humble, lowly

The Greek that is usually translated as “humble” or “lowly” in English is translated as

  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “one who doesn’t elevate himself”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “those who think they aren’t worth much”
  • Alekano: “those who stay low” (source for this and above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
  • Mezquital Otomi: “poor brothers”
  • Isthmus Zapotec: “ones who little-honored”
  • Highland Totonac: “just ordinary people”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “poor people who have nothing” (source for this and three above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).
  • Low German: “those who don’t account to anything in other people’s eyes” (source: translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006)
  • Kako: “those who lower the heart” (source: Reyburn 2002, p. 190)

See also humble (mind).

in unison / united

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “in one heart,” “united” or similar in English is translated in the Catholic Mandarin Chinese Sigao version with a historical Chinese idiom: tóngxīn héyì (同心合意) or “in unison (lit. “same heart, united mind”).” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)

See also trembling / in awe, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, and together / with one accord.

wise in one's own eyes / act too wise

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “wise in one’s own eyes,” “act too wise” or similar in English is translated in the Catholic Mandarin Chinese Sigao version with a historical Chinese idiom: zìzuò cōngmíng (自作聰明 / 自作聪明) or “thinking you’re so clever (lit. “make self smart”).” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)

haughty / proud / heart exalted / exalt oneself above

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “haughty,” “proud,” “heart exalted,” “exalt oneself above” or similar in English is translated in the Catholic Mandarin Chinese Sigao version with a historical Chinese idiom: xīngāo qìào (心高氣傲 / 心高气傲), lit. “heart high and air prideful.” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)

See also pride.

complete verse (Romans 12:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 12:16:

  • Uma: “Be in harmony with our companions. Don’t make our hearts high [proud], but rather be-in-harmony-with people who have low status [lit., whose lives are low]. Let’s not put our skill/intelligence ahead of [that of] others.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Live-in-harmony-with-each-other. Don’t aspire that you be honored/made great. Don’t be ashamed to accompany/be together with the ones who are of lowly status. Don’t think that you are the ones who really know.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It’s necessary that the breath of you believers is one. Don’t you make yourself high, but rather you go around with people whose rank is low. And don’t you think that you are wiser than them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Get-along-together. Don’t be proud but rather associate-with humble (lit. low) people. Don’t think that only you are wise.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Each of you must look well upon all. Do not be proud. Do that you be equal with the people who are not up in the world. Do not say that you alone have wisdom.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 12:16

Once again Paul switches back to the form of the participle. Have the same concern for all alike (New English Bible “care as much about each other as about yourselves”; New American Bible “have the same attitude toward all”; Jerusalem Bible “treat everyone with equal kindness”) is taken by a number of scholars to mean “live in harmony with one another” (An American Translation*; so also Moffatt, Revised Standard Version).

If one follows the interpretation of the Good News Translation, one may employ such renderings as “open your heart to all in the same way,” “think about each person in the same way as you think about every other person,” or “care for all in the same way.” If one follows the interpretation suggested by An American Translation* and others, a type of double negative may be required, “do not live in strife with one another” or “do not have conflicts with one another.” In some languages, however, the positive aspect is effectively communicated by certain idiomatic uses—for example, “be dovetailed together” (a figure of speech based upon the manner of joining wood) or “live together like trees in the forest” (who give no evidence of hostility to one another but of harmonious growing together).

The words rendered accept humble duties may also mean “make friends with the lowly” (Good News Translation alternative rendering). The problem is that the noun may either be neuter, humble duties, or masculine, “lowly people.” Accept humble duties may be rendered as “be willing to do the small jobs,” “be willing to serve others just as though you were a servant,” or “be willing to help in little ways.” In order to translate “make friends with the lowly,” one may need to say “make friends with those who are poor,” “make friends with those who are not anybody,” “make friends with those whom others look down on,” or “be friendly with those whom people do not honor.”

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 12:16

12:16a

Live in harmony with one another: The Greek clause is literally “thinking the same thing toward one another.” There are several ways to interpret it. Here are the main ways:

(1) It means to agree in opinion with one another here. It does not mean thinking exactly the same thing, but to have similar opinions on big issues. Differences of opinion on other things do not affect their love for their fellow believers. For example:

Live in agreement with one another (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Be of the same mind toward one another (New American Standard Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, NET Bible, Revised English Bible)

(2) It means to be concern for each believer in the same amount here. For example:

Have the same concern for everyone (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because interpretation (2) is not really fitting to the Greek idiom.

