transgression, trespass

The Greek that is often translated as “trespass” or “transgression” in English is translated as “missing the commandment” in Kipsigis and “to step beyond the law” in Navajo (Dinė). (Source: Bratcher / Nida 1961)

In Tepeuxila Cuicatec it is translated as “thing not reached.” Marjorie Davis (in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 34ff. ) explains: “[This] implies that the goal was not reached, the task was not finished, or of finished, it was not satisfactorily done. According to the Cuicateco way of thinking of one does not what is expected of him, he offends [or: trespasses] and is an offence.”

grace

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“The Greek word charis, usually translated by English ‘grace,’ is one of the desperations of translators. The area of meaning is exceptionally extensive. Note the following possible meanings for this word in various contexts of the New Testament: ‘sweetness,’ ‘charm,’ ‘loveliness,’ ‘good-will,’ ‘loving-kindness,’ ‘favor,’ ‘merciful kindness,’ ‘benefit,’ ‘gift,’ ‘benefaction,’ ‘bounty,’ and ‘thanks.’ The theological definition of ‘unmerited favor’ (some translators have attempted to employ this throughout) is applicable to only certain contexts. Moreover, it is quite a task to find some native expression which will represent the meaning of ‘unmerited favor.’ In some languages it is impossible to differentiate between ‘grace’ and ‘kindness.’ In fact, the translation ‘kindness’ is in some cases quite applicable. In other languages, a translation of ‘grace’ is inseparable from ‘goodness.’ In San Miguel El Grande Mixtec a very remarkable word has been used for ‘grace.’ It is made up of three elements. The first of these is a prefixial abstractor. The second is the stem for ‘beauty.’ The third is a suffix which indicates that the preceding elements are psychologically significant. The resultant word may be approximately defined as ‘the abstract quality of beauty of personality.’” (Source: Nida 1947, p. 223)

Other translations include (click or tap here to see more):

  • Inuktitut: “God’s kindness that enables us” (source: Andrew Atagotaaluk)
  • Kwara’ae: kwae ofe’ana (“kindness to one who deserves the opposite”) (source: Norman Deck in The Bible Translator 1963, 34ff. )
  • Chichewa: “being favored in the heart by God” (Source: Ernst Wendland)
  • Sayula Popoluca: “God’s favor” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Caribbean Javanese: kabetyikané (“goodness”)
  • Saramaccan: bunhati (“good heart”)
  • Sranan Tongo: bun ati (“good heart”) or gadobun (“God’s goodness”)
  • Eastern Maroon Creole: (gaan) bun ati (“(big) good heart”) (source for this and three above: Jabini 2015)
  • Fasu: “free big help”
  • Wahgi: “save without reward” (source for this and the one above: Deibler / Taylor 1977)
  • Kera: “to do kindness/good to someone” (“without them having done anything to receive it”) (source: Jackie Hainaut)
  • Warao: “goodness of his obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions” (source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ) — see other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.
  • Nukna: “God gave his insides to one.” (“The ‘insides’ are the seat of emotion in Nukna, like the heart in the English language. To give your insides to someone is to feel love toward them, to want what is best for them, and to do good things for them.” (Source: Matt Taylor in The PNG Experience )
  • Uma: “(God’s) white insides” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Hindi, Bengali: anugraha (Hindi: अनुग्रह, Bengali: অনুগ্রহ) from graha: “grasp, a reaching out after, with gracious intent” (source: R.M. Clark in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 81ff. )
  • the German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) uses a large variety of translations, including “undeserved friendliness,” “wonderful work of God,” “loving attention,” “generous,” but also “undeserved grace” (using the traditional German term Gnade)

In Latvian the term žēlastība is used both for “grace” and steadfast love. It is also often used as a synonym for “mercy.” (Source: Katie Roth)

In the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) and the Buku Lopatulika version (1922/2018) it is translated with chisomo. This word was earlier used to refer to a charm that people were using for others to like them. It meant that on his/her own, a person would not be qualified to be liked by people. But with this charm, people would look at that person more kindly. This is also used in a number of Old Testament passages for what is typically translated as “find favor” or “gracious” in English, including Exodus 33:12, Numbers 6:25, or Psalm 84:11. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

