complete verse (Romans 1:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 1:22:

  • Uma: “They said/thought they were smart. In fact they were stupid!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “They say/think that their thoughts are deep but really they are foolish/wicked, surprise.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And even though they say that they know how to think, they have become already stupid.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Even though they think they are wise/clever, they have become foolish.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The people say that they have wisdom, but that which they do makes it apparent that they do not know anything.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 1:22

This verse relates back to the discussion of God’s wrath; already God has caused men to begin to reap the result of their sins. In Greek they say they are wise is also a clause of concession, as is they know God in the preceding verse. Stylistically this may be handled in English by making the concession clause in Greek into the main clause in English, and by making the main Greek clause into an adversative clause in English. In Greek the words rendered wise and fools are at extreme opposite ends of the standards of measurement for people. Paul is saying that because the people have rejected God, they are exactly the opposite of what they think themselves to be.

Verse 22 may be rendered in some languages as “they pretended they had big minds, and they came down to no minds” or “they said their heads were wise, but their heads were only gourds.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Romans 1:22

1:22a–b

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools: There is no conjunction between these two clauses. The Greek grammar indicates that Although they claimed to be wise occurs at the same time as they became fools. Here are other ways to translate this connection:

While they were claiming to be wise, they became fools
-or-
They always say that they are wise, ⌊but⌋ ⌊in truth⌋ they became fools

claimed: The Greek word here refers to saying something with confidence that it is true. Here are other ways to translate this word:

declaring
-or-
asserting
-or-
saying confidently

wise: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wise refers to people who have wisdom and education. See how you translated this word in 1:14.

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Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux Romains 1.22

Ce verset, ainsi que les suivants, montre les conséquences de rejeter la vérité divine. Dans ce verset très court, il y a un contraste très net entre les idées que les gens se font d’eux-mêmes et leur situation réelle.

se prétendant sages est litt. « prétendant être sages », un participe verbal indiquant une concession : « alors que » ou « bien qu’ils prétendent être sages ». Les traducteurs pourront soit présenter cette proposition comme une subordonnée, soit diviser la phrase en deux propositions. La Bible en français courant choisit la deuxième approche, en disant « Ils se prétendent sages mais ils sont fous ». On pourrait aussi dire « Ils disent qu’ils sont sages, mais ils sont devenus fous ».

sages ne renvoie pas aux connaissances académiques ou intellectuelles, mais à la connaissance de la vie. La sagesse acquise par l’expérience et non dans les livres, pousse les gens à se comporter comme des personnes dignes. Dans le livre des Proverbes, il est dit : « la connaissance du SEIGNEUR, c’est le début de la sagesse ». Il vaut donc mieux privilégier un mot comme sages plutôt qu’« intelligents ».

ils sont devenus fous : dans la Bible sages et fous sont des termes opposés. Les traducteurs devraient trouver une paire de mots dans leur langue qui convient. fous ne renvoie pas aux malades mentaux mais à ceux qui ne sont pas sages dans leur réflexion et leur comportement. Paul dénonce les gens qui pensent être sages, mais qui ne le sont pas, car ils se sont détournés de Dieu.

Source: Margot, Jean-Claude & Zogbo, Lynell. La lettre aux Romains – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.