s, Jisas, Jisase, Jisasi, Jisasɨ, Jisaso, Jisesi, Jisɛ̀, Jisos, Jisọs, Jisɔs, Jisu, Jiszs, Jizọs, Jizɔs, Jizọsi, Jizọsu, Jòso, Jusu, Jweesus, Ketsutsi, Njises, Sesi, Sisa, Sísa, Sisas, Sīsū, Sizi, Txesusu, uJesu, Ujísɔ̄si, ŵaYesu, Xesosi, ´Xesús, Xesús, Yasu, Ya:su, Ɣaysa, Yecu, Yeeb Sub, Yeeh Suh, Yeesey, Yeeso, Yeesso, Yēēsu, Yēēsu, Yehsu, Yëësu, Yeisu, Yeisuw, Yeshu, Yeso, Yesò, Yëso, Yɛso, ye-su, Yésu, Yêsu, Yẹ́sụ̃, Yésʉs, Yeswa, Yet Sut, Yetut, Yexus, Yezo, Yezu, Yiesu, Yiisa, Yiisu, Yiitju, Yis, Yisɔs, Yisufa, Yitati, Yusu, ‑Yusu, :Yusu’, Zeezi, Zezi, Zezì, Zezwii, Ziizɛ, Zisas, Zîsɛ, Zjezus, Zozi, Zozii, and this (much more incomplete) list with other writings systems: ᔩᓱᓯ, ᒋᓴᔅ, Հիսուս, ᏥᏌ, ኢየሱስ, ያሱስ, ܝܫܘܥ, Ісус, Їисъ, 耶稣, იესო, ईसा, イエス, イイスス, イエスス, 예수, येशू, येशो, ਈਸਾ, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ජේසුස්, যীশু, ଯୀଶୁ, ཡེ་ཤུ་, ‘ঈছা, இயேசு, ಯೇಸು, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ယေရှု, ઇસુ, जेजू, येसु, เยซู, យេស៊ូ, ᱡᱤᱥᱩ, ယေသှု, యేసు, ᤕᤧᤛᤢ᤺ᤴ, އީސާގެފާނު, ਯਿਸੂ, ꕉꖷ ꔤꕢ ꕞ, ⵏ⵿ⵗⵢⵙⴰ, ଜୀସୁ, يَسُوعَ,ㄧㄝㄙㄨ, YE-SU, ꓬꓰ꓿ꓢꓴ, 𖽃𖽡𖾐𖼺𖽹𖾏𖼽𖽔𖾏, ꑳꌠ, ᠶᠡᠰᠦᠰ (note that some of these might not display correctly if your device does not have the correct fonts installed).

Click or tap here to read more.


In some languages the different confessions have selected different transliterations, such as in Belarusian with Isus (Ісус) by the Orthodox and Protestant churches and Yezus (Езус) by the Catholic church, Bulgarian with Iisus (Иисус) by the Orthodox and Isus (Исус) by the Protestant church, Japanese with Iesu (イエス) (Protestant and Catholic) and Iisusu (イイスス) (Orthodox), or Lingala with Yesu (Protestant) or Yezu (Catholic). These differences have come to the forefront especially during the work on interconfessional translations such as one in Lingala where “many hours were spent on a single letter difference” (source: Ellington, p. 401).

In Literary and Mandarin Chinese where transliterations of proper names between the Catholic and Protestant versions typically differ vastly, the Chinese name of Jesus (Yēsū 耶稣) remarkably was never brought into question between and by those two confessions, likely due to its ingenious choice. (Click or tap here to see more).

The proper name of God in the Old Testament, Yahweh (YHWH), is rendered in most Chinese Bible translations as Yēhéhuá 耶和華 — Jehovah. According to Chinese naming conventions, Yēhéhuá could be interpreted as Yē Héhuá, in which Yē would be the family name and Héhuá — “harmonic and radiant” — the given name. In the same manner, Yē 耶 would be the family name of Jesus and Sū 稣 would be his given name. Because in China the children inherit the family name from the father, the sonship of Jesus to God the Father, Jehovah, would be illustrated through this. Though this line of argumentation sounds theologically unsound, it is indeed used effectively in the Chinese church (see Wright 1953, p. 298).

Moreover, the “given name” of Sū 稣 carries the meaning ‘to revive, to rise again’ and seems to point to the resurrected Jesus. (Source: J. Zetzsche in Malek 2002, p. 141ff., see also tetragrammaton (YHWH))

There are different ways that Bible translators have chosen historically and today in how to translate the name of Jesus in predominantly Muslim areas: with a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) (which is used for “Jesus” in the Qur’an), the Greek Iēsous, or, like major 20th century Bible translations into Standard Arabic, the Aramaic Yēšūaʿ: Yasua (يَسُوعَ). (Click or tap here to see more.)

