Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 15:3:
Uma: “For Kristus also did not seek his own happiness, he was ready to undergo suffering in his following God. In the Holy Book long ago there are words that foretell the Lord Yesus that say: ‘All their words disparaging God have struck/hit me.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Because Isa Almasi he did not please himself but he yielded/surrendered to be criticized/to-be-put-down. It was written about this in the holy-book, saying, ‘The evil words spoken by people to you, God, hit me.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For as for Christ, he did not think about what He wanted. For a prophecy was written long ago which is His words to God in which He says, ‘The evil words of people who insulted you, this was also an insult to me,’ which is to say, if He obeyed His own desires, then people would not have insulted Him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because even Cristo, it was not what pleased himself that he thought about, because there is a written word of God concerning him which says, ‘The people’s despising of you (sing.), God, I am the one who was despised.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Because Christ didn’t look for just his own good. The Holy Book says what word he told God. He said: ‘The people who speak against you also speak against me.’ he said.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Translators of different languages have found different ways with what kind of formality God is addressed.
Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or modern English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.
As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.
In these verses, in which humans address God, the informal, familiar pronoun is used that communicates closeness.
Voinov notes that “in the Tuvan Bible, God is only addressed with the informal pronoun. No exceptions. An interesting thing about this is that I’ve heard new Tuvan believers praying with the formal form to God until they are corrected by other Christians who tell them that God is close to us so we should address him with the informal pronoun. As a result, the informal pronoun is the only one that is used in praying to God among the Tuvan church.”
In Gbaya, “a superior, whether father, uncle, or older brother, mother, aunt, or older sister, president, governor, or chief, is never addressed in the singular unless the speaker intends a deliberate insult. When addressing the superior face to face, the second person plural pronoun ɛ́nɛ́ or ‘you (pl.)’ is used, similar to the French usage of vous.
Accordingly, the translators of the current version of the Gbaya Bible chose to use the plural ɛ́nɛ́ to address God. There are a few exceptions. In Psalms 86:8, 97:9, and 138:1, God is addressed alongside other “gods,” and here the third person pronoun o is used to avoid confusion about who is being addressed. In several New Testament passages (Matthew 21:23, 26:68, 27:40, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2, 23:37, as well as in Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well) the less courteous form for Jesus is used to indicate ignorance of his position or mocking.” (Source Philip Noss)
In the most recent Manchu translation of 1835 (a revision of an earlier edition from 1822), God is never addressed with a pronoun but with “father” (ama /ᠠᠮᠠ) instead. Chengcheng Liu (in this post on the Cambridge Centre for Chinese Theology blog ) explains: “In Manchu tradition, as in Chinese etiquette, second-person pronouns could be considered disrespectful when speaking to superiors or spiritual beings. Manchu Shamanist prayers avoided si [‘you’] and sini [‘your’] for this very reason. To use them for God would be, in Lipovzoff’s [one of the two translators] words, ‘the most uncouth and indecent way to speak to the Almighty — as if He were a servant or slave.’ There was also a grammatical problem. In Manchu, si and sini could refer to both singular and plural subjects. For a faith that insisted on the singularity of God, this was potentially confusing. By contrast, repeating ama removed any ambiguity.”
The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.
When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”
This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.
In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the GermanGute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).
In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.
In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:
Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
Toposa: “chosen rescuer” (source: Schröder 2026, p. 127)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )
In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with a sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):
“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
In this verse Paul appeals to the example of Christ and to the words of the Old Testament as the basis for the conduct that he hopes to inspire in the persons to whom he is writing. The scripture quotation comes from Psalm 69.9. For the early church the example of Christ and the words of the Old Testament were two authorities which they could not deny.
Christ did not please himself can be translated “Christ did not do what he did just to make himself happy,” “Christ did not live just to please himself,” or “Christ did not live just for his own benefit.”
The scripture quotation presents a number of difficulties in translation. For one thing, some languages do not possess a noun for insult. Also, it is unlikely that languages would speak of “insults by those who insulted.” Again, it is rare to talk of “insults falling on someone.” Accordingly, this quotation may be restructured in some languages as “what people said when they insulted you has now come upon me” or “people insulted you, but what they said has really insulted me.”
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 .
For: Here this word introduces the reason why believers should please others (15:2).
even: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as even is often translated as “and” or “also.” Here it emphasizes the word “Christ.”
