The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “circumcise” or “circumcision” in English (originally meaning of English term: “to cut around”) are (back-) translated in various ways:
Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “put the mark in the body showing that they belong to God” (or: “that they have a covenant with God”)
Indonesian: disunat — “undergo sunat” (sunat is derived from Arabic “sunnah (سنة)” — “(religious) way (of life)”)
Ekari: “cut the end of the member for which one fears shame” (in Gen. 17:10) (but typically: “the cutting custom”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Hiri Motu: “cut the skin” (source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1079)
Garifuna: “cut off part of that which covers where one urinates”
Bribri: “cut the soft” (source for this and the one above: Ronald Ross)
Amele: deweg cagu qoc — “cut the body” (source: John Roberts)
Eastern Highland Otomi: “cut the flesh of the sons like Moses taught” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
Newari: “put the sign in one’s body” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 2:25:
Uma: “We Jews say that our custom of circumcision according to the Lord’s Law is valuable/useful. And there really is value in our being circumcised, as long as we really follow the Lord’s Law. But if we disobey the Lord’s Law, there is no value at all to our being circumcised.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “We (incl.) Yahudi, we (incl.) are hep commanded to be circumcised making (it) a sign that we (incl.) are a tribe/nation chosen by God and/so-that we (incl.) belong to him. When/if you (pl.) follow the law, circumcision is good. But when/if you (pl.) do not follow the law, circumcision is of no value.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for you Jews, you think mistakenly that there is great value in your being circumcized. And there really is value in being circumcised if we thoroughly obey the Law. However, if we do not thoroughly obey the Law, we are just like those people who aren’t Jews who have never been circumcised.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “There is admittedly a use/benefit in us Jews having-gotten-circumcised provided that we obey God’s law, but if we don’t obey it, it is useless, because we are like Gentiles who are not God’s people.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the person who is born a Jew, it is good if they do all that is said in the law followed by the Jews. But if they do not do all said in the law, then it is of no value that they were born as Jews.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (wsource: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
It is difficult in some languages to find a satisfactory term for circumcision. If the practice of circumcision is unknown, a descriptive expression often seems quite vulgar. If circumcision is known, direct references to such a practice may be taboo, especially in such context as the Scriptures. In general, there is a tendency to employ some kind of euphemism—for example, “the cutting of the skin” (without specifying what part of the skin is cut), “a mark in the flesh,” or “a cutting of the body.” In some instances an even more generic expression has developed by usage—for example, “the Jews cut them.” This term might be regarded as being entirely too general in meaning, but which in at least one language it is used to refer specifically to circumcision. In any event, the practice of circumcision must be identified clearly in this type of context, but an explanation of precisely what is involved may be placed in a glossary with appropriate cross-referencing.
In some languages one does not obey the Law but “obeys what the Law says” or “does what the Law says one ought to do.”
Your circumcision is of value may introduce problems because it may be necessary to use a verb in speaking of circumcision. The first two clauses of verse 25 may therefore be rendered as “if you do what the Law says you should do, it is good if you are circumcised” or “if you do what the Law commands, then the fact that you are circumcised will help you.”
You might as well never have been circumcised (see Jerusalem Bible “you might as well have stayed uncircumcised”) is the meaning of Paul’s statement “your circumcision becomes uncircumcision” (Revised Standard Version).
You might as well never have been circumcised may be rendered in some languages as “it is just the same as though you had not been circumcised” or “your being circumcised is nothing.”
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 .
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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