Following are languages and language groups that use a form of Isa include the following (note that this list is not complete):

  • Indo-Iranian languages: Persian, Dari, Central Pashto, Southern Pashto all use Eysa (عيسی or عيسىٰ for Southern Pashto), Sindhi uses Eysey (عيسيٰ), Southern Balochi Issa (ایسّا), Central Kurdish (Sorani) and Northern Kurdish (Kurmanji) use Îsa (عیسای and Иса respectively), Turkmen has Isa, and Tajik Isoi (Исои — compare Iso/Исо in the Tajik Qur’an)
  • Turkic languages: Turkish uses İsa, Kazakh, Kumyk, Nogai, Crimean Tatar all have Isa (Иса), Kirghiz has Iysa (Ыйса), Uzbek has Iso (Исо — compare Iiso/Ийсо in the Uzbek Qur’an), Bashkir uses Aaisa (Ғайса), North Azerbaijani İsa, Uighur uses Eysa (ئەيسا), and Kara-Kalpak İysa (Ийса)
  • Caucasian languages: Bezhta and Lezghian use Isa (Иса), Avaric has Aisa (ГІиса), and Chechen Iza (Иза)
  • Various African languages: Somali, a Cushitic language, has Ciise, Kabyle has Ɛisa and Tahaggart Tamahaq has Yeswa (both Berber languages), the Saharan languages Central Kanuri, Manga Kanuri have Isa, the Atlantic-Congo languages Dagbani, Mampruli, and Bimoba use Yisa, and the Chadian Arabic Bible has Isa (عِيسَى)
  • In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
  • Some languages have additional “TAZI” editions (TAZI stands for “Tawrat, Anbiya, Zabur, and Injil” the “Torah, Prophets, Psalms and Gospel”) of the New Testament that are geared towards Muslim readers where there is also a translation in the same language for non-Muslims. In those editions, Isa is typically used as well (for example, the Khmer TAZI edition uses Isa (អ៊ីសា) rather than the commonly used Yesaou (យេស៊ូ), the Thai edition uses Isa (อีซา) rather than Yesu (เยซู), the Chinese edition uses Ěrsā (尔撒) vs. Yēsū (耶稣), and the English edition also has Isa rather than Jesus.)

In German the name Jesus (pronounced: /ˈjeːzʊs/) is distinguished by its grammatical forms. Into the 20th century the grammatical rules prescribed a unique Greek-Latin declination: Jesus (nominative), Jesu (genitive, dative, vocative), Jesum (accusative), from which today only the genitive case “Jesu” is still in active use. Likewise, in Seediq (Taroko), the morphological treatment of “Jesus” also occupies a special category by not falling under the normal rule of experiencing a vowel reduction when the object-specific suffix an is added “since it was felt that the readers might resent that the name has been changed that drastically.” (Compare Msian for “Moses” (Mosi) as an object, but Yisuan for “Jesus” (Yisu).) (Source: Covell 1998. p. 249)

In Lamba the name ŵaYesu consists of a transliteration Yesu and the prefix ŵa, a plural form for “proper names when addressing and referring to persons in any position of seniority or honor.” While this was avoided in early translations to avoid possible misunderstandings of more than one Jesus, once the church was established it was felt that it was both “safe” and respectful to use the honorific (pl.) prefix. (Source C. M. Doke in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 57ff. )

In virtually all sign languages, “Jesus” is signed with the middle finger of each hand pointing to the palm (or wrist) of the other in succession (signing the nails of the cross). In the context of Bible translation this has been pointed out as theologically problematic since the “semantic connections of the original name Jesus do point towards ‘salvation,’ they do not naturally lead to crucifixion.” (Source: Phil King in Journal of Translation 1 (2020), p. 33ff.)


“Jesus” in German Sign Language (source )

Following is the oldest remaining Ethiopian Orthodox icon of Jesus from the 14th or possibly 13th century (found in the Church of the Saviour of the World in Gurji, Ethiopia). As in many Orthodox icons, Jesus’ right hand forms the Greek letters I-C-X-C for IHCOYC XPICTOC or “Jesus Christ.” Another interpretation of the right hand is that it shows three fingers pointing to the Trinity, while the two other fingers point to Jesus’ two natures.

source (c) Jacques Mercier and Alain Mathieu

Orthodox icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

The style of the following drawing of Jesus by Annie Vallotton is described by the artist as this: “By using few lines the readers fill in the outlines with their imagination and freedom. That is when the drawings begin to communicate.” (see here )

Illustration by Annie Vallotton, copyright by Donald and Patricia Griggs of Griggs Educational Service.

Other visual representation of Jesus in TIPs include several non-Western styles of art: traditional Korean art, traditional Chinese art, modern Chinese abstract art, northern and central Thailand’s popular art, Japanese prints.

See also this devotion on YouVersion .

Lord

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew adonai in the Old Testament typically refers to God. The shorter adon (and in two cases in the book of Daniel the Aramaic mare [מָרֵא]) is also used to refer to God but more often for concepts like “master,” “owner,” etc. In English Bible translations all of those are translated with “Lord” if they refer to God.

