hate

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “hate” or a form thereof is translated in Tabasco Chontal as “don’t want to see [the person who is hated].” (Source: John Beekman & Harwood Hess in Notes on Translation, March 1963, p. 1ff.)

See also hate.

complete verse (Romans 7:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 7:15:

  • Uma: “I don’t understand the value/use of this character of mine. The good behavior that I want to do, I don’t end up doing. Behavior that I hate, that’s what I end up doing!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I don’t really understand my behavior. Because the good which I want to do I do not do. But that is what I do, the bad which I do not want/like/desire.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And I don’t understand why I do things like this, because the good which I want to do, I can’t do. And the bad things that really disgust me, that’s what I do.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I am surprised at what I do, because what I want to do, that’s what I don’t do, and at-the-same-time what I don’t-want to do, that’s what I am doing.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I do not understand how it is what I did, in that concerning the good I wanted to do, I didn’t do it. That which I didn’t look well upon is just what I did.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “I do not do what I want to do. Instead, what I do not want to do is what I do. I am not aware of why I do that way.”
  • Central Tarahumara: “And I do not know why I do thus, because I do not do good as I desire to do good. I only do the kinds of deeds that I hate very much.”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “In my life I don’t understand what I do. The good that I want to do, that is not what I do. Rather, I do that which I detest.” (Source for this and two above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

Translation commentary on Romans 7:15 – 7:16

In these verses Paul is illustrating that his conscience proved to him that the Law is good. Once again the question is whether Paul is referring to the Jewish Law in particular or to law in general; translators are divided in their conclusions. In verse 15 Paul uses two different words for do, but there is no essential distinction in meaning. Also the word rendered right (“good” in most translations; “admirable” in New English Bible) is not the same word as that translated good or that translated right in verse 12. However, it is unwise to insist on any distinction in meaning.

I do not understand may need to be expressed in a somewhat emphatic form: “I do not really understand.”

The clause I agree that the Law is right may be expressed as direct discourse in some languages: “I say, Yes, the Law is right” or “I answer, Yes, the Law is right.”

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 7:15

7:15a

In the Greek, 7:15a also begins with a word that is usually translated as “For.” This word introduces an explanation of Paul being “sold under sin” (7:14c). In some languages, it may be more natural to omit this word and leave the connection implicit, as the Berean Standard Bible does.

I do not understand what I do: The Greek is literally “What I do, I do not understand.” Paul did not understand why he sinned, when he knew better.

7:15b

For: This word introduces an explanation of Paul not understanding his own actions (7:15a).

what I want to do, I do not do: The Greek is literally “not what I want this I do.” Many English versions and scholars connect the word not with do, as in the Berean Standard Bible. That makes more sense of the contrasting connection that follows this clause in the Greek.

7:15c

But: Some languages will not see the connection here as contrast. For example:

and at-the-same-time
-or-
That which I…

what I hate, I do: The Greek is literally “what I hate this I do.” The words what I hate are emphasized.

hate: This word refers to a very strong dislike. Here it includes Paul despising those things that he was doing. Here are other ways to translate this word:

detest (Revised English Bible)
-or-
am disgusted with

© 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 7.15

Paul explique à quel point le péché le domine et exprime sa frustration face à ses propres faiblesses.

Effectivement est litt. « Car » (Segond Révisée, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Osty-Trinquet). Comme ailleurs, la conjonction γάρ gar peut aussi être rendue par « En effet » (La Bible du Semeur) ou être omise dans la traduction (Bible en français courant).

je ne comprends rien à ce que je fais : le grec a l’inverse : « ce que je fais, je ne comprends pas ». Plusieurs versions ajoutent un adverbe : « Vraiment, ce que je fais, je ne le comprends pas » (Bible de Jérusalem, Parole de Vie).

ce que je fais… je ne le fais pas… je le fais : Paul utilise trois verbes différents pour faire ici, litt. « j’accomplis… je ne pratique pas… je fais ». Mais les trois ont pratiquement le même sens dans ce contexte.

ce que je veux, je ne le fais pas : certaines rendront explicite « ce que je veux faire, je ne le fais pas ».

mais ce que je hais, je le fais : cette proposition débute par une conjonction forte ἀλλά alla. haïr rend un verbe très fort : « ce que je déteste » (Bible en français courant, La Bible du Semeur, Parole de Vie).

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