covet

The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated as “covet” in English is translated as “bulge your eyes over what is someone else’s” in Isthmus Zapotec (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), in Bura-Pabir with ngguka or “have strong desire for” which differentiates from silka or “jealous,” which refers not to one’s jealous attitude to one’s neighbor (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin), and in Newari´as “cause your eye to go to” (source: Newari Back Translation).

See also greed / covetousness.

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 7:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 7:8:

  • Uma: “But when I heard the Lord’s Law that says ‘Don’t desire,’ sin had opportunity to work in my heart with the result that I just desired more-and-more. If for instance there were no Lord’s Law to point out my sin, sin would have no power in my heart.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “After I knew from the law that coveting is not good, then my inborn sinning/old nature moved/stirred that’s why my coveting/greedy desire increased. The meaning of what I am saying here is that if there were no law we (dual) would not know that we (dual) sin.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Sin was already with me, and when the Law taught me what coveteousness was, my coveteousness increased and my sinning also increased. For if there wasn’t a Law for us to break, we would not have known what sin is.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But since I am a sinner, I increasingly covet because of the law that prohibits coveting. Because if there is no law, neither does sin have any power.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When we know what is said in the law, it seems that more powerfully we want something that is owned by another. During the time when it was not known what the law says, it did not appear what sin is.” (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 7:8

In the phrase sin found its chance the word chance translates a term which originally was used by the military to mean “a base of operation.” But in New Testament times the word was used frequently in a metaphorical sense with the meaning of “opportunity (to do something).” It should be noted that Paul clearly distinguishes between law and sin; law was not intended to be the means by which sin would launch its attack, but sin took advantage of this opportunity to attack man. Found its chance may be rendered as “found a way” or “discovered how.”

To stir up all kinds of covetousness may be rendered as “to cause me to desire all kinds of things” or “to cause me to desire those things I should not want.”

By working through the commandment may often be expressed as a separate sentence—for example, “sin did this by using the commandment” or “sin did this by reminding me of the commandment not to covet.”

The meaning of the last sentence in this verse, for sin is a dead thing apart from law, is difficult. Paul seems to mean that apart from law sin is inactive, that is, powerless (see the related thoughts in 4.15 and 5.13). In some languages sin is a dead thing apart from law may be expressed as “if there is no law, sin has no power” or “where the law does not exist sin can do nothing.”

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 7:8

7:8a–b

But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me: The figure of speech here speaks of sin as a person that seized its opportunity. Some languages must translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

through ⌊the existence of⌋ the commandment, ⌊the power of⌋ sin caused me to have
-or-
sin was like a bad/evil person, who seeing an opportunity because of what the commandment said, caused/pulled me into

7:8a

But: There is contrast of “Do not covet” (7:7e) with sin producing all kinds of coveting (7:8a–b). But there is no contrast to the main point of 7:7 (“if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin”). Some languages will not see the connection as contrast here. For example:

When…
-or-
And (New Century Version)

seizing its opportunity: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as seizing is literally “having taken.” Sin, as if it were a person, saw an opportunity to cause Paul to covet. That opportunity came about because the law said “do not covet,” and Paul (and anyone for that matter) then wanted what did not belong to him. Here are other ways to translate these words:

finding an opportunity (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
-or-
took the opportunity (God’s Word)

its opportunity: The word opportunity refers to a situation that someone can use to their benefit. Paul may have seen a nice house or nice clothing that belonged to someone else, and sin took that situation and tempted Paul to covet those things. Here are other ways to translate this word:

a chance
-or-
a road/way
-or-
possibility

through the commandment: Here the word through refers to something being used as a tool to do something. Here it indicates that the commandment was like a tool that sin used to influence Paul. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

in the commandment (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
-or-
using this commandment

the commandment: This refers to the words of someone in authority saying what should be done or what should not be done.

The word commandment is singular and a different Greek word that the word translated as “law” in 7:7. So it probably refers to the one law Paul mentioned in 7:7: “You shall not covet.”