In English Old Testament translations, as in Old Testament translations in many other languages, the use of Lord (or an equivalent term in other languages) is not to be confused with Lord (or the equivalent term with a different typographical display for other languages). While the former translates adonai, adon and mare, the latter is a translation for the tetragrammaton (YHWH) or the Name of God. See tetragrammaton (YHWH) and the article by Andy Warren-Rothlin in Noss / Houser, p. 618ff. for more information.

In the New Testament, the Greek term kurios has at least four different kinds of use:

  • referring to “God,” especially in Old Testament quotations,
  • meaning “master” or “owner,” especially in parables, etc.,
  • as a form of address (see for instance John 4:11: “Sir, you have no bucket”),
  • or, most often, referring to Jesus

In the first and fourth case, it is also translated as “Lord” in English.

Most languages naturally don’t have one word that covers all these meanings. According to Bratcher / Nida, “the alternatives are usually (1) a term which is an honorific title of respect for a high-ranking person and (2) a word meaning ‘boss’, ‘master’, or ‘chief.’ (…) and on the whole it has generally seemed better to employ a word of the second category, in order to emphasize the immediate personal relationship, and then by context to build into the word the prestigeful character, since its very association with Jesus Christ will tend to accomplish this purpose.”

When looking at the following list of back-translations of the terms that translators in the different languages have used for both kurios and adonai to refer to God and Jesus respectively, it might be helpful for English readers to recall the etymology of the English “Lord.” While this term might have gained an exalted meaning in the understanding of many, it actually comes from hlaford or “loaf-ward,” referring to the lord of the castle who was the keeper of the bread (source: Rosin 1956, p. 121).

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight

Following are some of the solutions that don’t rely on a different typographical display (see above):

  • Navajo (Dinė): “the one who has charge”
  • Mossi: “the one who has the head” (the leader)
  • Uduk: “chief”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “the one who commands”
  • Kpelle: “person-owner” (a term which may be applied to a chief)
  • Central Pame: “the one who owns us” (or “commands us”)
  • Piro: “the big one” (used commonly of one in authority)
  • San Blas Kuna: “the great one over all” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Guhu-Samane: Soopara (“our Supervisor”) (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
  • Balinese: “Venerated-one” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Yanesha’: “the one who carries us” (source: Nida 1952, p. 159)
  • Northern Emberá: Dadjirã Boro (“our Head”)
  • Rarotongan: Atu (“master or owner of a property”)
  • Gilbertese: Uea (“a person of high status invested with authority to rule the people”)
  • Rotuman: Gagaja (“village chief”)
  • Samoan: Ali’i (“an important word in the native culture, it derives from the Samoan understanding of lordship based on the local traditions”)
  • Tahitian: Fatu (“owner,” “master”)
  • Tuvalu: Te Aliki (“chief”)
  • Fijian: Liuliu (“leader”) (source for this and six above: Joseph Hong in The Bible Translator 1994, p. 329ff. )
  • Bacama: Həmə miye: “owner of people” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
  • Hopi: “Controller” (source: Walls 2000, p. 139)
  • Iyansi: Mwol. Mwol is traditionally used for the “chief of a group of communities and villages” with legal, temporal, and spiritual authority (versus the “mfum [the term used in other Bantu languages] which is used for the chief of one community of people in one village”). Mwol is also used for twins who are “treated as special children, highly honored, and taken care of like kings and queens.” (Source: Kividi Kikama in Greed / Kruger, p. 396ff.)
  • Ghomala’: Cyəpɔ (“he who is above everyone,” consisting of the verb cyə — to surpass or go beyond — and pɔ — referring to people. No human can claim this attribute, no matter what his or her social status or prestige.” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn )
  • Binumarien: Karaambaia: “fight-leader” (Source: Oates 1995, p. 255)
  • Warlpiri: Warlaljamarri (owner or possessor of something — for more information tap or click here)

    We have come to rely on another term which emphasizes God’s essential nature as YHWH, namely jukurrarnu (see tetragrammaton (YHWH)). This word is built on the same root jukurr– as is jukurrpa, ‘dreaming.’ Its basic meaning is ‘timelessness’ and it is used to describe physical features of the land which are viewed as always being there. Some speakers view jukurrarnu in terms of ‘history.’ In all Genesis references to YHWH we have used Kaatu Jukurrarnu. In all Mark passages where kurios refers to God and not specifically to Christ we have also used Kaatu Jukurrarnu.

    New Testament references to Christ as kurios are handled differently. At one stage we experimented with the term Watirirririrri which refers to a ceremonial boss of highest rank who has the authority to instigate ceremonies. While adequately conveying the sense of Christ’s authority, there remained potential negative connotations relating to Warlpiri ceremonial life of which we might be unaware.

