Mark 9:38 – TIPs

in the name of, on the account of his (or: my) name

Some of the Hebrew and Greek phrases that are translated in English in association with “name,” including “in the name of,” “in my name,” “in your name,” “on the account of my name,” “on the account of your name” (according to a classification by Robert Bratcher in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 72ff. , phrases that belong to the categories of “Agency or instrumentality” and “Representation”) present a number of challenges in other languages.

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight

Eugene Nida (1947, p 178ff.) explains this way:

“The biblical attitudes toward human personality are of great theological importance. There is, however, only one word which produces any considerable difficulty in other languages. This is the word ‘name.’ The great difference attached to the significance of the name of a person in the Bible times in contrast with our own culture is very important. Note such phrases as ‘whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,’ John 14:13, ‘believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,’ John 3:18, and ‘life through his name,’ John 20:31. These expressions are generally difficult for us to understand, for the word ‘name’ does not mean the same to us as it meant to those of Bible times. To them the name was the symbolization of the authority and personality of the individual who possessed the name. To us a name is far less important. It may be changed whenever one can convince a judge that another name might be more economically advantageous. The name is also a legal method of giving one’s written assent to certain business transactions, but to us it is not the symbol of the personality.”

The translation in Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl typically is “in someone’s authority” (for instance “I have come in my Father’s name” in John 5:43 becomes “I have come on my Father’s authority”) (source Nida 1947, p. 179), or in Highland Puebla Nahuatl with the more paraphrastic equivalent “as though on orders from you” or in Tzeltal as “by your authority, so he said” (both examples for Mark 9:38 and 39, see Bratcher / Nida).

In Guhu-Samane, Mark 11:9 (in English: “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord”) is translated as “Blessed is the Lord’s namesake who comes.” “In the name of the Lord” caused “puzzlement [because] “has he just assumed the name of the Lord, valid or otherwise? [But] with ‘blessed is the Lord’s namesake who comes’ the strong bond between the namesake and the important ancestor for whom named entitles the namesake to the deference due the ancestor. Thought very proper in this context.” (Source: Ernest L. Richert in Notes on Translation December 1963: p. 4-7; reprinted in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. )

Barclay Newman (see The Bible Translator 1974, pp, 432ff. ) reports on different solutions for the translation of the Today’s Malay Version (Alkitab Berita Baik, 1987):

In Malay “the phrase ‘in my name’ is problematic (…) since it sounds like the use of magic. For this reason [the English] Today’s English Version (Good News Bible) was followed at such passages as John 5:43 and 10:25, where ‘in the name of my Father’ is translated as ‘with my Father’s authority’ and ‘by my Father’s authority’ [respectively]. In John 12:13 ‘in the name of the Lord’ has become ‘in his (the Lord’s) behalf,’ following the common language German translation Die Gute Nachricht. In John 14:13, ‘because you are my followers’ is used, in John in 15:16, 16:23 and 24 ‘as my followers,’ in John 17:11 ‘by your own power, the power you gave me,’ and in John 14:26 ‘in my place.'”

Other translations for “in the name of Jesus Christ” include “in the authority of Jesus Christ” (Isthmus Mixe), “calling on Jesus Christ” (Teutila Cuicatec), “calling the name of Jesus Christ over you” (Ayutla Mixtec), “because of Jesus” (Tepeuxila Cuicatec), “by the power of the name of Jesus Christ” (Chichimeca-Jonaz), “the word of Jesus Christ is strong” (Lalana Chinantec) (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), and “mentioning the name of Jesus” (Elhomwe — source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).

cast out demons in ones name

The Greek that is translated as “cast out demons in your (or: my) name” is translated in Ocotlán Zapotec as “said your name to cast out demons.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

John the Evangelist (icon)

Following is a Bulgarian Orthodox icon of John the Evangelist from the 14th century (found in Rila Monastery, Bulgaria).

source

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 )

teacher

The Greek that is translated as “teacher” (also: “master”) in English is translated in the 1941 Yiddish by Einspruch as rebe (רֶבּי) or “Rabbi” in an effort to identify Jesus as a teacher of the Jews. (Source: Naomi Seidmann in Elliott / Boer 2012, p. 151ff.)

Likewise, a number of Hebrew translations, including the 2018 and 2020 editions by the The Bible Society in Israel also use “Rabbi” (רַבִּי).

John (the disciple)

The term that is transliterated as “John (the disciple)” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign for the letter J and the sign signifying “beloved,” referring to John 13:23 et al. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)

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

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts John’s head resting on Jesus’ chest, referring to John 13:23.

“John” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with with the sign for “young.” This refers to the traditional belief that he was the youngest of the apostles and the fact that he was younger than his brother James (see relative age of James and John. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)

“John” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Mark 9:38 - 50 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 9:38-50 into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath:

© La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)

Juan dijo: “Maestro, nosotros, los doce discípulos vimos a otras personas que tenían adentro demonios y un hombre extraño habló en el nombre de Jesús y expulsó los demonios.

Nosotros, los discípulos, fuimos y dijimos: “Tú no estás junto con nosotros en el grupo, no puedes hablar en el nombre de Jesús, paralo.”

Jesús dijo: “No lo prohiban, dejanlo, las personas que hablan en mi nombre, en el nombre de Jesús, y hacen milagros ¿pueden después estar en contra de mi? No pueden, es imposible.

Si las personas no hablan en contra de mi es lo mismo como si fueran junto con nosotros.”

