teach

The Greek that is translated as a form of “teach” is translated with some figurative phrases such as “to engrave the mind” (Ngäbere) or “to cause others to imitate” (Huichol). (Source: Bratcher / Nida)

In Noongar it is translated as karni-waangki or “truth saying” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

serve

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “serve,” “minister,” “walk with,” or “service” is translated in Igede as myị ẹrụ or “agree with message (of the one you’re serving).” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In Quetzaltepec Mixe, “serve” is translated as “obey.” (Source: Robert Bascom)

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Rom. 12:7)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the writer of the letter and the readers).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Romans 12:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 12:7:

  • Uma: “The person who has the ladle to help others must really help. The person who has the ladle to teach, he must really teach.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If we (dual) are given skill to help our (dual) fellows, we (dual) ought to help them. If the skill he gives us (dual) is to preach/teach (religious things), we (dual) ought to preach/teach (religious things).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And if what is given to us is the ability to help our companions, it is necessary that we persevere in helping. And if we have ability to teach the word of God, then let us carefully teach.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If your (sing.) ability is your (sing.) serving your (sing.) companions, serve properly. If your (sing.) ability also is your (sing.) teaching the word of God, do-a-good-job-of teaching.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “There are people who have been given the work to help their fellowmen. And it is necessary that will all their hearts they help them. There are people who have been given the work to teach God’s word. And it is necessary that they teach well.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 12:7

To serve and to teach both translate nouns in Greek; however, in English the verb phrase is much clearer. To serve (Revised Standard Version “service”) is rendered “practical service” by An American Translation* and Moffatt and “administration” by the New English Bible and the Jerusalem Bible. The word itself means simply “service” (see 15.31), and it is doubtful if one should give it the technical and specialized meaning of the New English Bible and Jerusalem Bible rendering. “Administration” would seem to presuppose a more highly organized church structure than was in existence at that time. Moreover, the idea of “administration” focuses attention on an aspect of meaning that is certainly not primary in the word. Where a receptor language possesses a rather general term for serve requiring no grammatical goal, there is very little difficulty in the translation. However, most languages possess no such convenient equivalent. It is therefore necessary in many instances to employ an expression which will be a satisfactory descriptive substitute—for example, “help the congregation,” “assist the group of believers,” or “be of service to the fellow believers.”

It may be necessary to fill out the ellipses in the initial clauses of verses 7 and 8—for example, “If God has given us the ability to help the believers, we should help them; if he has given us the ability to teach, we should teach; if he has given us the ability to encourage others, we should encourage them.”

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 .