    Here it is that the Holy Spirit led us to make a chance discovery. Transcribing the personal testimony of the local Warlpiri pastor, I noticed that he described how ‘my Warlaljamarri called and embraced me (to the faith)’. Warlaljamarri is based on the root warlalja which means variously ‘family, possessions, belongingness’. A warlaljamarri is the ‘owner’ or ‘possessor’ of something. While previously being aware of the ‘ownership’ aspect of warlaljamarri, this was the first time I had heard it applied spontaneously and naturally in a fashion which did justice to the entire concept of ‘Lordship’. Thus references to Christ as kurios are now being handled by Warlaljamarri.” (Source: Stephen Swartz, The Bible Translator 1985, p. 415ff. )

  • Mairasi: Onggoao Nem (“Throated One” — “Leader,” “Elder”) or Enggavot Nan (“Above-One”) (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Obolo: Okaan̄-ene (“Owner of person(s)”) (source: Enene Enene)
  • Angami Naga: Niepu (“master,” “owner”)
  • Lotha Naga: Opvui (“owner of house / field / cattle”) — since both “Lord” and YHWH are translated as Opvui there is an understanding that “Opvui Jesus is the same as the Opvui of the Old Testament”
  • Ao Naga: Kibuba (“human master,” “teacher,” “owner of property,” etc.) (source for this and two above: Nitoy Achumi in The Bible Translator 1992 p. 438ff. )
  • Seediq: Tholang, loan word from Min Nan Chinese (the majority language in Taiwan) thâu-lâng (頭儂): “Master” (source: Covell 1998, p. 248)
  • Thai: phra’ phu pen cao (พระผู้เป็นเจ้า) (divine person who is lord) or ong(kh) cao nay (องค์เจ้านาย) (<divine classifier>-lord-boss) (source: Stephen Pattemore)
  • Arabic often uses different terms for adonai or kurios referring to God (al-rabb الرب) and kurios referring to Jesus (al-sayyid الـسـيـد). Al-rabb is also the term traditionally used in Arabic Christian-idiom translations for YHWH, and al-sayyid is an honorary term, similar to English “lord” or “sir” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).
  • Tamil also uses different terms for adonai/kurios when referring to God and kurios when referring to Jesus. The former is Karttar கர்த்தர், a Sanskrit-derived term with the original meaning of “creator,” and the latter in Āṇṭavar ஆண்டவர், a Tamil term originally meaning “govern” or “reign” (source: Natarajan Subramani).
  • Burunge: Looimoo: “owner who owns everything” (in the Burunge Bible translation, this term is only used as a reference to Jesus and was originally used to refer to the traditional highest deity — source: Michael Endl in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 48)
  • Aguacateco: Ajcaw ske’j: “the one to whom we belong and who is above us” (source: Rita Peterson in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 49)
  • Konkomba: Tidindaan: “He who is the owner of the land and reigns over the people” (source: Lidorio 2007, p. 66)
  • Chichewa: Ambuye Ambuye comes from the singular form Mbuye which is used to refer to: (1) someone who is a guardian or protector of someone or group of people — a grandparent who has founded a community or village; (2) someone who is a boss or master over a group of people or servants and has absolute control over them; (3) owner of something, be it a property, animals and people who are bound under his/her rule — for people this was mostly commonly used in the context of slaves and their owner. In short, Mbuye is someone who has some authorities over those who call him/her their “Mbuye.” Now, when the form Ambuye is used it will either be for honorific when used for singular or plural when referring to more than one person. When this term is used in reference to God, it is for respect to God as he is acknowledged as a guardian, protector, and ruler of everything. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation).
  • Hdi uses rveri (“lion”) as a title of respect and as such it regularly translates adon in the Old Testament. As an address, it’s most often with a possessive pronoun as in rvera ɗa (“my lion” = “my lord” or “sir”). So, for example, Genesis 15:2 (“O Lord God”) is Rvera ɗa Yawe (“My lion Yahweh”) or Ruth to Boaz in Ruth 2:13: “May I find your grace [lit. good-stomach] my lion.” This ties in nicely with the imagery of the Lord roaring like a lion (Hosea 11:10; Amos 3:8; Joel 3:16). Better still, this makes passages like Revelation 5:5 even richer when we read about rveri ma taba məndəra la Yuda, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah”. In Revelation 19:16, Jesus is rveri ta ghəŋa rveriha “the lion above lions” (“lord of lords”). (Source: Drew Maust)

Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient Greek Septuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew adonai was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments: “Another case is the use of kurios referring to Jesus. For Yahweh (in English Bibles: ‘the Lord‘), the Septuagint uses kurios. Although the term kurios usually has to do with one’s authority over others, when the New Testament authors use this word from the Septuagint to refer to Jesus, they are making an extraordinary claim: Jesus of Nazareth is to be identified with Yahweh.”

See also Father / Lord.

Translation commentary on Jude 1:4

The reason for the strong and urgent call to contend for the faith in verse 3 is now given in this verse. It is signaled by the connective For, which in this context means one of three things:

1. “I am writing you because…”;

2. “I am doing this (that is, asking you to contend for the faith) because…”;

3. “It (the faith) is in danger because…” (see New English Bible).

The faith is in danger because some people have been causing problems within the Christian community. Jude does not identify who these people are; however, the context suggests that these ungodly persons are somehow distorting the Christian message, both in their teachings and in their actions. Good News Translation understands these people to be primarily teachers, hence its heading for this section is “False Teachers.” It is possible to make the application more general than this, referring to “ungodly people” (the New International Version [New International Version] has in its heading “godless men”).

