complete verse (Romans 16:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 16:17:

  • Uma: “Relatives! I really warn you to be careful of people who make divisions and who want to make you fall with their teaching(s) that are at-odds with the teaching that was taught to us. Stay-far-from people like that!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “My brothers, I beg/adjure you to be observant/careful, because there will be people who want to divide/separate you so that you are not in harmony/don’t get along. They also want to influence (you) to divert/separate you so that you no longer trust Isa Almasi because they oppose the teaching about Isa Almasi which has been taught to you. Avoid them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Brothers, I beg you that you be on your guard; avoid those people who disturb you believers in your oneness and in your believing, for they disobey the true doctrine which was taught to you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Please-be-so-kind my-brothers as to beware of people who cause-you -to-separate and who turn-aside your faith because of what they teach that is contrary to the correct-things that you learned back before. Distance yourselves from them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen my brothers, I tell you that you be very careful. Because there are some who only want to have wars. They separate people until they spoil the word. These people do not look well upon the word which has been taught to you. Don’t associate with these who make wars.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”

See also brothers.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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 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 16:17

Watch out for (New English Bible “keep your eye on”; Jerusalem Bible “be on your guard against”) is stronger than a translation such as “take note of” (Revised Standard Version) might suggest.

Those who cause divisions may be rendered as “those who separate people into groups,” “those who cause different groups of people to fight with one another,” or “those who cause strong differences between people.”

Upset people’s faith (New English Bible “lead others astray”) may be literally rendered as “do things to cause (people) to stumble.” In this context the people who are made to stumble are believers. In some languages it is quite meaningless to talk about “upsetting a person’s faith.” One can, however, “twist another’s faith” or “cause a believer to leave the right road.”

Who go against the teaching is a verb transform of the noun phrase “contrary to the teaching” (New American Bible). Teaching (New English Bible, Phillips, New American Bible) or “instruction” (An American Translation*) is a more acceptable term than “doctrine” (Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, Moffatt). Rather than say go against the teaching, it may be more appropriate to render “talk against the teaching,” “teach contrary to the way in which you have received the teaching,” or “teach against what you have been taught.”

You have received (so New American Bible; New English Bible “you received”) is literally “which you learned.” Several translations make this into a passive construction (Revised Standard Version “you have been taught”; An American Translation* “you were given”).

Keep away from them may be translated in a negative form, “do not associate with them” or “do not go near them.”

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 16:17

Paragraph 16:17–20

16:17a

Now: This Greek conjunction introduces a new topic. Some English versions leave it implicit.

I urge you, brothers: In some languages it is more natural to begin with the term of address brothers. For example:

Brothers and sisters, I urge you (God’s Word)

I urge you: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as urge has a wide range of meaning. Many scholars believe it means “exhort” here, rather than “command” or “beg.” Here are other ways to translate this clause:

I appeal to you (English Standard Version)
-or-
I encourage you (God’s Word)

See how you translated this clause in 12:1 or 15:30.

brothers: Here this word refers to all the believers living in Rome, both men and women. The word indicates a close relationship between believers because God has made them his (adopted) children. See how you translated this word in 1:13 or 15:30.

watch out for: This is a warning to be looking for people who cause divisions among the believers in Rome. If they see such people, they are to avoid them (16:17c). Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

be on your guard against (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
beware of

those who create divisions: This refers to people who come into the group of believers and start arguments about the way people should live as Christians. They cause the believers to separate from believers who have a different opinion about the issue. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

those who cause people to be against each other (New Century Version)
-or-
divides the church (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
people who cause-you-to-separate

This is a general warning. Paul did not imply here that these kind of people were already doing this in Rome.

16:17b

and obstacles: This is a second thing that these people “who create divisions” (16:17a) cause.

obstacles: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as obstacles is often translated “stumbling block(s).” Here (and in those places) it refers to something that causes someone to have problems in their faith. It is like someone stumbling over a root and perhaps falling. In this case it could be a false teaching or something similar causing someone to have problems with their faith. Here are other ways to translate this word:

difficulties (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
hindrances (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
upset people’s faith (Good News Translation)

See how you translated the word obstacles in 14:13 (“stumbling block”).

the teaching you have learned: This Greek phrase refers to teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by the apostles and other church leaders.

