he who, whoever

The Greek that is typically translated with a generic expressions such as “he who,” “whoever,” or “if anyone” in English is translated with the plural form (“they”) in Daga. “A literal translation of these conveys the idea that one specific unnamed individual is being discussed. Thus, for instance, in John 5:24 ‘he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life’ meant in Daga that there was one fortunate individual to whom it applied.”

See also love your neighbor as yourself.

complete verse (Romans 13:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 13:8:

  • Uma: “Let us not be in debt to others. But actually there is always a debt of ours to others. That debt of ours: we must love others. So, let’s not get tired of paying that debt of ours. For if we love others, we fill/fulfil the Lord’s Law.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If you (pl.) have a debt, pay it when the day of payment is reached. Even if you no longer have a debt, you have yet a different debt. This debt is your love to your fellows. If you love each other, you follow already the law written by Musa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t stretch out for a long time your paying your debts to anybody, but rather you must stretch out forever your keeping your companions precious in your breath. Because the person who holds his companions dear, he has already fulfilled the commands of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If we have a debt, let us not take-a-long-time to pay it. But our obligation to love-one-another, let’s count that as a debt that has no end. Because the one who loves his companions obeys God’s commands.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “If you are in debt, do not remain thus, pay what you owe. That which you must do always is that you love your fellowman, each one of you. Because the person who loves his fellowman is thus walking like the word which is said in the law how people must walk.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

law

The Greek that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (wsource: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Romans 13:8

Be in debt to no one is a very emphatic expression in the Greek text, and its most immediate meaning may be understood to be “Do not be under financial obligations to anyone.” It may also be understood in a somewhat broader sense: “Do not be under obligation to anyone.” The fact that the second clause refers to a debt of love may suggest that the first clause should also be understood in this broader sense. On the other hand, one may reason that the first clause is to be understood strictly in the sense of financial obligation, while the second clause introduces the broader implications of indebtedness. It may be difficult to combine the concept of financial obligation and the concept of general obligation to love one another. Therefore the second clause may be translated in some instances as “there is only one thing which you must do, and that is to love one another.”

One serious exegetical problem in this verse relates to the interpretation of the word translated Law. The Good News Translation (so also An American Translation* and Phillips) takes this as an explicit reference to the Jewish Law, while others understand this as a reference to law in general (see note in Jerusalem Bible). In view of the fact that Paul quotes specific commands from the Old Testament in the following verses, it seems better to take it as a reference to the Mosaic Law.

Obeyed (many translations have “fulfilled”) is a difficult word to render; the New English Bible translates as “has satisfied every claim of the Law,” An American Translation* “has fully satisfied the Law,” and the Jerusalem Bible “you have carried out your obligations.” If the reference is taken to the Mosaic Law, then the idea of obedience seems nearer to the meaning of this term (see Phillips “has obeyed the whole Law”).

Fellow-man is literally “the other,” a term which is rendered “neighbor” by many translators. The meaning of the word is not “neighbor” in the sense of one who lives nearby, but must be taken in the broadest possible sense, as including all people.

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 .