20Ever since the creation of the world God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been seen and understood through the things God has made. So they are without excuse,
The Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “creation” in English is translated in Lisu as ꓟꓵ ꓚꓰꓼ ꓟꓲ ꓚꓰꓼ — my tshe mi tshe, verbatim translated as “place — make — earth — make.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 58)
In American Sign Language it is translated with a sign that signifies creating out of nothing. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Creation” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 1:20:
Uma: “For even though we cannot see the appearance of God, from the beginning of the making of the world it has been knowable/evident to men what God is like. For from all that he made, we see the bigness of his life [i.e., glory] and we also see his power that has no end. So there is no one who can say: ‘I didn’t know!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Since (the time) the world was created by God, it is clear to the people that God has power that doesn’t leave even if they cannot/didn’t happen-to-see his power and it is also clear to them that he is the true God even though they cannot see him. The people can understand about God and about his power by the various-things he has created. That’s why they cannot give excuses/excuse themselves for/because-of their deeds.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For as for God, even though He cannot be seen, beginning from His creation of the world, He is apparent just the same by means of all the things that he created by means of His very great power which has no end, and by means of what is called His being God. That’s why nobody can say they do not know whether there is a God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because since-the-time when God created the world, it has been easy for people to understand concerning his godhood and his power which has no limit, even though he cannot be seen, because what he created can be seen. So they have absolutely no excuse for not knowing the truth.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “And now, no one sees God, but that which he made is what we see. From this it is apparent that God lives. When the world began to exist, then it was apparent that God lives and that he has his power forever. It isn’t possible then that people say that they do not know that God lives.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Isthmus Zapotec: “Even though we cannot see the power of God which shall never end, nor can we see what he is like, yet from the day the world was created it has been clearly seen who he is (or what he is like) because of all he has done. Therefore they cannot say they do not know.”
Hopi: “For people understand clearly the things about God that are unseen. He alone is God and continually has power. And the people understand who he is and that he has power through the things here that are made. Since the time that the world was made they understood these things and therefore they have no way of escape.”
Central Mazahua: “What God is and his power no one can see with their eyes. But they can know [in their thoughts] because it is seen in the things that God made since the world was made. Therefore when God will judge them they can’t say they didn’t know how he is.” (Source for this and two above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Ever since God created the world translates the Greek noun phrase “from the creation of the world.” Paul qualifies what he means by the invisible qualities of God, that is his eternal power and his divine nature. Although these qualities are invisible, men can perceive them in the things that God has made. The noun rendered divine nature occurs only here in the New Testament; the corresponding adjective occurs in Acts 17.29; 2 Peter 1.3, 4. The verb rendered perceive implies knowledge, understanding, and mental awareness. Since the Gentiles can perceive what God is like through the world that he has made, they have no excuse at all; and the Jews, who pass judgment on others, are in the same condition (see 2.1).
It is not easy to combine such expressions as his invisible qualities and have been clearly seen. How can what is not visible be clearly seen? In some languages, therefore, it is necessary to speak of “can be clearly known” or “can be fully understood.” In a number of instances the specific qualities must actually precede the general statement about their being invisible. Hence the order of components in verse 20 may be changed as follows: “Ever since God created the world, people can clearly understand that his power never ceases and that he is truly God. These characteristics cannot be seen, but they can be known.” The second sentence of verse 20 may then be translated: “People can know this about God because of the things which God has made.” And the last sentence may be rendered: “As a result, they cannot have any excuse for what they have done” or “… there is no way in which they can defend what they have done.”
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: This word introduces an explanation of the idea that what can be known about God is plain to people (1:19a).
since the creation of the world: This phrase indicates that all people who have lived on this earth, from creation until now, perceive who God is. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
ever since the creation of the world (English Standard Version)
-or-
from the creation of the world ⌊until now/today⌋
the creation of the world: This phrase refers to God creating the world and all of the other things that people can see, the sun, moon, stars, and such things. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
when God created/made the world/universe
-or-
when God made all that people/they can see
1:20b–c
God’s invisible qualities: The Greek is literally “the invisible (things) of God.” Here it refers to the kind of person God is. These are not things that someone can see directly. Immediately after this phrase Paul explained it as “his eternal power and divine nature.” Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
his invisible attributes (English Standard Version)
-or-
There are things about him that people cannot see (New Century Version)
His eternal power and divine nature: The Greek grammar indicates that the words His eternal power and divine nature describe what Paul meant with the words “the invisible (things) of God.” Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
that is to say his everlasting power and deity (Revised English Bible)
-or-
God’s invisible qualities: his eternal power and divine nature,
In some languages it is not natural to speak generally of something then specifically of the same thing. If that is true in your language, omit the word “qualities” (as the Berean Standard Bible translates). For example:
God’s eternal power and his divine nature, which people cannot see,
His eternal power: God’s power will never end. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
his everlasting power (Revised English Bible)
-or-
his strength that will not end
-or-
God has power that doesn’t leave
divine nature: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as divine nature refers to the characteristics of God. Here are other ways to translate this Greek word:
deity (Revised English Bible)
-or-
divinity (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
his godhood
-or-
what God is like
have been clearly seen, being understood: The Greek is literally “being understood are clearly seen.” This phrase indicates that people look at the world and understand that God is powerful and that he is God.
This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
⌊people⌋ see and understand his invisible qualities, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
-or-
⌊they all⌋ clearly perceive his invisible qualities, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
from His workmanship: The word from here indicates that when people look at the things that God has made, they will realize that he has great power and that he is God. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
from what has been made (New International Version)
-or-
through what has been made (New American Standard Bible)
1:20d
so that: This phrase introduces the result of God’s “invisible qualities” being clearly seen (1:20b).
men are without excuse: The word excuse refers to an explanation of behavior when asked about that behavior. In this case, people knew about God but still were ungodly and unrighteous (1:18). They have no good reason for that bad behavior. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
they have no defense
-or-
they have no answer ⌊for their sins⌋
-or-
they have nothing with-which-to-answer God
-or-
No one is able to say ⌊to God⌋, “⌊I never knew about you,⌋ so why do you blame/accuse me ⌊of wrongdoing⌋ ?”
men: The word men refers here generally to people. Specifically, it refers to the people Paul was talking about in 1:18–19.
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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