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)

See also humble (mind).

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 .