lukewarm

In Gbaya, the notion of being lukewarm in Revelation 3:16 is emphasized with woloe, an ideophone that denotes lukewarm water.

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

complete verse (Revelation 3:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 3:16:

  • Uma: “So, because you are just lukewarm [lit., sun-warm], you are not hot, you also are not cold, that is why I will spit/eject you out of my mouth.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But because your thinking/mind is vaccilating/doubting about me figuratively like water between hot and cold, therefore I will remove you/spit you out from my mouth.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If only you were hot, or if not, then cold. But since you are only lukewarm, I spit you out.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “but since you are lukewarm, I will spit-you -out.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, since you disgust me, I will just vomit you out like water in the mouth which is nauseating/makes-one-throw-up.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But since halfheartedly you believe in me I am going to throw you out.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(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 Revelation 3:15 – 3:16

I know your works: see comments at 2.2.

You are neither cold nor hot: this is a judgment on their spiritual condition. Three times the phrasecold nor hot appears in these two verses. In certain languages it will be necessary to dispense with the figurative language and say something like “You are neither unresponsive nor enthusiastic toward me.”

Would that: a wish can be expressed by “How I wish (that)” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible), “I wish that” (New Revised Standard Version), or “I want you to be….”

You are lukewarm: in matters of spirit and Christian life, they are indifferent, ineffective, impotent. The symptoms of their spiritual indifference are given in verses 17-18. In some languages these metaphors of heat, cold, and lukewarmness may not make sense, and an appropriate figure must be used, or else the figurative language must be abandoned altogether; for example, “You are totally ineffective” or “You are only half-hearted in your faith.”

I will spew you out of my mouth: this is a figure of disgust and rejection. The glorified Christ will no longer tolerate such lukewarm, ineffective believers. They are like salt that has lost its saltiness, which will be thrown out as useless (Matt 5.13). Again, in some languages it will be necessary to abandon the metaphors or figurative language and say, for example, “I will reject you.”

In the verbal phrase I will spew, will represents a Greek verb that adds a note of urgency and divine authority (see 1.19).

An alternative translation model for these verses is:

• I know all the things that you have done. In your lives you are neither unresponsive nor enthusiastic toward me. I wish you were either of these. But, because you are only half-hearted in your belief in me, I will reject you.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 3:16

3:16a–b

because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth!: The word because introduces the reason for spitting out the believers of Laodicea. It does not connect back to 3:15.

In some languages it is more natural to use a conjunction between the two connected clauses. For example:

you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold, therefore I am about to spit you out of my mouth

3:16a

So: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So here introduces what Jesus would do because of the deeds of the Laodiceans. What he would do is told in 3:16b.

There is contrast between what the believers in Laodicea did and what Jesus wanted them to do. In some languages it is more natural to make that contrast explicit. For example:

But (Good News Translation)

Connect this verse to the previous verse in the way that is most natural in your language.

because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold: This verse continues the figurative use of “cold” and “hot” of 3:15b–c. Again, in some languages it is more natural to explain the figure of speech. For example:

since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold (New Living Translation (2004))

you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold: The word lukewarm refers to the middle temperature between hot and cold. Here this word implies uselessness (3:15) or unpleasantness.

Some languages do not have a word for lukewarm. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Allow the context to indicate the middle temperature and do not translate the word lukewarm. For example:

you are like water that is neither hot nor cold
-or-
you are not like hot water or cold water

• Use the implied meaning of “useless.” For example:

you are useless—neither hot nor cold

• Use the implied meaning of water that is unpleasant both to drink and to bathe in. For example:

you are unpleasant/disgusting, neither hot nor cold

3:16b

vomit you out of My mouth!: This phrase is a metaphor. It refers to Jesus rejecting the believers because of their laziness. Jesus rejecting them is like expelling lukewarm water because it tastes bad.

In some languages a literal translation would not indicate the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

⌊reject⌋ you ⌊like⌋ spitting out lukewarm water
-or-

⌊push⌋ you ⌊from me like⌋ spitting out water ⌊that tastes bad⌋

• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:

reject you
-or-
disown you

You may then want a footnote to explain the literal words:

Literally: “vomit/spit you out of my mouth.”

• Translate literally and explain its meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:

This statement indicates that Jesus would reject them because of their laziness and uselessness.

vomit: The Berean Standard Bible literally translates this Greek word as vomit. This word refers figuratively to Jesus forcefully rejecting them. Because spitting is a voluntary action and “vomit” usually implies an involuntary action, many English versions use the word “spit.” In your translation you should keep the meaning of forceful, deliberate rejection. For example:

eject/expel
-or-
forcefully spit

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