adoption

The Hebrew that is translated as “adoption” in English is translated in Makonde as “chosen by God to be his children” since there is no formal process of adoption in that part of Tanzania. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

creation

The Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “creation” in English is translated in Lisu as ꓟꓵ ꓚꓰꓼ ꓟꓲ ꓚꓰꓼ — my tshe mi tshe, verbatim translated as “place — make — earth — make.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 58)

In American Sign Language it is translated with a sign that signifies creating out of nothing. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Creation” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

have the first fruits of the Spirit

The Greek in Romans 8:23 that is translated as “have the first fruits of the Spirit” or similar in English is translated as “the Spirit has begun to work in our hearts” in Tzeltal and as “received the Good Spirit of God so that therefore we should know well that a little later we should be completely saved” Central Tarahumara. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Rom. 8:23)

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.

complete verse (Romans 8:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 8:23:

  • Uma: “And it isn’t just the world that groans. We who are God’s children also groan in our hearts. We have received the Holy Spirit as a sign of God’s promise to us. But we still wait for the time God will lift us to become his children and free our bodies from all that is evil.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “It is not only some of God’s creation that suffers but including us (incl.) the ones to whom God gave his Spirit who is his beginning/first gift, we (incl.) also suffer while we (incl.) keep-on-waiting-for the day when God will make our (incl.) bodies new so that/and we (incl.) will no longer be sick and die. When that day arrives it will then be really clear that he has really made us (incl.) his children.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And that’s not all, because as for us (incl.) also who have received the Holy Spirit which is the sign that there is still something which will be given to us by God in the future, drawn very tight is our expectancy of this, because we (incl.) really desire that that time might come when God will finish His making us His sons and He will carry out His making our bodies immortal.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But it is not only they who are having-a-hard-time but rather even we to whom the Holy Spirit has been given who is the first-thing that God has given us who believe. It is as we are also groaning in our minds in our waiting for the time when God will clearly reveal our status as his children and will transform these bodies of ours into new bodies that never-die.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now, not only what is in the world suffers, but also we want to have what we suffer pass by, that there will come the day when our bodies will become new. Then it will appear that we are God’s children. Even though we now walk with the Holy Spirit, yet we want to see the good which will be afterwards.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Mezquital Otomi: “And we suffer thirst and hunger, sickness and misfortune, and we sigh, but because God has given us the Holy Spirit as a sign of the joy that will come, therefore we wait for God to show we are his sons, with our bodies made new and glorious without weariness or pain.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

Japanese benefactives (ko ni shite)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

Here, ko ni shite (子にして) or “adopt” is used in combination with itadaku (いただく), a humble form of the benefactive morau (もらう). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Spirit (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-tama (御霊) or “Spirit (of God)” in the referenced verses.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also Holy Spirit