inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Rom. 15:1)

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 15:1)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 15:1:

  • Uma: “We whose faith is strong in God must be patient with the uncertain hearts of others whose faith is not yet strong. Let’s not just seek our own happiness.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (incl.) the ones whose trust in God is strong, we (incl.) ought-to/must help the ones whose trust is weak in their troubles/worries. Don’t let’s please ourselves (incl.).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now as for us (incl.) whose faith in God is drawn tight, it’s necessary that we just endure our not doing activity which might cause our fellows to sin whose faith is not yet drawn tight. And let us not insist on what we want,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “We whose faith is mature, it is necessary that put-up-with the failings of people whose faith is weak while at-the-same-time we sympathize-with (lit. feel-with) them. Let us not think of what will please ourselves,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “We who understand well about how we must live must be patient with our fellow believers who do not understand how they must live. We must not look for just our own good, but for the good of others.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 15:1

It is interesting to note that Paul includes himself among those who are strong in the faith. The words in the faith are not a part of the Greek text as such, but they are included by the Good News Translation to make explicit the meaning of the word strong.

To carry (translated support in 11.18) is used of Jesus carrying his cross in John 19.17 and of believers carrying their cross in Luke 14.27. This verb also occurs in Galatians 6.2. In light of these passages, it is most likely that the verb means more than simply “to tolerate” or “to put up with.” It perhaps indicates that those who are strong in faith should be willing to experience self-denial for the sake of believers whose faith is weak.

To carry their burdens seems so natural a metaphor that sometimes translators are not aware that this cannot always be transferred literally into another language. In some instances the metaphor must be changed to a nonmetaphor—for example, “to help the weak to deal with their problems” or “to cause the weak to continue in faith.”

We should not please ourselves may be translated as “we should not do just what we ourselves want to do” or “we should not do just what is going to make us happy.”

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 15:1

Section 15:1–13

Believers should help one another

In this section, Paul said that believers who are strong, as he defined “strong” in 14:1–9, should help believers who are weak (also as in 14:1–9). The strong are to encourage the weak, with the result that all may have hope in God.

Paul prayed that God would help the believers, strong and weak, to live in unity and glorify God.

Paul urged the believers to always welcome one another, because doing that glorifies God. Jesus served the Jews to show that God’s word was true and confirm his promises, which in turn encourages the non-Jews to glorify God for his mercy to them.

Then Paul prayed that God would fill them with joy and peace in their faith, with the result that the Holy Spirit would fill them with hope.

Here are other possible headings for this section:

Carry weak believers, encourage them and accept them
-or-
Help believers who are not strong

Paragraph 15:1–4

15:1a

We who are strong ought to: The word ought refers to something that is required to be done. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

We who are strong have a duty to
-or-
it is necessary that we who are strong
-or-
We who are strong are required to
-or-
We who are strong must

We who are strong: Here the word strong refers to believers who are strong in the freedom of behavior we have as believers. The “weak” believers restrict their freedom by only following Jewish behavior (chapter 14).

This clause does not refer to physical strength. In some languages a literal translation would refer only to physical strength. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

We who are strong ⌊in our freedom⌋

• Translate literally and explain the meaning in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:

This refers to being strong in the freedom we have as believers. The weak here are tied to Jewish behaviors.

bear with: The Greek word refers to carrying something heavy. Here it refers to coming alongside the weak believers and helping them. It does not imply trying to change their minds about their weaknesses. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

help the weak to carry their burdens (Good News Translation)
-or-
bear the weaknesses of (New American Standard Bible)

shortcomings: The Greek word is literally “weaknesses.” It refers here to any weakness that a believer might have. The main example in chapter 14 was eating only vegetables, perhaps out of fear of being influenced by idols should he eat meat dedicated to them. The word does not refer to sins or physical weaknesses here. Here are other ways to translate this word:

weaknesses (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
whose freedom is not strong

15:1b

and not to please ourselves: The words “we who are strong ought” are implied from 15:1a. Some languages must repeat all or some of those words for a natural translation. For example:

and ⌊we have an obligation⌋ not to please ourselves

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Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux Romains 15.1

15.1-13

Ce passage est directement lié à ce qui précède. Paul continue sa discussion sur ceux qui sont forts et ceux qui sont faibles dans la foi. Certains manuscrits anciens placent la louange de Dieu, c’est-à-dire, la doxologie de Rom 16.25 à la fin du Rom 14.23. Ceci laisse entendre que certaines copies s’achevaient à Rom 14.23. La Good News Translation mentionne cette variante en note, mais adopte le texte sans la doxologie à cet endroit. En effet, étant donné que Rom 15.1 suit de près ce qui est dit dans la section précédente, il est préférable de considérer qu’à l’origine la doxologie ne figurait pas à la fin du ch. 14.

La Traduction œcuménique de la Bible n’a pas de sous-titre pour Rom 15.1, tandis que la Bible en français courant propose pour ces versets Plaire à son prochain et non à soi-même. Si les traducteurs désirent mettre un sous-titre, ils pourraient dire « Chacun doit plaire aux autres et non à soi-même » ou « Chacun doit agir pour le bien des autres ». Mais étant donné que Rom 15.1 parle de la responsabilité des forts de porter les faibles, ce texte est étroitement lié aux passages précédents et un sous-titre n’est vraiment pas nécessaire.

Ce nouveau paragraphe débute par la conjonction δέ de que la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible traduit par Mais. Cependant, plusieurs versions omettent ce qu’elles considèrent comme une simple transition. Le changement de la troisième ( Rom 14.23) à la première personne nous ( Rom 15.1) indique aussi le début d’un nouveau paragraphe.

c’est un devoir pour nous, les forts : le grec a « nous les forts sommes obligés de porter l’infirmité… » Le nous est inclusif. Paul s’intègre dans le groupe de ceux qui sont forts dans la foi.

les forts sous-entend « forts dans la foi » (Bible en français courant). Mais on n’est pas obligé de rendre explicite cette idée car le contexte rend le sens assez clair. La Parole de Vie dit « Nous qui sommes forts, nous devons… ». La Nouvelle Bible Segond reformule la proposition comme une condition : « Si nous sommes forts, nous devons… »

de porter l’infirmité des faibles : le verbe grec pour porter renvoie d’abord à l’acte de porter un objet physiquement. Le verbe se trouve, par exemple, en Jean 19.17, à propos de Jésus qui porte sa croix. Ailleurs il a un sens figuré : « Portez les fardeaux les uns des autres » (Gal 6.2). Ici aussi le sens est figuré. Selon la note de la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, porter l’infirmité signale qu’on est en train d’aider ces gens « à porter leurs faiblesses ». Le mot infirmité a aussi un sens figuré, se référant non pas à une infirmité physique, mais à une « faiblesse spirituelle ». La Parole de Vie parle de « porter la faiblesse de ceux qui n’ont pas cette force », renvoyant à leur foi. D’après certains, le sens est que les forts devraient « prendre à cœur les hésitations de celui qui est faible dans la foi », mais d’autres y voient un autre sens : « nous devons aider les faibles à porter leurs fardeaux » (Good News Bible). Le but ultime est de faire en sorte que les faibles persévèrent dans la foi.

et de ne pas rechercher ce qui nous plaît est litt. « et non nous-mêmes plaire ». Plusieurs versions commencent une nouvelle phrase : « Nous ne devons pas rechercher ce qui nous plaît » (Bible en français courant).

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