Jesús les advirtió: “Si uds, las personas que creen en Cristo, dan un vaso de agua a otra persona, les digo la verdad, seguramente Dios les dará un premio.”

Jesús les advirtió y les explicó otra cosa: “Los niños pequeños que crecen creyendo en mi, si otra persona insiste en tentarlos y los niños desvisan y pecan , huy, Dios lo castigará fuertemente.

Mejor que un piedra grande sea atado alrededor de su cuello y empujado en el mar y él se caiga en el agua, sería menos castigo.”

“Otro ejemplo: si las manos son una tentación a pecar, agarrando cosas, sería mejor cortar la mano y tener una mano tullida e ir al cielo.

Si rechazas que la mano sea cortado, porque la quieres conservar, es peor que vayas al fuego que no se puede apagar.

Otro ejemplo: si los pies son una tentación a pecar sería mejor cortar el pie y ser cojo e ir al cielo.

Si rechazas que tu pie sea cortado porque lo quieres conservar, es peor ser echado en el fuego que dura.

Otro ejemplo: si el ojo es una tentación a pecar, viendo cosas, sería mejor quitar el ojo y tirarlo y ser tuerto e ir al reino de Dios.

Si rechazas que el ojo sea tirado porque lo quieres conservar, es pero ser echado en el fuego con gusanos comiendo tu cuerpo, el fuego que dura y no se apaga jamás.

Mira, cuando el sacerdote mata un animal lo pone en el altar, agrega sal, y lo sacrifica para Dios, y Dios lo ve bien. En la misma manera las personas sufrirán para quitar el pecado y volver limpios.

Por ejemplo: sal que sabe rico, está bien, pero si otro sal es dejado por mucho tiempo y ya no sabe nada rico, no sabe de nada, ¿se puede otra vez hacer que el sal sepa rico? No, no sirve, ¿entienden?

Este sal es parecido a uds, a personas. Uds necesitan tener paz juntos.

John said: “Teacher, we, the twelve disciples, saw other people who had demons inside and a strange man talked in the name of Jesus and threw out the demons.

“We, the disciples, went up to him and said: ‘You are not in the group with us, you cannot talk in the name of Jesus, stop it.'”

Jesus said: “Don’t forbid it, leave him, the people who speak in my name, in the name of Jesus, and do miracles, can they later be against me? No they cannot, it’s impossible.

“If people don’t talk against me at all it’s the same as if they were with us.”

Jesus warned them: “If you, the people who believe in Christ, give a glass of water to another person, I tell you the truth, God will reward you.”

Jesus warned them and told them something else: “The little children who grow up believing in me, if another person insists on tempting them and they deviate and sin, wow, God will punish him severely.

“It would be better that a big stone were tied around his neck and pushed into the sea, and he would fall into the sea, it would be a lesser punishment.

˜Another example: if your hands are a temptation to sin, taking things, it would be better to cut off your hand and have an amputated hand and go to heaven.

“If you reject that your hand is cut off because you want to preserve it, it is worse if you are sent to the fire that cannot be extinguished.

“Another example: if your feet are a temptation to sin, it would be better to cut off your foot and be lame and go to heaven.

“If you reject the cutting off of your foot because you want to preserve it, it is worse being thrown into the lasting fire.

“Another example: if your eye is a temptation to sin, because of the things it sees, it would be better to take out your eye and be blind in one eye and go to the kingdom of God.

“If you reject your eye being thrown out because you want to preserve it, it is worse being thrown into the fire where worms eat your body, the fire that lasts and is never extinguished.

“Look, when the priest kills an animal and puts it on the altar, he adds salt and sacrifices it to God, and God sees that it is good. In the same way the people will suffer to take away the sin and become clean.

“For example, salt tastes good, it is good, but if there is other salt that has been left for a long time and does not taste good anymore, it does not taste of anything, can you then make the salt taste good again? No, it is of no use. Do you understand?

“This salt is like you, people. You need to have peace together.”

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

<< Mark 9:33-37 in Mexican Sign Language
Mark 10:1-12 in Mexican Sign Language >>

Mark 9:38-41 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 9:38-41 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:

Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

One of Jesus’ disciples named John said to Jesus:

— Teacher! We saw a man using your name to cast demons out of people. This man is not part of our circle, so we have forbidden him to do this.

Jesus said:

— Do not forbid him! If a person does miracles in my name, he will not speak ill of me. If a person is not against us, then he is for us. And if a person gives you drink because you are my disciples, I tell you for sure, God will reward him.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

Один из учеников Иисуса по имени Иоанн сказал Иисусу:

— Учитель! Мы увидели одного человека, который использует твое имя, чтобы изгонять бесов из людей. Этот человек не входит в наш круг, поэтому мы запретили ему.

Иисус сказал:

— Не запрещай ему! Если человек творит именем моим чудеса, не будет говорить плохое обо мне. Если человек не против нас, значит он за нас. И если человек даст вам напиться, потому что вы — ученики мои, то, говорю вам точно, Бог наградит его.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

<< Mark 9:33-37 in Russian Sign Language
Mark 9:42-50 in Russian Sign Language >>

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Mark 9:38 / Luke 9:49)

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 exclusive form for the first and the second occurrences of “we” (“we saw” and “we tried”) (excluding Jesus) and either the exclusive or the inclusive pronoun for the third occurrence (“not following us” in English translations) (including or excluding Jesus). (Source: SIL International Translation Department (1999))

Both the Jarai and the Tok Pisin translations use the inclusive pronoun.

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Verse: Mark 9:38