12:16b

Do not be proud: This clause refers to not thinking you are better than other people. Someone of high social status should not think they are a better person than someone of low social status. Someone who has lots of knowledge should not think they are a better person than someone who does not have much knowledge. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

Do not be haughty (English Standard Version)
-or-
Don’t be arrogant (God’s Word)

12:16c

but: Some languages would not consider “enjoy the company of the lowly” as contrasting with “do not be proud” (12:16b). If that is true in your language, do not translate this as contrast. For example, the Otomi Back Translation omits this word and the Tagbanwa Back Translation says:

and

enjoy the company of the lowly: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase here:

(1) It means adjust your thinking and have a relationship with people of low social status here. For example:

make friends with those who seem unimportant (New Century Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, REV, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, English Standard Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, New Living Translation (2004), God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, NET Bible, Revised English Bible, New Century Version)

(2) It means adjust your thinking and accept that you should do deeds of low social status here. For example:

accept humble duties (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because many English versions support it.

12:16d

Do not be conceited: This clause indicates that believers should not think that they are wise people. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

Do not think of yourselves as wise (Good News Translation)
-or-
Don’t regard yourselves as being wise people

conceited: This word means “to understand events and know the right action.” See how you translated the word “wise” in 1:14 or the word “wisdom” in 11:33.

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Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux Romains 12.16

Soyez bien d’accord entre vous est litt. « ayant la même [pensée] les uns envers les autres ». Le texte grec comporte ici un participe, mais de nouveau avec la valeur d’un impératif : « Ayez même pensée les uns pour les autres » (Osty-Trinquet) ou « Ayez les uns pour les autres une égale considération » (La Bible du Semeur). Il s’agit de vivre en harmonie les uns avec les autres, comme la Bible en français courant le traduit : « Vivez en bon accord les uns avec les autres ». Certains auront recours à une double négation, par exemple, « Ne vivez pas en désaccord les uns avec les autres », mais dans certaines langues, c’est la tournure positive qui conviendra le mieux.

n’ayez pas le goût des grandeurs est litt. « ne (vous comportant) réfléchissant pas en hautain ». Le verbe φρονέω phroneô se trouve en Rom 8.5 et deux fois dans ce verset. Il a le sens de « penser à », « être occupé par », ou « considérer ». En grec, le terme rendu par grandeurs au neutre pluriel (ὑψηλὰ hupsêla) signifie « haut, orgueilleux ». Il se trouve déjà en Rom 11.20. On pourrait dire tout simplement « Ne faites pas les fiers » (Osty-Trinquet), « Ne soyez pas orgueilleux » (Nouvelle Bible Segond). La Parole de Vie aussi présente un bon modèle : « Ne cherchez pas de grandes choses ». Peu importe que l’expression adoptée soit au singulier ou au pluriel.

mais laissez-vous attirer par ce qui est humble : ces mots sont sujets à plusieurs interprétations. Paul utilise le même verbe φρονέω phroneô que dans la proposition précédente. Dans ce contexte, on pourrait dire « mais concentrez-vous sur ce qui est humble ». par ce qui humble est litt. « par les humbles » qui, pris au neutre pluriel, renverrait aux « tâches modestes », et au masculin, aux « gens humbles ». Selon la première interprétation, on pourrait dire « Soyez disposés à faire de simples travaux » ou « soyez prêts à servir les autres comme si vous étiez leurs serviteurs », ou encore « soyez prêts à aider dans des choses simples ». S’il s’agit de la seconde interprétation, on pourrait dire « soyez amis avec des gens humbles » ou « pauvres », « …avec des gens peu importants ». Mais la majorité des versions optent pour la première interprétation : « mais acceptez des tâches modestes » (Bible en français courant).

Ne vous prenez pas pour des sages est litt. « ne soyez pas sages avec vous-mêmes ». Cette citation s’inspire de Prov 3.7 : « Ne sois pas sage à tes propres yeux », (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Voir aussi És 5.21 : « À leurs propres yeux, ils sont sages », (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). La particularité de cette proposition est que ce n’est pas le mot typique pour sage qui figure ici, mais le mot φρονοῦντες phronountes, lié à φρονέω phroneô qui est déjà dans ce verset ; Paul semble jouer avec les mots.

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