complete verse (Romans 12:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 12:9:

  • Uma: “Really love your companions not [doing it] just out of custom. Discard evil behavior, hold-on-to good behavior.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Your love for your companions must/ought-to be from inside the liver. Hate everything which is bad and keep in your liver everything which is good.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It’s necessary that our showing kindness to our companions is not false; it’s necessary that we are very disgusted with evil behavior. We must hold tight to good behavior.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Your (pl.) love should be sincere. Hate what is evil and at-the-same-time follow continually what is good.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “You must truly from the heart love your fellowman, each one of you. Separate from evil. Do what is good.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 12:9

Though the Greek expressions is this verse are not imperatives, they are used to express obligation and should be so translated in English.

It is very difficult in some languages to say love must be completely sincere. One can speak of people as “loving sincerely” but not of “love being sincere.” Hence one may say “when you love you must be completely sincere” or “you must be completely sincere in your loving people.” Moreover, it is not easy in some languages to find a term for sincere. In some languages a negative expression is employed—for example, “don’t pretend to love.”

Hold on to what is good may be rendered idiomatically as “tie yourself to what is good.” Since hold on to is in contrast with hate, it may be useful to suggest something of the emotive implications involved—for example, “hold on to in your heart” or “keep firm in your heart.”

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 12:9

Paragraph 12:9–13

12:9a–19a

In the Greek, this list of commands does not have connecting words between each command. Consider what is most natural in your language.

12:9a

Love: The word Love refers to a strong affection and concern for a person. In some languages an idiom such as “give/put heart/liver” is used for the meaning of Love.

sincere: This Greek word refers to not pretending to be other than you really are. Here are other ways to translate this word:

genuine (English Standard Version)
-or-
real (New Century Version)
-or-
Don’t just pretend to love others (New Living Translation (2004))

12:9b

Detest: This word means “to dislike very much,” “hate strongly.” For example:

Hate (New International Version)

what is evil: The Greek is more literally “the evil.” Here it refers to anything that is evil. The word what is not a question word here. For example:

everything that is evil (Contemporary English Version)

evil: The Greek word refers to things that are very bad or worthless, including deeds and thoughts. The meaning here does not focus on evil people, but rather evil deeds and thoughts.

12:9c

cling to what is good: Here the word cling means “hold tightly.” For example:

hold fast to what is good (English Standard Version)

The phrase cling to is a figure of speech. It refers to being focused on what is good and doing it. Some languages cannot use this phrase for that meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain the meaning in your translation and add “like.” For example:

⌊concentrate on⌋ what is good ⌊and do it⌋ ⌊like⌋ clinging to ⌊something⌋
-or-

⌊be thinking on⌋ the things that are good ⌊and be doing them⌋ ⌊like⌋ you are clinging to ⌊them⌋

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

concentrate on what is good and do it
-or-
be thinking on the things that are good and be doing them

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