complete verse (Romans 8:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 8:12:

  • Uma: “So, relatives, we have a debt. Our debt is, we must follow God now. Don’t follow the evil desires of our hearts.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore my brothers who trust in Isa Almasi, there is something that we (dual) really ought to/must do and this is not to follow the will/wish of our (dual) greedy-desires.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore, brothers, it is very necessary that we obey what God wants, and we no longer are subject to the evil desires of our bodies.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore, my brothers, there is that which we have a duty to obey, but it is not what our human minds desire.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen my brothers, it is very important that we do the word which is taught us by the Holy Spirit. Now we will not be conquered by the evil which comes to our hearts.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Isthmus Zapotec : “Therefore brethren we don’t owe anything to the body that we should do what it wants.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

flesh (human nature)

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The Greek that is often translated as “flesh” in English (when referring to the lower human nature) can, according to Nida (1947, p. 153) “very rarely be literally translated into another language. ‘My meat’ or ‘my muscle’ does not make sense in most languages.” He then gives a catalog of almost 30 questions to determine a correct translation for that term.

Accordingly, the translations are very varied:

The Toraja-Sa’dan translation uses a variety of terms for the translation of the same Greek term (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight)

  • A form of kale tolinona or “corporeal” is for instance used in Romans 9:5 or Colossians 1:22 (and also in Genesis 6:3 and Exodus 30:32)
  • A form of mentolinona or “the human” is for instance used in Matthew 16:17 or John 1:14
  • Phrases that include pa’kalean or “bodiliness” (also: “human shape”) are for instance used in Romans 6:6 or 1 Peter 2:11 (as well as in Isa 52:14, Isa 53:2, and Lamentations 4:7)

(Source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 207ff. )

See also spirit / flesh, old self, and flesh (John 1:14).

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext), in Martu Wangka as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower”) (source: Carl Gross), and in Mairasi as “in-law” (source: Enggavoter 2004).

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.” The German translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) alternates between “brothers and sisters,” “sisters and brothers,” and “siblings” (Geschwister).

See also brothers.

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Rom. 8:12)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the writer of the letter and the readers).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

Translation commentary on Romans 8:12

Verse 12 introduces a conclusion, so then, based on the argument presented in 8.11. So then (Greek ara oun) are the same words with which Paul drew his conclusion in 7.25 this, then, is my condition.

Paul strengthens his words by using a familiar form of address, brothers. The present experience of life and peace made possible by God’s Spirit (8.6), and the promise of eternal life, which will be effective through God’s Spirit (8.11), bring the believers under an obligation to God’s Spirit.

We have an obligation is literally “we are debtors” (Revised Standard Version, King James Version), and it appears in the Jerusalem Bible as “there is … necessity for us.” Paul’s intention is to stress as strongly as possible the believer’s obligation no longer to live his life under the domination of his human nature. In a number of languages the only way of expressing obligation is to use some kind of verbal auxiliary meaning “must,” but such a form makes it necessary to specify who are obligated to do what. For this context one may translate: “we must live as the Spirit of God tells us; we must not live as our human nature wants us to live” or “… as we want to live because of our human nature.” The latter adaptation may be required in some languages since human nature may be spoken of as an instrument but not as a subject of “wanting.”

The we in this context is, of course, inclusive.

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 8:12

Paragraph 8:12–17

8:12a

Therefore: This word introduces a statement resulting (often called “a conclusion”) from what Paul said in 8:1–11. Here are other ways to translate this word:

So then (English Standard Version)
-or-
Consequently (New American Bible, Revised Edition)

brothers: Here this word refers to believers in Jesus, both men and women. The word indicates a close relationship between believers because God has made them his (adopted) children. See how you translated this word in 1:13 or 7:1.

we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh: These words indicate that believers are debtors, but we are not debtors to live according to the flesh (human nature). Here are other ways to translate these words:

we are debtors, but it is not to the flesh
-or-
we are in debt, but we are not in debt to human nature

we have an obligation, but it is not to: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as obligation refers to being required to do something. Here the word does not refer to owing money to someone. Here are other ways to translate these words:

we have no obligation to (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
there is that which we have a duty to obey, but it is not
-or-
we are not required to obey

flesh: This word refers to how we normally behaved before we believed in Jesus. See how you translated this word in 8:4 or 8:9.

8:12b

to live according to it: This phrase explains “to the flesh” in 8:12a. It refers to living as human nature says someone should live. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

to live as our human nature wants us to (Good News Translation)
-or-
to live ruled by human nature

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Commentaire sur la traduction de la lettre aux Romains 8.12

8.12-17

Un autre paragraphe commence, marqué par deux conjonctions ἄρα οὖν ara oun, et le vocatif frères. Dans cette section, Paul souligne le fait que nous sommes enfants de Dieu, tout en gardant les oppositions importantes entre l’Esprit et la chair, la vie et la mort. La Bible de Jérusalem y voit une autre division, un paragraphe constitué de Rom 8.12, et un autre de Rom 8.14 à Rom 8.17.

Avec les mots Ainsi donc (Ἄρα οὖν ara oun) Paul introduit une conclusion à son argumentation présentée en Rom 8.1. Il utilise les mêmes mots pour clore sa discussion en Rom 7.25. Les traducteurs devraient trouver une manière de marquer celle-ci. La Parole de Vie dit « C’est pourquoi », mais Ainsi donc semble mieux convenir ici. Paul veut insister sur le devoir des croyants de ne plus mener une vie dominée par leur « propre nature ».

frères, nous avons une dette : au début de ce nouveau paragraphe, Paul interpelle ses lecteurs-auditeurs, en disant frères, voir Rom 1.13. Paul réagit à ce qu’il vient de dire. Dieu a agi en notre faveur. Il dit que les chrétiens (un nous inclusif) ont une dette envers Dieu, ou, considérant ce qui précède, à l’Esprit de Dieu. Le mot une dette rend un mot qui parle de quelqu’un qui doit une dette financière (Matt 18.24) ou quelqu’un qui a offensé un autre et lui doit quelque chose (Matt 6.12). Dans le contexte de ce verset, Paul utilise le mot au sens figuré pour parler de nos « obligations », (Bible en français courant). Certaines versions (Nouvelle Bible Segond, Bible de Jérusalem) parlent des croyants qui sont « débiteurs » à l’égard de l’Esprit de Dieu.

mais non envers la chair pour devoir vivre de façon charnelle : le verset dit litt. « nous sommes débiteurs non à la chair pour vivre selon la chair ». La Traduction œcuménique de la Bible ajoute « mais » ici. En grec, le mot « chair » se trouve deux fois et désigne dans les deux cas la « nature humaine ». La Bible en français courant réduit la répétition en disant « nous avons des obligations, mais non envers notre propre nature pour vivre selon ses désirs ». Dans de nombreuses langues, il va falloir reformuler, par exemple, « Nous avons une dette/obligation mais cette dette/obligation n’est pas envers nous-mêmes… »

pour vivre de façon charnelle (litt. « vivre selon la chair ») : étant donné ce que Dieu a fait pour nous, Paul exclut la possibilité de continuer de vivre « pour la chair ». On sera tenté de rendre explicite le contenu de notre dette (« nous devons vivre comme l’Esprit de Dieu nous dit de le faire et non pas comme désire notre propre nature ». Mais si possible, il vaut mieux suivre le texte, car Paul développera son argument par la suite. On pourrait parler de « nos désirs humains » mais il est bon d’être systématique et rendre le terme clé « chair » d’une même manière là où c’est possible.

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