There are two possible ways of handling this lack of identification in translation: The translator can leave all possibilities open, for example, by retaining “some ungodly people” in the translation, but then identify these people as teachers in the section heading. Or the translator can identify these people as teachers in the translation itself as, for example, “some godless teachers.” As always, the decision will depend on the intended audience; sufficient information should be included in the translation to make it understandable to those who will read it.

Even though Jude does not directly identify these godless people, he does mention four accusations against them.

1. First of all, they are intruders who have secretly gained admission to the church. The Greek verb here means “to sneak in under false pretenses,” “to slip in unnoticed,” “to slip in stealthily,” “to infiltrate.” This does not mean that these people are not members of the church; they probably are members, but they have become so by sinister means, not by legitimate means. It is as if they have smuggled themselves into the Christian community. The meaning and impact of the Greek verb is captured in some translations such as New English Bible “wormed their way in,” and Phillips “surreptitiously entered the Church.” The verb is in the aorist tense but with a perfect force; that is, while it is aorist in form, it is perfect in meaning. This means that, while these people sneaked in at some time in the past, the effect of their action is still felt very strongly in the church.

2. Secondly, these people were long ago designated for … condemnation. This clause is difficult to analyze and presents many potential problems for translators. Long ago refers to a period of time in the distant past, although the text offers no clear clue as to when this actually occurred. This word may also be expressed as “in older times,” “years that are gone,” or “many generations ago.” The word translated designated is literally “wrote beforehand,” hence Good News Translation “predicted.” The text does not say from whom or from where this prediction comes, but there are at least three possibilities. (a) This may be an allusion to the book of 1 Enoch (see the description in the comments on verse 6). (b) This may refer to the predictions of the apostles (see verses 17-18 and comments). (c) The reference here may be to the Old Testament in general, which contains many statements regarding the punishment of false prophets. This also fits the use of long ago, which, as we have seen, usually denotes a long interval of time. This seems to be the most likely interpretation and is reflected in Good News Translation, which identifies the source of the predictions as “the Scriptures” (so also New English Bible, “the very men whom Scripture long ago marked down for the doom they have incurred”). The Scriptures may also be expressed as “the holy writings.”

The expression this condemnation is strange, since this marks the condemnation as old information, whereas Jude has just begun his letter and has not as yet mentioned anything about condemnation. Here again, there are three possibilities: (a) This may be a reference to verse 3b, where Jude mentions fighting for the faith, and where he perhaps assumes the certain and imminent defeat of the godless. This is reading too much into verse 3b, however. (b) This may look forward to the condemnation of the people mentioned in verse 15; however, this seems to be too remote to establish any clear connections. (c) This condemnation may refer to the punishment that is mentioned in verses 5-7.

In view of the difficulty of determining what this refers to, it is possible and even advisable to restructure the clause and introduce condemnation as new information; for example, “the condemnation they will receive,” or “the punishment that God will bestow on them,” or “that God will punish them.” (See Good News Translation “the condemnation they have received,” Knox “destined thus to incur condemnation.”)

3. Thirdly, these people are ungodly persons who pervert the grace of … God. The word ungodly means “impious,” “godless.” It is a favorite word of Jude; he uses it six times, in various forms but always with the same meaning. It should, however, be noted that the Book of Enoch from which Jude quotes also uses this same word, and perhaps Jude’s use of the word is directly influenced by the Greek translation of the Book of Enoch.

In wisdom literature (for example, in the Book of Proverbs) “ungodliness” has two basic elements: irreverence toward God and unrighteous or evil conduct as a result of such an attitude. It is related to lawlessness, or utter disregard for the law, which results in a person doing anything he or she wants to do. This word then is a very appropriate description of the people whose wickedness and lawless actions are mentioned by Jude in the latter part of his letter (see verses 15 and 18). Some ways of translating ungodly persons are: “people who disobey God,” “people who have no use for God,” or “people who are not faithful to God.”

It should be noted that in Good News Translation “godless” has been moved to the first part of the verse, and it thus functions as a general description of these people (so also Knox “Godless men”). This adjustment makes it possible to identify immediately who these people are, and eliminates the translation problem created by the indefinite some.

The ungodliness of these people is manifested in the fact that they pervert the grace of our God. The word translated pervert also means “change,” “alter” (Good News Translation “distort”), that is, make something into what it is not. Licentiousness, on the other hand, translates a word that stands generally for sensuality or immorality but which refers in particular to sexual indulgence, hence “immoral ways” (Good News Translation), “evil sexual practices,” or “indecent conduct.”

But what does the whole expression pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness mean? There are two ways to understand the preposition into. First, it can express purpose or intention. This makes possible a translation such as “who pervert the grace of our God, in order that they can do immoral things,” or as in Good News Translation “distort the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways.” Secondly, it can express result. This means that their perversion of the grace of God results in their engaging in immoral acts. Of these two possibilities the first seems more likely, and it is echoed in Good News Translation and in some other translations.