For Muna, René van den Berg explains the process how the translation team arrived at a satisfactory solution: “Initial translation drafts in Muna tended to (…) use the single word kadawu ‘part, (given) share, gift,’ but this word is really too generic. It lacks the meaning component of mercy and kindness and also seems to imply that the gift is part of a larger whole. Consequently we now [translate] according to context. In wishes and prayers such as ‘Grace to you and peace from God’ we translate ‘grace’ as kabarakati ‘blessing’ (e.g. Gal 1:3). In many places we use kataano lalo ‘goodness of heart’ (e.g. Gal 1:15 ‘because of the goodness of his heart God chose me’) as well as the loan rahamati ‘mercy’ (e.g. ‘you have-turned-your-backs-on the mercy of God’ for ‘you have fallen away from grace’; Gal 5:4). In one case where the unmerited nature of ‘grace’ is in focus, we have also employed katohai ‘a free gift’ (typically food offered to one’s neighbo-1urs) in the same verse. ‘The reason-you-have-been-saved is because of the goodness of God’s heart (Greek charis, Muna kataano lalo), going-through your belief in Kristus. That salvation is not the result of your own work, but really a free-gift (Greek dooron ‘gift’; Muna katohai) of God.’ (Eph 2:8).

In Burmese, it is translated with the Buddhist term kyeh’jooh’tau (ကျေး​ဇူး​တော်). LaSeng Dingrin (in Missiology 37/4, 2009, p. 485ff.) explains: “As regards the Christian term ‘grace,’ Judson [the first translator of the Bible into Burmese] could not have brought the Burmese Buddhists the good news about the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and its benefits (i.e., forgiveness and salvation), without employing the Burmese Buddhist term kyeh’jooh’tau (‘grace’). Deriving from Pali kataññuta (“gratefulness”), kyeh’jooh’tau denotes ‘good deeds for others or benefits,’ which occur among humans. (…) When Christianized, kyeh’jooh’tau also refers to the atoning work of Jesus and its benefits, and can occur between humans and God. The word kyeh’jooh’tau looks very Burmese Buddhist, but it is Christian, too, and conveys the core of the Christian proclamation. Furthermore, kyeh’jooh’tau itself shows that translatability of Christianity cannot be imagined without reliance on Buddhism.” (See also the Burmese entry for God)

In American Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines “compassion” and “giving out.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Grace” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions and grace to you and grace (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation: Eastern Canadian Inuktitut

ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᒍᕇᑭᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅᑕᖓᑦ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᔾᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐃᒫᒃ “ᓴᐃᒪᓂᖅ” ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᓪᓕ ᑐᑭᓕᐅᔾᔭᐅᓯᒪᒻᒪᑦ ᐃᒫᒃ “ᒎᑎᐅᑉ ᑐᙵᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂᒃ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᑎᑦᑎᕙᑦᑐᖅ.”

(Translator: Julia Demcheson)

sin

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is typically translated as “sin” in English has a wide variety of translations.

The Greek ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) carries the original verbatim meaning of “miss the mark” and likewise, many translations contain the “connotation of moral responsibility.”

  • Loma: “leaving the road” (which “implies a definite standard, the transgression of which is sin”)
  • Navajo (Dinė): “that which is off to the side” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: kasalan, originally meaning “transgression of a religious or moral rule” and in the context of the Bible “transgression of God’s commandments” (source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21ff. )
  • Kaingang: “break God’s word”
  • Bariai: “bad behavior” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Sandawe: “miss the mark” (like the original meaning of the Greek term) (source for this and above: Ursula Wiesemann in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 36ff., 43)
  • Nias: horö, originally a term primarily used for sexual sin. (Source: Hummel / Telaumbanua 2007, p. 256)
  • Mauwake: “heavy” (compare forgiveness as “take away one’s heaviness”) (source: Kwan Poh San in this article )

