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)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 2:26:
Uma: “As for the non-Jews, they are not circumcised according to the Lord’s Law. But if their behavior is straight like the behavior that is demanded in the Lord’s Law, God will certainly receive them the same as people who are circumcised according to the Lord’s Law.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The people not Yahudi, even if they are not circumcised but if they follow God’s law, God looks at them as if they had been circumcised.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the same way also, for example, if there is a person who is not a Jew and he thoroughly obeys the Law, God will accept Him just as if he were already circumcised.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “So also the Gentiles, even though they have not gotten-circumcised, yet if they obey God’s law, God counts them as if they are his people who have-gotten-circumcised.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the person who isn’t a Jew, if he does what is said in the law which the Jews follow, then he is God’s person. He then becomes as though he were a Jew.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez 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.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
The Gentile, who is not circumcised (see Revised Standard Version “a man who is uncircumcised”) is literally “the uncircumcision.” Paul uses this word “uncircumcision” in three different senses, depending on the context: (1) the foreskin of the male, (2) the state of being uncircumcised, and (3) those persons who are uncircumcised, that is, Gentiles. In a similar fashion Paul sometimes uses “circumcision” as a reference to the Jews (see Romans 3.30; 4.9, 12; 15.8). The passive verb “be regarded” (Revised Standard Version) is actually a Semitic way of speaking of God’s action without mentioning the name of God. In order to make this information clear for the reader, the Good News Translation renders the entire expression as will not God regard him as though he were circumcised?
Verse 26 involves several problems, not only because of the rhetorical question which completes the verse, but also because of the nonrestrictive attributive clause who is not circumcised. In some languages this expression must be a complete sentence, but clearly marked as contrastive—for example, “on the other hand, Gentiles are not circumcised; nevertheless, if they obey the commands of the Law, God will surely regard them as though they were circumcised.” In this manner the logical relations between the various clauses is carefully preserved and the singular is changed to plural in order to indicate clearly that all such persons are involved.
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 .
This verse begins with a word that is often translated as “therefore.” This word introduces a conclusion from what Paul said in 2:25. The Berean Standard Bible has left this word untranslated. It may be natural in your language to make the relationship with the previous verse explicit. For example:
So (English Standard Version)
a man who is not circumcised: This phrase refers to a non-Jew. No one has cut off the foreskin of his penis.
keeps: Here this word means “obeys.”
requirements: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as requirements refers to rules for right behavior. Here are other ways to translate this word:
precepts (English Standard Version)
-or-
commands (New Jerusalem Bible)
2:26b
will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?: If a non-Jew does the right things according to God’s law, God considers him as if he had a covenant with him, like the covenant he has with the Jews. There are two issues:
Issue 1: Passive
This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause here. For example:
will not God regard him as though he were circumcised? (Good News Translation)
Issue 2: Rhetorical Question
This question is rhetorical. It emphasizes that this man will be regarded as someone circumcised. Translate it with that meaning. Here are some ways:
• As a rhetorical question. See the example above.
• As a statement. For example:
they will be regarded as though they were circumcised.
-or-
⌊God⌋ will regard him as though he were circumcised.
be regarded as: The more literal sense of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be regarded as refers to counting something, often as in business costs and sales. Here it refers to counting or considering an uncircumcised person to be the same as a circumcised one, and therefore treating him in that way. Here are other ways to translate this Greek word:
counted as (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
be considered (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
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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