complete verse (Romans 3:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 3:15:

  • Uma: “‘They are always ready-to-fight, wanting to kill others.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “They easily hurt and kill.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And that’s not all, for they can easily murder.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It is easy for them to murder,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Only killing do they want.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “They kill people at slight provocation.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

For the Old Testament quote, see Isaiah 59:7.

Translation commentary on Romans 3:15 – 3:17

The Old Testament passages referred to in these verses are Isaiah 59.7-8 and Proverbs 1.16.

They are quick to hurt and kill renders a Hebrew idiom, which translated literally conveys little or no meaning for the average English reader (see New English Bible “their feet hasten to shed blood”). It may, of course, be necessary to specify the goal of hurting and killing—for example, “to hurt and kill people” or “to cause people to suffer and to kill them.”

Verse 16 describes further the evil things done by these people; a translation such as “ruin and misery lie along their paths” (New English Bible) leaves the reader doubtful as to whether this is something that these people do or something that happens to them. They leave ruin and misery must be translated in many instances as a causative: “they cause ruin and misery,” “they cause people to be destroyed and to suffer,” or “they harm people and cause them to suffer.”

Verse 17 must be taken to mean that these people never do anything to bring about peace with their fellowmen. Bringing about peace may be rendered as “cause people to know peace,” “cause people to live in peace with one another,” or “cause people to live together peacefully.”

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 3:15

3:15

Their feet are swift to shed blood: This is a figure of speech. It indicates that these people are always ready to hurt or kill others. The words Their feet are swift indicate that they are ready to run toward any opportunity to hurt or kill others. In some languages a literal translation would not have that meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Explain in your translation the part that is unclear. For example:

Their feet are swift ⌊to find someone⌋ to hurt or kill
-or-
They are swift to shed blood
-or-
They are quick to hurt or kill someone

You may then want to tell the literal saying in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:

Literally: “Their feet are swift to shed blood.”

• Translate the literal meaning and explain it in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:

This saying indicates that these people are always ready to hurt or kill others. They are ready to run to any opportunity to do so.

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