In Shipibo-Conibo the term is hocha. Nida (1952, p. 149) tells the story of its choosing: “In some instances a native expression for sin includes many connotations, and its full meaning must be completely understood before one ever attempts to use it. This was true, for example, of the term hocha first proposed by Shipibo-Conibo natives as an equivalent for ‘sin.’ The term seemed quite all right until one day the translator heard a girl say after having broken a little pottery jar that she was guilty of ‘hocha.’ Breaking such a little jar scarcely seemed to be sin. However, the Shipibos insisted that hocha was really sin, and they explained more fully the meaning of the word. It could be used of breaking a jar, but only if the jar belonged to someone else. Hocha was nothing more nor less than destroying the possessions of another, but the meaning did not stop with purely material possessions. In their belief God owns the world and all that is in it. Anyone who destroys the work and plan of God is guilty of hocha. Hence the murderer is of all men most guilty of hocha, for he has destroyed God’s most important possession in the world, namely, man. Any destructive and malevolent spirit is hocha, for it is antagonistic and harmful to God’s creation. Rather than being a feeble word for some accidental event, this word for sin turned out to be exceedingly rich in meaning and laid a foundation for the full presentation of the redemptive act of God.”

In Warao it is translated as “bad obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ). See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the Danish Bibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “We would explain terms, such that e.g. sin often became ‘doing what God does not want’ or ‘breaking God’s law’, ‘letting God down’, ‘disrespecting God’, ‘doing evil’, ‘acting stupidly’, ‘becoming guilty’. Now why couldn’t we just use the word sin? Well, sin in contemporary Danish, outside of the church, is mostly used about things such as delicious but unhealthy foods. Exquisite cakes and chocolates are what a sin is today.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

See also sinner.

complete verse (Romans 5:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 5:20:

  • Uma: “As for the Lord’s Law the Musa announced, God’s purpose in giving that Law to man was so that man’s guilt would be obvious/clear, because many their breakings of that Law. But no matter how big the sin of men, the grace [white insides] of God to men is just bigger-and-bigger!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Before God gave the law, people were already sinning. The law was given by God so that they would know that their sins were becoming more. But even-though the sins of people increased God loved and pitied/had-mercy-on even more the sinful people.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason God gave the Law was so that people might realize increasingly how many are they transgressing against Him and at the time when the transgressions had increased very much, God caused to increase His kindness towards people.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “God gave his law to Moses in order that people’s sins would become increasingly many. But even though sins increased-in-number, God’s grace was still more.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The law was written in order that even more we should know that we have sin. And now when we know that we have much sin, then all the more we come to know that concerning the grace of God which is given to us, it is overflowing very much.” (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), in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Yucateco as “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.)

McKnight’s English translation (publ. 2023) has it as Covenant Code. He explains (p. 301): “The law of Moses was a covenantal arrangement by God with the people of Israel. This code of conduct expected of them was not the same as law in the Roman world or what law means to us today. It is a revelation of God’s will for God’s covenant people but requires ongoing interpretation and adjustments.”

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 5:20

For several verses Paul has been discussing the analogy and contrast between Adam and Christ. Adam brought sin into the world and so was responsible for the fall of mankind; Christ brought righteousness into the world and so made possible the redemption of mankind. Where, then, in this process does the Law fit in? Paul chooses a rather strong verb that shows dramatically the subordinate role of the Law in God’s purpose. Paul says it was introduced into a situation created by sin. The New English Bible translates the verb was introduced as “intruded”; while Moffatt and An American Translation* render it by “slipped in” (in Galatians 2.4 the Good News Bible renders this verb as slipped in). The word is specifically chosen in order to demonstrate that the Law has an inferior status and was added later. The Law was not given until the time of Moses, and it came to an end with Christ (see 4.13-16; 9.4). Paul states that the reason that the Law was introduced was in order to increase wrongdoing. The meaning of this statement is best discussed in connection with the following chapters, especially in connection with chapter 7. The Law increases wrongdoing both by indicating what wrongdoing is and by stirring up within persons the desire to rebel against the commands given in the Law. The Law did fulfill its function—it did increase wrongdoing—but God’s grace increased much more.

The passive expression law was introduced may need to be transformed into an active in some languages—for example, “God introduced the law,” “God brought the law in,” “God caused the law to come in,” or “God caused the law to be given.”

To increase wrongdoing may only be rendered in some languages as “in order to cause people to do wrong more.” The final half of verse 20 may then be translated as “but when people sinned more, God’s showing grace became more and more.” Though the clause where sin increased seems to be an expression of place, it is essentially an expression of time and therefore may be more appropriately rendered as “when sin increased” or “when people sinned more.”

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 5:20

Paragraph 5:20–21

5:20a

In the Greek, 5:20a begins with a word that is usually translated as “but.” Here it introduces a new topic. In some languages it is best to omit this word, as the Berean Standard Bible does.

