The Greek and Ge’ez that is translated as “abyss” or “bottomless pit” in English is translated as “unfathomably deep place” or “land below” in Indonesian, “land below” in Batak Toba, or “the deep where the earth opens its mouth” in Sranan Tongo (a term well-known from folk tales). (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated as as Höllenschlund or “entrance to hell (lit.: “throat of hell”).”
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 10:7:
Uma: “But there are other words of Musa that say we can become straight in God’s sight because of our faith. They sound like this: ‘Don’t say in your (sing.) heart: ‘Who is able to climb up to heaven? Who can go down to the dwelling of the dead?’ ‘ Its meaning: it is not necessary for us to climb up to heaven to search for goodness [i.e., salvation], because Kristus has already come down here to us. Nor is it necessary for us to go down to the dwelling of the dead to search for goodness, because Kristus, has risen from the dead to give us goodness.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘And don’t (pl.) say also, ‘There should be first someone going below to the place/land of the dead,’ ‘ (that means to bring Almasi here.)” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You must not also think that it’s necessary that someone goes to the place of the dead in order to raise up Christ.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Don’t say also that someone needs to go below to the place of the dead to go make-Cristo -alive.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Let no one say in his heart that it is necessary for someone to go where the dead people are to look for Christ. Because he already resurrected.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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 GermanGute 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 a sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘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.”
These verses are best taken together, since in them Paul uses a passage from the Septuagint of Deuteronomy 30.11-14. He does not quote the entire passage, and he makes some changes in the form of what he does use. Moreover, as one would expect, Paul changes the context of these verses and makes specific application of the words to Christ. These words originally applied to the Law. Moses was telling the people of Israel that the Law was not too difficult for them—they did not have to climb up to heaven to get it or cross the sea to find it—but rather it was to be found in their hearts and confessed with their mouths. It is difficult to know why Paul chose this particular passage from Deuteronomy, but his use of it is clear. He is emphasizing the fact that God’s salvation is immediately available in Jesus Christ, and that salvation cannot be and need not be sought after by human efforts. Fortunately, even though the theological implications of Paul’s words are very profound, the translation of what he says here is not difficult. Some Jews of Paul’s day believed that if enough people in the nation obeyed completely the Law, then God would send his Savior to them. Paul argues that God in his grace has already sent Christ down.
But this is what is said about being put right with God through faith is literally “But the righteousness (which comes) from faith speaks as follows.” The New English Bible renders “but the righteousness that comes by faith says.” However, the idea of righteousness saying something is a rather difficult concept for the average reader to grasp, and what Paul actually means is that “here is a passage of Scripture that has something to say about righteousness that comes from faith.” Because of the relatively awkward introduction to direct discourse contained in the words this is what is said about, it may be necessary to employ the more common formulation, “this is what the Scriptures say about.”
Do not say to yourself (literally, “Do not say in your heart”) must often be translated as “do not ask yourself,” since what follows is a question.
In rendering the phrase to bring Christ down one must not suggest that this is a reference to “demoting Christ” or “removing Christ from his rightful position in heaven.” An appropriate translation in some languages may be “(that is to say, to go up into heaven in order to ask Christ to come down to us).”
In verse 7 Paul continues the analogy, but he refers to the world below (“abyss” in most translations) in place of “the sea” which occurs in the Deuteronomy passage. It is easy to see how Paul would use this analogy; his reference is to the resurrection of Christ, as he makes clear. The phrase world below may be rendered as “world of the dead.”
The introductory expression in verse 8, what it says is this, may need to be somewhat more explicit in some languages: “this is what the scripture says,” “the scripture says the following,” or “the scripture contains these words.”
In verse 8 God’s message … that is, the message of faith that we preach is literally “the word of faith which we preach.” In such a context “word” has the extended meaning of “message,” and so the Good News Translation makes this explicit as a reference to God’s message (so also An American Translation*). God’s message is “what God has said” or “the message which God has spoken.” Message of faith means “the message which calls for faith.” This meaning may be rendered as “the message which says that you should trust God.”
It may not be possible to translate literally on your lips (Greek, “in your mouth”) and in your heart. The implication is “you have already spoken it, and it exists in your heart” or “you have already spoken the words, and you have them on your mind.” On the other hand, one may interpret on your lips and in your heart as potentiality—for example, “you can acknowledge this message with your lips and accept it in your heart.”
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 .
or: The words “the righteousness based on faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart,’ ” are implied here. In some languages all or part of these words will be needed to make the meaning clear. For example:
or ⌊do not say⌋ ⌊in your heart⌋,
-or-
and ⌊the righteousness based on faith also says, ‘Do not say in your heart,⌋
‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’: This is a rhetorical question that the speaker is asking himself. It emphasizes that no one should descend into the abyss (to bring Christ up to the earth). Translate with that meaning. For example:
Who will go down into the abyss? (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
-or-
Who can go down to the abyss? (Revised English Bible)
These words are a quote of Deuteronomy 30:13. If you indicate the location of quotes from the Old Testament with cross-references, you may want to do so here.
the Abyss: the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Abyss refers to a very deep place. Here it implies the place where the spirits of dead people go. Here are other ways to translate this word:
the deep (New International Version)
-or-
the world below (Good News Translation)
-or-
the place of the dead (New Living Translation (2004))
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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