This leads us to a discussion of the meaning of the expression the grace of … God. “Grace” is one of those biblical words that has a variety of meanings. In the New Testament one of its primary meanings is the undeserved love of God, that is, God’s love for people even though they don’t deserve to be loved. Taken in this sense it means that the godless people are using God’s gracious love as an excuse for engaging in sinful and immoral actions. They seem to think that, since God loves people so much that he forgives them of their sins, people can commit as many sins as they like, for the more they sin the more God loves them. The clause can then be translated thus: “who distort the message about God’s love and use it as an excuse for their immoral behavior.” Another possibility is to interpret grace as referring to the Christian message, or to the Christian faith in general, and therefore having the same meaning as faith in verse 3. By their words and deeds these people have distorted the Christian message and have used it as an excuse for their utter disregard of acceptable Christian conduct. The clause can then be restructured as follows: “who distort the message of the Christian faith so that they can do evil sexual things.” Either one is possible, but the first alternative seems more appropriate.

4. Finally, these people are indicted for denying Jesus Christ himself. While it is possible to take this as a further description of ungodliness, it is more likely that this is another characteristic of the people themselves. The word deny also means “disown,” “repudiate,” “reject.” The text does not say how this denial is brought about; it is clear from the whole letter, however, that this denial is in both word and deed.

The word translated Master is a term used for the owner of household slaves (see, for example, 2 Peter 2.1; also Matt 10.25; Mark 13.27; Luke 13.25). In the present context Master indicates that Christians are owned by Christ and submit to his rule. The word only emphasizes the fact that Christians know only one Master, and that this Master tolerates no rival. The intimate relationship between Christians and their Master is indicated by the pronoun our, which here should be understood as inclusive, referring to both Jude and his readers.

Lord is one of the prominent titles used of Jesus in the New Testament. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint, usually abbreviated LXX), “Lord” is the word used to translate the personal name of God (YHWH or Yahweh). In addressing Jesus as “Lord” Christians are elevating him to the level of God and indicating that they can give to Jesus the same loyalty that they give to God. It is also possible that the term Lord is used here with the Greek background in mind (that is, “Master,” “owner,” or “one who commands”). Since it can be assumed that many of Jude’s readers are non-Jews, then they would understand the term “Lord” in this manner. The terms Master and Lord here seem to be almost synonymous in meaning. Translators should look for two synonyms in the receptor language. For example, alternative translation models in English for our only Master and Lord are “our only Leader and Commander” or “our only Chief and Ruler.”

For Jesus Christ see comments on Jude 1.1.

As indicated by the footnote of Revised Standard Version, there are two ways of reading this part of verse 4. This is due to the order of words in the Greek text, which is translated literally in the Revised Standard Version footnote: “the only Master and our Lord Jesus Christ.” The question is, does this expression refer to two entities or to one? In other words, is Master different from Lord, or do both titles refer to Jesus Christ? Some commentaries take the first of these alternatives, with Master referring to God, and Lord referring to Jesus Christ. They justify this by the following reasons:

1. The order of the Greek text favors such an interpretation.

2. The word “only” is used in the Old Testament to refer to God, and this usage is also found in Jude 25. It is therefore probable that this is the usage here also.

3. The word for “Master” is used of God in the Bible rather than of Jesus Christ (for example, Luke 2.29; Acts 4.24; Rev 6.10).

4. In similar formulas in Jude, both God and Jesus Christ are normally included (see, for example, verses 1, 21, 25).

Arguments for the other alternative include the following:

1. The Greek definite article is present only before Master, which seems to suggest that both Master and Lord refer to the same person. It must be noted, however, that this argument is not really decisive, since the article is often omitted before “God” or “Lord,” and its omission before Lord here may be simply a formal feature of the Greek and nothing else.

2. In 2 Peter 2.1, where Jude 4 is quoted, “Master” clearly refers to Jesus Christ. While this is not decisive in the sense that 2 Peter cannot be used to determine the meaning in Jude, it nevertheless does show that an early reader of Jude understood the term Master as referring to Christ.

3. Considering the structure of the whole expression, it seems much more natural to take both Master and Lord as parallels and therefore as titles referring to the only person mentioned, namely Jesus Christ.

A careful consideration of the evidence leads to the conclusion that the second of these alternatives is preferable, that is, that Master and Lord both refer to one person, namely, Jesus Christ.

Two other things need to be mentioned that are of relevance to translation. First, we should notice the difference between Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation in the ordering of events. Revised Standard Version retains the order of the Greek text, whereas Good News Bible restructures the Greek text in order to achieve a more natural translation into English. In much the same way translators should try to come up with the most natural translation in their language, even though this means changing the order of the Greek text. Secondly, the whole verse is one complicated sentence in the Greek; this is retained in RSV, whereas Good News Bible has broken it into two sentences. Here again, for many languages translators should divide the sentence into two or more sentences, depending on the requirements of their language and the needs of the intended audience.