The law: This phrase refers to the Jewish laws, including the ten commandments. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

The Law (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
God’s law (New Living Translation (2004))

came in: The Greek word is literally “entered alongside” or “intruded.” God added the Law to people’s lives. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

entered people’s lives
-or-
was added (New International Version)
-or-
was introduced (Good News Translation)

so that the trespass would increase: The words so that introduces a purpose for the law coming. This clause indicates that the awareness and seriousness of sin increased. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

to increase the trespass (English Standard Version)
-or-
when sin grew worse (New Century Version)

the trespass: Translate this word as you did in 5:18.

5:20b

but where sin increased: The word where connects this clause to the clause in 5:20c. It indicates that as the awareness and seriousness of sin increased, grace increased even more. In some languages a different word is used for this meaning. For example:

as sins increased
-or-
however much sin increased (New Jerusalem Bible)

sin: Here this word means the same thing as “trespass” in 5:20a. In some languages using two different words would indicate two different things. If that is true in your language, use the same word here as in 5:20a. For example:

trespasses/sins

Some languages may need to use the plural here too.

5:20c

grace increased: This clause indicates that God was kind even more as the awareness and seriousness of sin increased. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

grace abounded (English Standard Version)
-or-
God’s kindness increased (God’s Word)

all the more: As people sinned, God was even more kind to them. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

much more (Good News Translation)
-or-
even more (God’s Word)
-or-
exceeded it (REV)

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux Romains 5.20

Dans les versets précédents, Paul a traité de l’analogie et du contraste entre Adam et le Christ. Adam a introduit le péché dans le monde et a été responsable de la chute de l’humanité. Par contre, le Christ, par sa mort, a ouvert le chemin pour l’être humain d’être justifié. Il a rendu ainsi possible le salut de l’humanité. La question qui se pose maintenant est la suivante : quel rôle la loi joue-t-elle dans ce processus ?

La loi, elle, est intervenue : il y a une légère rupture exprimée par la conjonction δέ de en grec. La Traduction œcuménique de la Bible essaie d’exprimer ceci par un petit arrêt : la loi, elle,… Pour la loi, voir Rom 2.12. Il s’agit de la Loi de Moise.

est intervenue rend le verbe grec παρεισέρχομαι pareiserchomai. Leenhardt dit en note (p. 87) « la loi… n’était pas prévue dans le plan originel de Dieu ; c’est la désobéissance d’Adam qui a rendu nécessaire sa promulgation ». Ainsi on pourrait dire « La Loi s’est introduite… », presque d’une manière furtive. Le terme a été spécialement choisi pour montrer, d’une part, que la loi a un statut inférieur : elle n’a pas été donnée avant l’époque de Moïse, et la venue du Christ a signifié la fin de son rôle (voir aussi Rom 4.13 ; Gal 3.24). Si nécessaire, on pourrait dire « Dieu a introduit la loi ».

pour que prolifère la faute : selon Paul, la raison pour laquelle la loi est intervenue est pour que la faute soit évidente. La loi a « multiplié » le péché en révélant quelles étaient les mauvaises actions. Mais à côté de ceci, la loi suscitait dans l’esprit des gens le désir de se révolter contre ses commandements. Voir à ce sujet Rom 7.17. proliférer parle d’une augmentation de la faute.

mais là où le péché a proliféré, la grâce a surabondé : Paul commence cette proposition par une conjonction de contraste léger δέ de, que la Traduction œcuménique de la Bible et beaucoup de versions rendent par mais. Le mot péché remplace ici le mot faute, presque comme synonyme. Le verbe proliféré est répété. La fonction de la loi s’est réalisée en « multipliant le péché » ou « les fautes ». Dans certaines langues, on sera obligé de parler des gens qui pèchent, c’est-à-dire, « pour que les gens fassent plus de mal ».

Mais parallèlement à l’augmentation du péché, la grâce de Dieu a aussi augmenté. Le verbe surabonde rend un verbe apparenté aux verbes précédents, mais précédé du préfixe ὑπέρ huper, qui rend le sens de surabondance. Les traducteurs pourront rendre la phrase naturellement dans leur langue, par exemple, « la grâce de Dieu a été bien plus abondante encore » (Bible en français courant).

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