complete verse (Romans 4:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 4:15:

  • Uma: “It is God’s anger that we get from the Lord’s Law, for we break [emphatic] his Law. If God had not given us his Law, we would not be guilty of breaking that Law.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The law is only the cause of God’s being angry with and punishing us (dual) because we (dual) cannot follow the law. Only if there were no law then there would be no one breaking the law.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “We cannot become better off by means of the Law, because the Law is the reason God is angry with us because we cannot obey it. I wish that there were no Law, for then it would not be possible that we had any transgressions.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because the outcome of the law is that people are condemned to be punished. Because as long as there is a law, there will definitely also be those who break it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because, concerning the law, only punishment comes with it. There where it is known about what word the law says, then the people know that they have sin, since they disobey the law.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

law

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.)

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Romans 4:15

Paul’s first reference to Law in this verse is literally “the law,” which is most naturally taken to mean the (Jewish) Law (see An American Translation* and Moffatt), though the New English Bible and the Jerusalem Bible take is simply in a general sense of “law.” The Revised Standard Version seems also to take this as a reference to the Jewish Law, though the phrase “the law” is ambiguous inasmuch as “law” is not written with a capital. It is generally agreed that the second reference to “law” in this passage is a reference to law in general, and not to the Jewish Law in particular.

In a number of languages it is extremely difficult to distinguish between Law, as a specific reference to the Old Testament Law, and law in general. Capitalization may be of some assistance to those who read the text, but it has no value to those who merely hear the reading; and since many more people are likely to hear a text read than read it for themselves, capitalization is of limited value. In some languages this distinction may be made by translating Law (capitalized) as “the Law of Moses” or “the Law which came through Moses,” while the more generic meaning of law (with lower case) may be translated as “laws” or “regulations.”

The verb rendered brings (New English Bible, Revised Standard Version; An American Translation* “brings down”) has as its basic meaning “to bring about” (see Moffatt “produces”). Paul is here speaking of a reality, not of a possibility, and so the Jerusalem Bible falls short of his meaning “involves the possibility of.” However, the Jerusalem Bible does give a footnote indicating that this means literally “for law brings.” Although Paul merely says “wrath” the reference is to God’s wrath (see also An American Translation*), and the Good News Translation makes this information explicit. On the meaning of wrath see 1.18.

In most languages one cannot speak about the “Law bringing down wrath.” However, a causative may be employed—for example, “the Law causes God’s wrath” or “the Law causes God’s judgment.”

Disobeying (of the law) (Jerusalem Bible “breaking the law”; New English Bible “breach of law”; An American Translation* “violation of it (law)”) translates the word usually rendered “transgression,” a word not in general use among speakers of American English. The final two clauses in verse 15 may be treated as conditional—for example, “but if there are no regulations, then one cannot disobey the regulations” or “if laws do not exist, then no one can violate the laws.”

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 4:15

4:15a

because: The word because here introduces an explanation for what Paul said in 4:14a–c. Translate that meaning in a way that is natural in your language.

the law brings wrath: This clause implies that people cannot obey all the law of Moses all the time. When they break the law, God becomes angry.

In some languages translating literally would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Translate literally and explain its meaning in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:

This clause implies that people cannot obey all the law of Moses all the time, and so God becomes angry at people when they break the law.

• Include some or all of the implied information in your translation. For example:

the law can only bring God’s anger (New Century Version)
-or-
God becomes angry when his Law is broken (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
It is God’s anger that we get from his Law ⌊because we break it⌋
-or-
the Law is the reason God is angry with us because we cannot obey it

the law: The word law here refers to the law of Moses, as in 4:13–14. See how you translated it there.

wrath: The word wrath refers to violent anger. It implies punishment for breaking the law.

4:15b

And:
The Greek begins with a word that the Berean Standard Bible and many English versions literally translate as And. Many languages would see contrast between 4:15a and 4:15b. Translate it in a way that is most natural to connect 4:15b to 4:15a.

where there is no law, there is no transgression: This probably refers to the time before God gave the law to Moses. Abraham could not break the law of Moses, because God gave it to Moses hundreds of years after Abraham died. So God could not be angry with Abraham (4:15a) when he did things that would have broken the laws of Moses. Here are other ways to translate these words:

where there is no law, there is no disobeying of the law (Good News Translation)
-or-
where laws don’t exist, they can’t be broken (God’s Word)
-or-
if there is no law, it cannot be disobeyed
-or-
The only (situation) in which no-one would be breaking laws is if there were no laws

In some languages it is more natural or clear to state this without using no twice. For example:

a person can only break a law that has already been put in place

where: Here this word refers to locations where “there is no law.” It is not used to signal a question. Translate this word in a way that does not signal a question. See examples above.

transgression: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as transgression means “to disobey a law or custom.” Here it refers to knowingly disobeying or breaking a law. See examples above.

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