The word rendered disappoint is closely related both in form and meaning to the word used in 1.16 (there rendered I have complete confidence).
The relation between hope and “not being disappointed” may be expressed as condition and result—for example, “if we hope this way, we are never disappointed.” The relation may also be expressed as cause and effect—for example, “because we hope in this manner, we are never disappointed.”
God has poured out his love translates a phrase which is ambiguous in Greek. Literally it is “the love of God has been poured out.” The Greek phrase itself may be a reference either to our love for God or to God’s love for us. However, all translations in which the meaning is explicit render this as a reference to God’s love for us (see Moffatt, An American Translation*, New English Bible; see also the note in the Jerusalem Bible). This choice of meaning is supported by what Paul says in verse 8, but God has shown us how much he loves us. Furthermore, not only is God’s love mentioned explicitly in verse 8, but the illustration of his love begins in verse 6.
It is not uncommon to speak of God’s Spirit as being poured out (Acts 2.17, 18, 33; 10.45; Titus 3.6). This concept seems to go back to the book of Joel which speaks of God’s Spirit poured out on men (Joel 2.28, 29), and in other early Christian literature the verb “to pour out” is often used in speaking of gifts which come from above. Who is God’s gift to us translates a passive expression in Greek (literally “who was given to us”), in which the implied agent of the action is God (New English Bible “he [that is, God] has given us”).
It is quite impossible in most languages to speak of “pouring out love.” In a number of instances one may, however, speak of “how greatly he loves us” or even “how much he has shown our hearts how much he loves us.”
By means of the Holy Spirit must be expressed in some languages as a secondary agent—for example, “God has done this by means of the Holy Spirit” or “the Holy Spirit himself has shown how much God loves us.”
The final clause who is God’s gift to us may be rendered as “who is the one whom God has given to us” or “God himself gave us his Holy Spirit.”
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 .
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.