Taking into consideration the whole discussion of this verse, here are three possible translation models:

• I am writing to you because certain godless people (or, people who disobey God) who teach false doctrines have slipped in among us without our noticing them. These are people whom God said many generations ago in the holy scriptures (or, writings) that he would punish. They distort the Christian message (about God’s love, or favor) in order to have an excuse for doing evil sexual practices. They also reject Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord (or, Chief and Ruler).

Or:

• I am asking you to defend the Christian faith because certain godless people who teach false doctrines have….

Or:

• The Christian faith is in danger because certain godless people …

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Letter from Jude. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on Jude 1:4

4

In this verse, Jude explained the problem that faced the Christians to whom he was writing. People who did not really believe the truth about God were gathering with the real Christians. They were fake Christians. (In verse 4, Jude first mentioned the people who had secretly slipped into the Christian congregation. Jude mentioned them many more times in this letter, but he referred to them with a pronoun, not a name or descriptive phrase. In order to refer to them clearly in these Notes, they are called fake Christians. This matches Jude’s distinctive description of them here in verse 4.) (Other writers have referred to these people as “false teachers,” “ungodly men,” or “ungodly people.” Each of these has some difficulty:False teachers: While the texts from which Jude chose his illustrations may imply that these people were teachers or leaders, Jude nowhere directly described them as such. The people Jude had in mind may have included some people who were not teachers or leaders.Ungodly men: Were there no women among these fake Christians? Jude does not say specifically.Ungodly men and ungodly people: To call these fake Christians “ungodly men” or “ungodly people” does not distinguish them from other groups of people in this letter. Jude also referred to ungodly people who were not part of this group, for example, the “ungodly” in verse 15.Therefore, in these Notes, “fake Christians” refers to the people whom Jude described as people who had secretly slipped in among the true believers.)

In some languages it may be more natural to reorder 4a–c as shown in the Display. The Notes will use this order in the discussion that follows.

4a_

For: The Greek conjunction gar that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as For connects verse 4 with verse 3. It indicates that verse 4 is a reason for an idea (There are two interpretations as to what this was in verse 3:(1) The presence of these fake Christians was the reason Jude wrote this letter.(2) The presence of these fake Christians was the reason why the true believers needed to contend for the Christian faith.Most English versions are ambiguous, allowing for either interpretation. For languages that must select one of the two interpretations, interpretation (1) is recommended in the Notes, because it implies both interpretations. Because Jude said in verse 3 that he wrote this letter in order to encourage the readers to contend for the Christian faith, translating according to interpretation (1) implies interpretation (2) as well.) in verse 3. If your language requires you to say what that idea is, the context shows that it is the reason that Jude wrote this letter. In order to make this connection clear, you may need to make this explicit. For example:

I am writing these things to you because there are certain men among you…

For languages that normally place the reason first, it may be more natural to change the order of verses 3 and 4. See the general comment on 3–4 at the end of the notes for 4f for an example.

certain men: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as men can also refer to people in general. For example:

Certain people (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
certain persons (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Some people (God’s Word, New Century Version)

4bhave crept in among you unnoticed: This is a metaphor. Jude used it to describe how the fake Christians had deceived the true Christians. When the fake Christians joined the church, the true Christians were unaware that these fake Christians did not really believe the truth.

unnoticed: Jude indicated here that the fake Christians hid their wrong beliefs when they joined this group of believers. It was not a secret that they had joined the group. Jude’s readers did not realize that these fake Christians did not really believe the truth. Some ways to say this are:

4acertain people 4bhave infiltrated your group.
-or-
4acertain people 4bwho pretend to believe have joined your group.
-or-
4acertain people, 4bwho say they believe, but who really do not, have joined your group.

A general comment at the end of the notes for 4f shows that 4a–f may be reordered, with 4d placed earlier in the verse. In some languages, this may be more natural.

4c

ungodly ones: Jude described the fake Christians as ungodly, because they did not respect God or his authority. Because these people did not respect God’s authority over them, they lived sinful lives. Other ways to say this include:

They do not respect God.
-or-
They do not respect the authority of God over them.

ones: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word ones to refer to people in general. For example:

godless people (Good News Translation)
-or-
ungodly persons (New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version)

4dwho were designated long ago for condemnation: Jude described the people he had mentioned in 4a as people who were designated long ago for condemnation.

were designated: In this context there are several ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as were designated:

(1) It means written about. For example:

the prophets wrote about these people (New Century Version)

(Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Century Version, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation)

(2) It means that either the people or their punishment was designated or determined. For example:

The fate of such people was determined long ago. (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation. (New American Standard Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, King James Version, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), New Revised Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Jude probably meant that their condemnation was written about in the Old Testament. This interpretation is used in the Meaning Lines of the Display.

In the main section of this letter, verses 5–19, Jude used many examples from the Old Testament. However, he also used some examples that are not from the Old Testament (see verses 9, 14–15, 17–18). Therefore, it is best not to specify where the condemnation of these people was written about. However, if your language requires you to make explicit where this was written, you may use your key term for “scripture.” For example:

scripture (Revised English Bible)

the Scriptures (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version)

Jude did not mean that the scriptures contained a list of the names of these people. Instead, he meant that God had said in the scriptures that he would punish people who sinned like these people did.

condemnation: The word condemnation refers here to God judging (From the parallel passage of 2 Peter 2:9, Jude was apparently referring to the judgment which God will speak against them on the last day. This is true regardless of which letter was written first.) these people and condemning them. This condemnation implies two ideas:

(a) God would judge them and pronounce them “guilty” of certain sins. Jude listed these sins in 4e–f.

