complete verse (Romans 7:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 7:19:

  • Uma: “I do not do the good behavior that I like. What I continually do is the evil behavior that I don’t like.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For I do not do the good which I want to do. But what I do is the bad which I don’t want/like.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For what I do is not the good that I want to do, but rather it’s evil that I am disgusted to do.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Thus I am not able-to-do the good I want to do and simultaneously I am doing the evil that I dislike.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I didn’t do the good I wanted to do, rather the evil I didn’t look well upon is what I did.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 7:19 – 7:20

Verse 19 brings into sharper focus the thoughts of verse 15, while the same conclusion is reached in verse 20 as in verse 17.

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 7:19

7:19a

For: This word introduces an explanation of what Paul has said in 7:18b.

I do not do the good I want to do: This clause is similar to 7:15b but here the Greek also has the word good after the word the (translated appropriately as “what” in 7:15b).

Some languages must have a noun such as “things” or “deeds” to go with the good. For example:

I do not do the good ⌊things/deeds⌋ I want

Some languages must introduce the words I want with “that.” Some languages must add to do at the end for a natural clause, as the Berean Standard Bible does. For example:

I do not do the good ⌊things/deeds⌋ ⌊that⌋ I want to do

7:19b

Instead: Both “I do not do the good I want” (7:19a) and “I keep on doing the evil I do not want” (7:19b) are bad things to do. So in some languages connecting these two thoughts with “and” would indicate the correct connection. For example:

and

I keep on doing: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I keep on doing is present tense like it is in 7:15c (“I do”). Translate it in a similar way here.

the evil I do not want to do: This phrase refer to evil deeds. For example:

I don’t want to do what is wrong (New Living Translation (2004))

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