Some languages use the same word for “law” and commandment. If that is true in your language, refer to the law in 7:7e. For example:

that law

7:8b

produced in me: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as produced refers to causing something to exist and focuses on the result rather than the action itself. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

making me have (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
work in my heart with the result that

The Greek tense is a simple past. It is not clear if Paul implied whether this action had stopped or continued at the time he wrote this letter. Later he talked about his feelings at the time using the present tense. But here you should use the past tense.

every kind of covetous desire: The phrase covetous desire refers to desiring to possess for oneself something that belongs to someone else, like “covet” in 7:7. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

all kinds of coveting
-or-
all ways to covet

7:8c

For: This conjunction introduces the basis for Paul saying that sin used the law like a tool to cause Paul to covet. Here is another way to translate this word:

because

apart from the law: This phrase supposes there is no law for the sake of what Paul said next. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

without the law (King James Version)
-or-
If there were no law (New Living Translation (2004))

the law: Here the word law refers to the laws of Moses.

sin is dead: The Greek has no verb here. In English usually a form of “be/is” can be added. Another way to translate this expression is:

sin lies dead (English Standard Version)

The word dead is figurative here. It refers to sin being without power. Some languages will need to:

• Change it to a simile. For example:

sin is ⌊like a⌋ dead ⌊thing⌋

• Translate without the figure of speech. For example:

sin has no power (New Century Version)

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Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux Romains 7.8

Paul continue son explication de comment le péché affecte les gens. Ses propos commencent par la conjonction de transition δέ de. La Bible de Jérusalem rend celle-ci par « Mais » et la Nouvelle Bible Segond par « Alors », mais d’autres l’omettent.

Saisissant l’occasion, le péché a produit en moi toutes sortes de convoitises… ou « Le péché a saisi l’occasion » (Bible en français courant) : Paul personnifie le péché, en disant que le péché a « pris » ou saisi l’occasion de le provoquer. Le mot grec rendu par occasion avait autrefois une signification militaire signalant le point de départ ou la base d’opérations d’une guerre. Mais ce terme a acquis un sens plus général signalant un point de départ, une origine, une occasion ou un prétexte. Paul l’utilise ailleurs soit pour indiquer une occasion ( Rom 7.11 ; 2 Cor 5.12), soit pour mentionner un prétexte (2 Cor 11.12 ; Gal 5.13 ; 1 Tim 5.14). Un équivalent pourrait être « a trouvé le moyen » ou « a découvert comment ».

le péché a produit en moi toutes sortes de convoitises par le moyen du commandement : Paul parle de son expérience personnelle avec la loi. Le péché a profité de l’occasion offerte par la loi pour s’en prendre aux humains. Il dit qu’une fois qu’il a entendu le commandement « tu ne convoiteras pas », le péché déclenche en lui toutes sortes de convoitises.

produit rend un verbe général, « faire », « accomplir » ou produire.

pour convoitise, voir Rom 7.7. Cette proposition pourrait être rendue par « a fait que je désire toutes sortes de choses » ou « a fait que je désire les choses que je ne devais pas vouloir ».

par le moyen du commandement : c’est comme si c’est le péché qui utilise, exploite le commandement. Le mot grec pour commandement apparaît pour la première fois ici mais se trouve encore six fois dans ce livre. Les traducteurs devraient trouver un mot plus spécifique que la loi.

Car, sans loi, le péché est chose morte : Paul continue avec une explication qu’il introduit par διά dia « car ». La Nouvelle Bible Segond la rend par « en effet » mais d’autres l’omettent. sans loi est une traduction littérale du grec, mais dans beaucoup de langues, il va falloir introduire une phrase. La Parole de Vie dit « s’il n’y a pas de loi ». Bien que le mot loi peut se rapporter à un commandement spécifique, la majorité des versions lui donnent un sens plus général en disant « la loi » (Bible en français courant, Nouvelle Bible Segond) ou « la Loi » (La Bible du Semeur, Bible de Jérusalem, Osty-Trinquet), en référence à la loi de Moise.

chose morte : Paul semble dire que sans la loi le péché est inactif, c’est-à-dire impuissant. Voir Rom 4.15 et Rom 5.13 pour des idées similaires. Ceci ne veut pas dire que le péché n’existe pas, mais il est « …à l’état latent, comme le germe d’une maladie qui sommeille encore, mais que la moindre circonstance peut faire éclater de manière à amener le mal à l’état aigu » (Godet, II, p. 94). On pourrait dire « s’il n’y a pas de loi, le péché est sans pouvoir » ou « sans 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.