Christ did not please Himself: This clause indicates that Jesus did not do things that were selfish and would make only himself happy by doing them. Rather, he did things that pleased God.
but: Here this word introduces what Christ did instead of pleasing himself. Some languages will not see contrast here. For example:
Instead (Good News Translation)
-or-
indeed (New Jerusalem Bible)
as it is written: This clause introduces a quote from Scripture. The words that Paul quoted were written hundreds of years before he wrote the letter to the Romans. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate these words were written at the same time as Paul wrote here. If that is true in your language, indicate it was long before Paul wrote. For example:
as it was written ⌊long ago⌋
This clause refers to what was written in the Old Testament. Some languages must make that explicit to make that clear. For example:
As scripture says (Good News Translation)
This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause here. For example:
the songwriter wrote ⌊long ago⌋
-or-
It is like it says in the Holy Book
See how you translated this clause in 1:17 or 11:26.
15:3b
This quote is from Psalm 69:9. If you indicate the location of quotes from the Old Testament with cross-references, you may want to do so here.
The insults of those who insult You: The word insults refers to saying something that indicates you do not approve of the person or deed. You criticize him for what he did. Here are other ways to translate this word:
The reproaches of those who reproach you (English Standard Version)
-or-
When people insult you (New Century Version)
-or-
The people’s despising of you (sg)
-or-
their belittling words to you
You: In the psalm this word refers to God. Paul probably also implied God here. But you should not explain who this word refers to in your translation.
have fallen on Me: Here the phrase have fallen refers to the insults affecting the person speaking (called here: Me) more than the person referred to as “you.” The person speaking takes those insults as really being directed to him. He takes them personally. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
came to me
-or-
I am the one who was hit (by it)
-or-
have struck/hit me
-or-
hurt me also
Me: In the psalm this word refers to the writer of the psalm, King David. But as an Old Testament quote, you should not explain who this word refers to in your translation.
Dans ce verset, Paul renvoie à l’exemple du Christ pour illustrer le genre de conduite que les croyants doivent imiter. Le verset commence par deux conjonctions καί γὰρ kai gar, « mais aussi ». L’emphase peut être rendue de diverses manières : « en effet » (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Nouvelle Bible Segond) ou « Le Christ, lui, n’a pas cherché… » (Parole de Vie).
Le Christ, en effet, n’a pas recherché ce qui lui plaisait est litt. « car Christ aussi ne s’est pas à lui-même plu », ce dernier étant le même verbe qu’en Rom 15.2. En grec, le verbe rechercher ne figure pas mais est implicite. Ainsi Jésus n’a pas cherché à faire ce qui l’arrange, pour son propre bien, mais il a toujours agi pour le bien des autres. Les traducteurs pourront exprimer cette idée, par exemple ainsi : « …le Christ n’a pas vécu juste pour se plaire à lui-même » ou « pour son propre avantage ».
mais, comme il est écrit rend le texte grec littéralement. Les traducteurs pourront suivre la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible ou l’un des autres modèles : « Au contraire, comme le déclare l’Écriture » (Bible en français courant), « Au contraire, les Livres Saints disent » (Parole de Vie). La citation qui suit est tirée du Ps 69.10. Pour la première Église, le recours à l’exemple du Christ et aux textes de l’AT avait une autorité incontestable.
les insultes de tes insulteurs sont tombées sur moi : Jésus n’a pas voulu penser à son propre intérêt. Donc il a accepté de souffrir pour les autres. Paul met dans la bouche du Christ cette citation de l’AT, litt. « les insultes de ceux t’insultant sont tombées sur moi ». Presque toutes les langues auront un mot pour parler des insultes, des « injures » ou « des paroles méchantes ». Par contre, les mots les insultes de tes insulteurs poseront peut-être un problème. Ce genre de répétition en hébreu met le message en relief.
tombées a un sens figuré ici : ces insultes « m’atteignent » ou « arrivent sur moi ». Le sens semble être « ce que les gens disent quand ils t’insultent vient maintenant sur moi » « les paroles méchantes que les gens ont dites contre toi, c’est maintenant sur moi qu’elles viennent ». La Bible en français courant propose « Les insultes que l’on te destinait sont retombées sur moi ».
Source: Margot, Jean-Claude & Zogbo, Lynell. La lettre aux Romains – Manuel de traduction – Commentaire linguistique et exégétique de la Bible. Alliance biblique universelle, 2021.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.