16:17c

Turn away from them: If the believers see the kind of people described in 16:17a–b, they must not associate with them. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

Stay away from them (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Distance yourselves from them

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux Romains 16.17

16.17-24

Paul semble garder ces conseils importants jusqu’à la fin de sa lettre, en recommandant que les chrétiens à Rome s’éloignent des personnes qui divisent la communauté. Il termine Rom 16.17 par une première bénédiction, puis reprend ses salutations dans Rom 16.21.

La Traduction œcuménique de la Bible ne met pas de division ici, considérant que la majorité de Rom 16.1 constitue des salutations. Par contre, la Bible en français courant introduit un sous-titre, Un dernier avertissement, qui pourrait aussi être exprimé par « Paul donne ses derniers conseils » ou « Paul adresse ses derniers conseils aux chrétiens de Rome ».

Paul commence une nouvelle section avec des propos très personnels, Je vous exhorte. Comme en Rom 10.18, Rom 10.19, de telles expressions (« je dis/demande ») débutent un nouveau paragraphe. Le verbe grec est le même qu’en Rom 12.1 et Rom 15.30. On pourrait aussi dire « Je vous le demande » (Bible en français courant), « je vous encourage », etc. La présence d’une conjonction de transition, δέ de, ainsi que le vocatif frères montrent qu’il s’agit d’une division nette dans le texte.

Pour frères, voir Rom 1.13. Comme ailleurs, on peut aussi dire « Frères et sœurs », si le mot n’est pas inclusif dans la langue cible. La Parole de Vie met ce vocatif en tête de la phrase, comme interpellation directe.

à vous garder de ceux qui suscitent divisions et scandales : les croyants sont appelés à se méfier des gens qui divisent la communauté. Le verbe grec veut dire « prêter attention », « prendre garde de ». Les chrétiens doivent faire attention à ceux qui suscitent divisions et scandales. Pour divisions, on pourrait parler de « ceux qui séparent les gens », « ceux qui provoquent de fortes oppositions entre les gens ».

Pour scandales, voir Rom 14.13. Dans notre contexte, le mot a plusieurs sens, renvoyant souvent à quelqu’un qui fait tomber ou trébucher les autres. Les gens qui risquent de « tomber » sont des croyants et d’autres croyants peuvent les faire tomber : « Ils risquent de faire tomber dans le péché les croyants » (Parole de Vie). La Good News Bible propose « qui troublent la foi des gens ». Il sera peut-être plus simple de parler de ceux qui cherchent à « égarer » les croyants. Voir Bible en français courant et La Bible du Semeur.

en s’écartant de l’enseignement que vous avez reçu est litt. « contre l’enseignement que vous avez reçu ». La préposition « contre » est rendue par un verbe dans la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible (en s’écartant) et la Bible en français courant (« en s’opposant »). Le terme enseignement, adopté dans la plupart des versions, est préférable à « doctrine » qui donne l’impression d’un enseignement rigide. Le mot enseignement a déjà été employé en Rom 6.17. On pourrait dire « en parlant contre l’enseignement [que vous avez reçu] » (Parole de Vie), « en enseignant contre ce que l’on vous a enseigné » ou « en s’opposant à l’enseignement que vous avez reçu » (Bible en français courant).

que vous avez reçu est litt. « que vous avez appris ». Quelques versions en anglais ont tourné cela au passif : « qui vous a été enseigné » ou « qui vous a été donné ». Mais on pourrait aussi dire aussi « que vous avez appris ».

éloignez-vous d’eux pourrait être rendu sous une forme négative : « N’allez plus avec eux ! » (Parole de Vie), « Ne vous approchez pas d’eux », « N’ayez aucun rapport avec eux ».

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