The Greek terms that are translated into English as “preach” or “proclaim” are regularly rendered into Aari as “speaking the word of salvation.” (Source: Loren Bliese)
Other languages (back-) translate it in the following manner:
Tzeltal: “he explains, they hear” (“the goal of all preachers”)
Copainalá Zoque: “a preacher is ‘one who speaks-scatters'” (a figure based on the scattering of seed in the process of sowing) (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
Shilluk: “declare the word of of God” (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)
In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:
For Acts 9:20, 10:42: nakotnohora: “talk about” (“The generic term for preaching.”)
For Acts 8:4, 8:5, 8:25: rodkiota-ralde’etnohora — “bring words, give news about.” (“This term is used when the preacher is moving from place to place to preach.”)
Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 10:15:
Uma: “And who will announce it to them if no one is sent/apostled? As is written long ago in the Holy Book: ‘Very good is the arrival of people bringing the good news!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “How can they be told if people who tell are not commanded to go? But there are people commanded by God to go tell them. As it is said in the holy-book, ‘We (dual) are indeed very happy when/if someone arrives bringing us (dual) good news.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And it is only possible for someone to go and tell, if God sends him. But there is someone God has sent, for it’s just like what was spoken in the written word of God which says, ‘How welcome is the arrival of the people who spread the Good News.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “And how also can people go and preach-it if no one sends them? But the truth of it is that some have been sent, because there is that which God caused-to-be-written which says, ‘The coming of one who brings good news exceedingly causes-happiness!'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “And how can anyone be told the word if no one is sent to go and tell the word? There in the Holy Book it says: ‘Beautiful it is when there come the people who tell the good news, telling how to get right with God.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
In verse 13 Paul has affirmed that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. For Paul the Lord is Jesus Christ, and it is clear to him that the Jewish nation as a whole has not called upon the name of the Lord. Throughout the remainder of this chapter Paul deals with the question as to why it is that the Jews have not called upon the Lord. He does this by constructing a logical chain with five links in order to see where the failure lies. These five links are expressed in reverse historical order by means of four questions (call to … believed … heard the message … proclaimed … sent out).
In the second of these two sentences the message translates an unusual pronoun construction, a genitive rather than the expected accusative. This genitive construction is the object of the verb heard, and the Good News Translation understands the construction to mean “to hear someone proclaiming” (that is, “to hear the message proclaimed by someone”). Most translations take this to mean “to hear about someone,” and so translate in a manner similar to what the New English Bible has: “and how could they have faith in one they had never heard of?”
The four closely linked questions in these verses may even be acceptable in languages which reject certain rhetorical questions. The reason for this is that questions introduced by “how” may seem more like exclamations. However, these same questions can be transformed into strong statements: “But they certainly cannot call on him if they have not believed! And they surely cannot believe if they have not heard the message!” etc.
In some languages it is impossible to use a verb “believe” without some type of goal—for example, “believed about him” or “believed the words about him.” Similarly, it may be necessary to specify to some extent the content of the message—for example, “the message about him.”
The passive expression, if the message is not proclaimed, may be rendered as active, “if someone does not proclaim the message to them.” Similarly, the passive expression if the messengers are not sent out may be rendered as “if God does not send out the messengers” or “if the churches do not send out the messengers.”
The scripture quotation in verse 15 comes from Isaiah 52.7 and is closer to the Hebrew than to the Septuagint. By rendering this as How wonderful is the coming of those who bring good news! (see An American Translation* and Moffatt), the Good News Translation demetaphorizes the literal rendering of this verse (Revised Standard Version “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!”) In Jewish thought one often spoke of a certain part of the body as representative of the whole person, depending upon what part of the body was in focus at the time, and in the present context “feet” is simply a way of speaking about the coming of someone. It is difficult in some languages to speak of a coming as being wonderful, but one can slightly alter the semantic arrangement and still preserve the same essential meaning—for example, “It is so wonderful that those who bring good news are coming.”
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 .
And how can they preach unless they are sent?: This is a rhetorical question. It invites the reader to ponder how preachers would preach to a new group of people if no one has sent them. It implies that someone must first send the preachers so that they can preach to this new group of people. Translate with that meaning. Here are some ways:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
how can they preach about him, if someone has not sent them?
• As a statement. For example:
before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent (New Century Version)
-or-
someone must send people to preach
they are sent: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “preach” clearly implies that someone with authority sends them with a message to tell others. The preachers do not go on their own. In some languages that must be made clear. For example:
they are sent ⌊by their leader/Lord⌋
This clause is passive. Some languages must translate it as an active clause. For example:
⌊their leader/Lord⌋ sends them
General Comment on 10:14a–15a
The normal order is sending, preaching, hearing, believing, calling. Paul spoke of them in reverse order, probably to connect the quote of Isaiah 52:7a in Romans 10:15c to preaching at the end of his list (10:15a). In many languages the order that Paul spoke in can be translated naturally and be easily understood. In some languages it is much more natural to follow the normal order of things. For example:
14-15 How then are they to preach unless they are sent? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how will they call on him in whom they have not believed? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
-or-
14-15 So then, if someone is not sent, how can he preach ⌊the Lord’s message⌋ ? And if he does not preach, how can they hear? And if they do not hear, how can they believe in him? And if they do not believe, how can they call on him? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
10:15b
As it is written: This phrase introduces a quote from the Old Testament. Paul quoted what God said to the nation of Israel. See how you translated this phrase in 1:17 or 9:33.
10:15c
These words are similar to the words in the first part of Isaiah 52:7. They are similar enough that the English versions put quote marks around it.
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news:
Here the word How does not make this clause a question. It implies that the feet are very beautiful. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
it is a beautiful sight/thing when someone walks bringing good news
-or-
The coming of one who brings good news exceedingly causes-happiness!
How beautiful are the feet of those: Here the word feet indicate that these people have traveled a long way on foot to bring good news. In some languages a literal translation would not indicate that. If that is true in your language, translate the correct meaning. For example:
The people who come on foot bringing good news are beautiful
beautiful: This is a figure of speech. It indicates that the arrival of such news is a blessing to the hearers. Here are other ways to translate this word:
wonderful (Good News Translation)
-or-
welcome (Revised English Bible)
-or-
are a blessing
See also the examples above.
bring good news: This is a quote from the Old Testament, so here the words good news do not refer to the gospel of Jesus. Do not use your key term for “gospel” here if it only refers to the gospel about Jesus. In some languages, not capitalizing the term is enough (good news versus “Good News”) to indicate the difference. In other languages, dropping the word “the” may help indicate the difference. For example:
preach good news (Revised Standard Version)
The Greek can be translated literally as “announce-good-news of-good (things).” The verb “announce-good-news” here refers generally to any good news. The phrase “of-good (things)” also refers generally to any good news. Here is another way to translate these words:
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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