(b) This condemnation also included the punishment that they would receive because of these sins.

Some English versions also imply both of these ideas. For example:

…long ago the Scriptures warned that these godless people were doomed (Contemporary English Version)

4e–f

In 4e–f, Jude mentioned two ways in which these people showed that they did not respect God.

4e

They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality: These fake Christians were using God’s grace as an excuse to do whatever they wanted to do. They were saying that since God is kind and forgives people when they sin, it was therefore acceptable to continue to behave immorally. (Paul spoke against this false teaching in Romans 5:20–6:2.)

the grace: In this context, grace refers to God’s kindness towards human beings and his desire to forgive their sins. God showed this kindness by sacrificing his Son, Jesus Christ, to enable people to have fellowship with God. The grace of God made Jesus willing to suffer and die to save human beings from being damned because of their sins. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) translates the grace as:

God’s forgiveness (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

our God:

Several versions omit
our (Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Living Translation (2004 Revision)). The Greek text includes this idea.) Jude referred to God as our God, to indicate the close relationship that he and the true believers had with God.

However, in some languages, using a pronoun like our with God might communicate a wrong meaning, such as:

(a) God belonged to Jude and his readers like a possession.

(b) There is another god.

(c) The fake Christians claimed to worship a different god, other than the true God.

If saying our God might communicate wrong meaning (a), you could say:

the God we worship
-or-
God, whom we worship

If saying our God might communicate wrong meaning (b) or (c), you could omit our.

a license for immorality: The fake Christians acted as if they could sin freely. Some other ways this has been translated are:

to excuse their immoral ways (Good News Translation)
-or-
an opportunity for immorality (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
a reason for sexual sin (New Century Version)
-or-
allows us to live immoral lives (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

immorality: The immorality to which Jude referred included sexual sin, but also other sins. If your language has a word, phrase, or idiom that definitely includes sexual sin but could also include other sins, it may be a good choice here.

4f

and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ:

It is recommended that you do not use the King James Version as a model for translating 4f. The King James Version followed some copies of the Greek text that contain the word “God” in 4f. However, we can tell from other better copies that “God” was not part of what Jude wrote in 4f.
) In 4f, Jude mentioned another way that the fake Christians showed that they did not respect God: they denied Jesus Christ.

deny: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as deny means “reject [someone] or refuse to accept [him].” Some ways to translate this are:

reject (New Jerusalem Bible)

refuse to accept (New Century Version)

disowning (Revised English Bible)

The manner in which these fake Christians were denying Jesus Christ may have been:

(a) by what they said, in words only.

(b) by their actions, by what they did.

(c) by both their words and their actions.

From what Jude wrote in this letter, it is obvious that the fake Christians denied and rejected Jesus by both their words and their actions. Therefore, it is good to use an expression that includes both words and actions. However, if you need to choose between words and actions, it is recommended that you refer to sinful actions.

Christ: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Christ is part of the name, Jesus Christ, so it should be translated as a name.

Master and Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as Master described the someone over the servants or slaves, the head of a household, or a ruler with absolute authority.

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord is the word that New Testament writers normally used to speak of Jesus as leader or chief.

The two Greek words, translated Master and Lord, have almost the same meaning. Jude used them together to emphasize that Jesus has total or absolute authority.

Try to find two words or phrases in your language that speak about the highest authorities. If possible, make sure that one of these is how you normally refer to Jesus as Lord. However, if you can find only one suitable word or phrase, then translate these two Greek words with one expression.

General Comment on 3–4

As the notes for 4a mentioned, verse 4 gives the reason for verse 3. Because of the fake Christians, Jude felt that he needed to write this letter urging his readers to defend the faith.

In many languages, it is normal to put the reason for an action first. If this is true in your language, you may need to reorder verses 3 and 4. For example:

4aBecause certain people 4bwho pretend to believe have joined your group, 3dI felt the need to write this letter to you 3eto urge you to defend the faith….
-or-
4aHowever, certain people 4bwho say they believe in God, but who really do not, have joined your group. 3dTherefore, I must write 3eto ask you to contend for the faith….

General Comment on 4a–f

In some languages it is more natural to reorder 4a–f, placing 4d later in the verse. There are two options:

• 4d may be placed right after 4b. For example:

4aFor certain persons 4bhave crept in unnoticed, 4dthose who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, 4cungodly persons 4ewho turn the grace of our God into licentiousness 4fand deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (New American Standard Bible)

• 4d may be placed after 4f. For example:

4aFor some 4cgodless people 4bhave slipped in unnoticed among us, 4epersons who distort the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways, 4fand who reject Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord. 4dLong ago the Scriptures predicted the condemnation they have received. (Good News Translation)

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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.