obedience / obey

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, and Greek that is translated in English typically as “obedience” or “obey” is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “thing hearing,” because “to hear is to obey.” (Source: Marjorie Davis in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 34ff. )

In Huba it is translated as hya nǝu nyacha: “follow (his) mouth.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )

In Central Mazahua it is translated as “listen-obey” and in Huehuetla Tepehua as “believe-obey” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in Noongar as dwangka-don, lit. “hear do” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).

See also disobedience.

guileless as to what is evil

The Greek in Romans 16:19 that is translated as “guileless as to what is evil” or similar in English is translated as “don’t let others deceive you so that you do evil” in Miahuatlán Zapotec, as “fear the bad life” in Huehuetla Tepehua, as “don’t be those who know sick words” in Chicahuaxtla Triqui, as “don’t get involved with evil” in Yatzachi Zapotec, and as “never do evil” in Central Tarahumara. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

joy

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The Greek, Latin, Ge’ez, and Hebrew that is translated with “joy” or “gladness” in English is translated with various strategies:

  • Baoulé: “a song in the stomach” (see also peace (inner peace))
  • Bambara: “the spirit is made sweet”
  • Kpelle: “sweet heart”
  • Tzeltal: “the good taste of one’s heart”
  • Uduk: “good to the stomach”
  • Mískito: “the liver is wide open” (“happily letting the pleasures flooding in upon it”) (source for this and above: Nida 1952)
  • Mairasi: “good liver” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: koort-kwabba-djil or “heart very good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “refreshed heart” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).
  • Hausa Common Language Bible: farin ciki or “white stomach.” Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Seat of the Mind for traditional views of “ways of knowing, thinking, and feeling,” happiness / joy, and exceeding joy.

complete verse (Romans 16:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 16:19:

  • Uma: “But as for you, relatives, all people know how you submit to the teaching of God. I also am glad to hear about your behavior. My desire is that your hearts be clear [i.e., wise] to do good behavior, but [you] not do evil behavior.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “All people know that you remain/are steadfastly following/obeying the teaching of Isa Almasi. Therefore I am happy/joyful because of you. What I wish is that you are wise (deep knowledge) concerning knowing the good but concerning doing evil, really avoid it.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The news about your obeying the commands of God has spread abroad and this makes me very happy. It’s my desire that your skill in doing what is good, is great; and I also want that you have no skill at all in evil.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I know, granted, that your obedience to Cristo is well-known in even far-away towns, so I am extremely-happy concerning you, but I nevertheless want you to be wise concerning what is good and at-the-same-time to have no wisdom concerning what is bad.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “All the believers know well that you believe the good news now. Therefore I rejoice very much about what you have done. Now I want to tell you that you must know well how you should do the good. Concerning the evil, do not do it.” (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 16:18 – 16:19

Appetites (many translations) is literally “stomach.” Although a similar expression is used in Philippians 3.19, it is difficult to define precisely what Paul means by this phrase. An American Translation* rendered it by “base passions” and Moffatt by “base desires,” but some commentators understand it in the sense of undue concern with laws about what one can or cannot eat. Something of the parallelism between serving Christ our Lord and their own appetites may be indicated by “For those who do such things are not concerned with helping Christ our Lord; they are only concerned with what they should eat and what they should not eat.” One may also say: “… are not thinking about helping Christ our Lord, but are only thinking about what they should or should not eat.”

Fine words (New English Bible “smooth … words”; New American Bible “smooth … speech”) translates a word which appears only here in the New Testament. The reference is to speech that may sound reasonable or “plausible” (An American Translation*). By their fine words and flattering speech may be translated as “They use beautiful words and they flatter people; in this way they deceive.”

Minds is literally “hearts,” but in Semitic thought the heart was the seat of intellectual activity. In some languages deceive the minds of innocent people may be rendered as “mix up the hearts of people who have not experienced these evils.”

Paul uses two different words in verses 18 and 19, both of which are translated innocent by the Good News Translation. The Revised Standard Version translates the first of these terms by “simple-minded” (so An American Translation*), and the New English Bible translates the second by “simpletons.” Etymologically the two words are different, but they should be translated with essentially the same meaning. The first literally means “inexperienced as far as evil is concerned”—therefore innocent. The second literally means “unmixed,” and when followed by the phrase in what is evil, the construction means innocent in what is evil.

Your loyalty to the gospel may be translated as “how strongly you hold to the gospel” or “how well you obey the gospel.”

For this reason I am happy about you is rendered in some languages as “therefore you cause me to be happy.”

Wise about what is good may be rendered as “wise in knowing what is good.” In contrast with this, innocent in what is evil may be rendered as “innocent in doing what is evil” or “innocent as far as doing what is evil is concerned.”

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 16:19

16:19a

Here the Greek word that is often translated as “for” occurs at the beginning of 16:19a. The Berean Standard Bible omits this word. It introduces an explanation or a basis for something in 16:18, or supports the exhortation in 16:17–18.

Everyone has heard about your obedience: The Greek is literally “your obedience has reached to all.” It implies news of their obedience reaching all people. For example:

everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord (New Living Translation (2004))

so: The Greek word here usually means “therefore.” Here is another way to translate this:

therefore (New American Standard Bible)

16:19b

But: This introduces contrast between Paul’s concern about wanting them to be wise and him rejoicing over them (16:19a).

be wise about what is good: The word wise refers to skillful application of knowledge to a situation or deed. Paul wanted these people to discern what is truly good.

16:19c

innocent about what is evil: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as innocent refers to being pure in their thinking and actions. The phrase indicates that these people should not let their purity get contaminated by evil in any way. Here are other ways to translate this word:

not have anything to do with evil (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
let your deeds be not contaminated with evil

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Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux Romains 16.19

Votre obéissance, en effet, est bien connue de tous : la conjonction grecque γάρ gar traduite dans certaines versions par En effet fournit une transition. Paul se détourne de ceux qui trompent les gens, pour s’adresser aux croyants, dont l’obéissance… est bien connue de tous. Certaines versions omettent la conjonction, tandis que la Parole de Vie dit « Oui ».

Votre obéissance parle de l’attitude des croyants qui obéissent « au Seigneur » (Bible en français courant). La proposition pourrait être exprimée à l’actif comme « Tout le monde sait à quel point vous êtes attachés au Seigneur » ou « …avec quel zèle vous obéissez au Seigneur ».

Je me réjouis donc à votre sujet : pour réjouir, voir Rom 12.12. On pourrait dire « Alors, à cause de vous, je suis dans la joie » (Parole de Vie).

mais je veux que vous soyez avisés pour le bien : mais rend la conjonction δέ de, qui exprime un contraste. Paul veut que les croyants soient avisés, c’est-à-dire, « sages » (σοφός sophos). On pourrait dire « mais je désire que vous soyez sages pour faire le bien » ou « …pleins de sagesse pour faire le bien » (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). La La Bible du Semeur dit « mais je désire que vous sachiez discerner le bien » (La Bible du Semeur). Le mot ἀγαθός agathos est le mot général pour le bien. Ce mot sera mis en opposition avec ce qui suit : le mal.

et sans compromission avec le mal : les mots grecs « bon, sans compromission » commencent tous les deux par le son « a », ce qui crée une assonance rythmique : ἀγαθόν, ἀκεραίους agathon, akeraious. Ce dernier mot est litt. « et sans mélange pour le mal ». On pourrait dire « innocents en ce qui concerne le mal », c’est-à-dire, « purs (sans mélange) pour éviter le mal » (Bible en français courant) La Parole de Vie dit « toujours attentifs à éviter le mal ».

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