The Greek terms that are translated as “reconcile” and “reconciliation” in English are translated in various ways. Nida (1952, pp. 140) says this:
“The North Alaskan Inupiatun describe reconciliation in the simple terms of ‘making friends again.’ That is to say, ‘God was in Christ making friends again with the world.’ The Uduk in the Sudan express this same truth, but in the rather interesting phrase ‘meet, snapping fingers together again.’ This expression is derived from the Uduk’s practice of snapping fingers together when they meet each other. Instead of shaking hands, they extend their thumbs and middle fingers and snap fingers together, but only friends will do this. Men who have something against each other refuse to acknowledge each other in this way. And so it is that the natural man is an enemy of God; he refuses to snap fingers with God, but God has come to reconcile man to Himself and through Jesus Christ has brought man into fellowship with Himself. Man and God may now meet ‘to snap fingers together again.’
“The Tai Dam of Indo-China employ quite a different figure of speech. They say that reconciliation consists in ‘rubbing off the corners.’ This does not refer to social acceptability, but to rubbing off the corners so that two objects, meant for each other, will fit together. Man is regarded as being incapable of fitting into the plan and fellowship of God because of the sin which has deformed him and which stands out as an ugly growth on his personality. The corners of iniquity must be rubbed off so that man may be reconciled to God and made to fit into God’s eternal plan for the world.”
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “world” in English is translated in Mandarin Chinese with shìjiè (世界). While shìjiè is now the commonly used term for “world” in Chinese, it was popularized as such by Chinese Bible translations. (Source: Mak 2017, p. 241ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 11:15:
Uma: “For when God discarded the Jews, the way was opened for all people in the world for their connection with God to become good. So even more will be the blessedness of the contents of the world if/when God receives back those Jews. That happening will be like a dead person coming back to life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Because of God’s turning-his-back-on/rejecting the Yahudi nation, the nations not Yahudi are now reconciled by God (to himself). Na, what is it like if/when God accepts/receives the Yahudi again? Indeed it is very good. It is as if they had died but are alive again.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For if, when the Jews separated from God, it became possible for God to become one with people who aren’t Jews, how much greater will be the blessing to the people who aren’t Jews when the Jewish people return again to God. How good will be what happens then because at that time, all mankind will be like a dead person raised again to life!” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because due to God’s turning-away-from them, other people have the opportunity to become friends of God. Therefore it will be even better when/if God receives the Jews again, because the result will be like the living-again of the dead.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “How great it will be when the day comes when again Jews are brought together with God. They were separated from God and then God became friends with people who are not Jews. But now, if the Jews change their hearts and believe in Christ, it will be like they resurrected, having died.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Burmese: “If God’s rejection of them means making friends among the people of the world, then God’s taking possession of them is like resurrection from the dead. Isn’t it?”
Lisu: “… won’t receiving of them be resurrection from the dead?”
Indonesian (Indonesian Bible Society version of 1985): “… Indeed it is like dead persons become alive again.” (Source for this and two above: Gam Seng Shae in The Bible Translator 1999, p. 227ff. )
Once again Paul argues from the lesser to the greater (see v. 12).
When they were rejected is literally a noun phrase, “their rejection.” If it is necessary to indicate who rejected them, then the meaning is “when God rejected them.”
The world was made friends with God is also the translation of a noun phrase “the reconciliation of the world.” The Greek phrase “reconciliation of the world” means simply “the world was reconciled (to God).” “Reconciliation” has essentially the same force as the word translated “to be put in a right relation with God”; but it comes from a different area of life and has a somewhat different coloring, which the Good News Translation tries to bring out. Whereas “to be put right with God” comes from the language of the court, “to be made friends with God” comes from the language of everyday life. It is the picture of two persons who were once enemies but are now brought together and made friends. It is possible that the reconciliation spoken of refers specifically to the uniting of Jews and Gentiles as God’s people, but in the context this is not so likely as the other interpretation.
