burning desire

In Gbaya, the notion of a burning desire (as in a craving, exceeding love, greed, zeal, or longing) is emphasized in the referenced verses with lɛk-lɛk, an ideophone that refers to someone burning with desire.

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

complete verse (Romans 15:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 15:23:

  • Uma: “But at this time, my work around here is done. So, since for years I have wanted to go visit you,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But now because my work is finished here in the places here, I think/estimate I am able to go there to you (pl.). For a long time I have wanted to go there to visit you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And now that I have finished my work here in these towns, and because it’s been a long time now that I’ve been thinking about coming there to you,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But now I have finished my work here, so I plan to stop-by there when I go to Espanya, because here it has been how many years that I have strongly-desired to see you. I expect then that when I have satisfied-my-missing-you, you will be able to help me so that I can continue-on to go to Espanya.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But now I can go. Because now I have completed telling the word in the parts around here. The years have really passed since I decided that I would go to where you live to see you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Romans 15:23

This verse introduces the reason why Paul can now visit Rome; he has finished his work in these regions (where Christ has not been heard of). I have finished my work is more literally “no longer having a place” (see King James Version). To translate literally leaves the meaning unclear, and so the Revised Standard Version supplies a noun phrase to help the reader: “since I no longer have any room for work.” The New English Bible is vague “I have no further scope (in these parts)”; An American Translation* renders “there is no more work for me.” I have finished my work may be rendered simply as “I have done what I should do.” In these regions may simply be rendered as “here where I am.”

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 .