If the clause the world was made friends with God must be transformed into an active expression, then God is the agent, and the world may become “the other peoples in the world”—for example, “God made the other peoples in the world friends with himself”—for example, “God caused the other peoples of the world to be his friends.”
In the same way that God must be understood as the agent involved in the verb were rejected, so he is the understood agent of the verb are accepted.
When Paul says it will be life for the dead (literally “life from the dead”), a number of commentators understand him to be saying that the conversion of the Jews will be an eschatological event which will result in the final resurrection. However, it seems that Paul is merely using these words as his way of expressing the greatest blessing imaginable. That is, he is saying that the conversion of the Jews will be such a wonderful event that it can be compared to giving life to the dead.
As in so many instances, the question and answer in verse 15 may need to be changed into a direct statement. But such a statement needs to be emphatic if it is to reflect satisfactorily the stylistic device of question-answer employed in Greek. One may render this expression as “when they are accepted, however, it will most certainly be just like the dead coming back to life.”
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 .
For: Here this word introduces an explanation of 11:13–14.
if: Here the word if introduces a situation that is true. If this first part is true, that supports the second part (acceptance of the Jews would mean life from the dead (11:15c)) to also be true.
In some languages, using an if -clause would have a different meaning. If that is true in your language, translate the correct meaning. For example:
if ⌊it is true that⌋ their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, ⌊and it is⌋ ⌊true,⌋
-or-
their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, so
See how you translated this kind of if in 3:5 or 11:12.
their rejection: This phrase could mean “someone has rejected them” or “they have rejected someone or something.” Many English versions, like the Berean Standard Bible here, translate in a way that allows for either interpretation. If you can translate in a way that allows both interpretations, you may want to do so.
A few English versions choose “someone has rejected them.” For example:
they were rejected (Good News Translation)
-or-
God turned away from the Jews (New Century Version)
Many scholars support this interpretation. If you must choose, you may want to follow this interpretation.
is: There is no verb in the Greek here. Usually, “be/is” is implied. Here “their trespass” leads to “riches for the world.” So some English versions add a verb like “means” (as in the English Standard Version). You may be able to translate this as you did in 11:12.
reconciliation: This word refers to causing two people or two groups of people, who have been enemies, to be at peace with one another. Jesus, by his death and resurrection, has made a way for people to be reconciled to God. Some languages use a phrase for this meaning. For example:
he made peace
-or-
he brought us back to be God’s friends
See how you translated this word in 5:11.
the world: This phrase implies that reconciliation with God is available to all people, and in particular to the people who are not Jews. It does not imply that all people will be reconciled with God. People must believe in Jesus to be reconciled in this way.
In some languages a literal translation would refer only to the physical world. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:
⌊people throughout⌋ the ⌊whole⌋ world
-or-
all other people (Good News Translation)
-or-
other people in the world (New Century Version)
• Translate literally and explain the meaning in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:
This phrase implies that reconciliation with God is available to all people, and in particular to the people who are not Jews.
11:15b–c
what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?: Here the word but introduces the answer to the question what will their acceptance be ? In many languages the answer will need to be separated from the question. For example:
what will their acceptance be? It can only be life from the dead ⌊for them⌋.
-or-
what will their acceptance be? It will be that they will gain life from the dead.
This is a rhetorical question. In some languages people will see this as a real question. If that is true in your language, translate it as a statement. For example:
their acceptance will be this: life from the dead.
11:15b
acceptance: If you translated “their rejection” in 11:15a as someone rejecting them, then this word would refer to that same someone accepting them back into a relationship with him. Scholars generally see that here it is God who accepts them.
be: There is no verb in the Greek here. Usually, “be/is” is implied. Here “their trespass” leads to “riches for the world.” So some English versions add a verb like “mean” (as in the English Standard Version). You may be able to translate this as you did in 11:15a.
11:15c
life from the dead: This phrase refers to life after the resurrection of the dead. It implies that God’s promises apply to the Jews when they believe in Jesus. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
bring them life after death (New Century Version)
-or-
they will receive the thing for being taken from death and given life
-or-
The dead [ones] will get life!
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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