harden

The Greek that is translated as “to harden” or similar in English is translated in Mwera as “to become stubborn.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also harden heart and hardness of heart..

hardness of heart

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “hardness of heart” in English is translated as “large heart” has been translated in many ways:

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated colloquially as wie vernagelt or “obtuse” (in Mark 6:52 and 8:17).

While Moba has a rich metaphorical library using the concept of “heart” (pal) it follows very different paradigms compared to Greek, Hebrew and English concepts. The parallel expression of “hardened heart” means “courageous” or “encouraged” (see hearts burning) so in the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation various constructs are used to translate “hardness of heart,” including “not willing to change one’s mind” (in Mark 3:5) or “make temptation into the heart” (John 12:40). (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )

See also stubborn / hardness of heart.

mercy

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin terms that are typically translated as “mercy” (or “compassion” or “kindness”) in English are translated in various ways. Bratcher / Nida classify them in (1) those based on the quality of heart, or other psychological center, (2) those which introduce the concept of weeping or extreme sorrow, (3) those which involve willingness to look upon and recognize the condition of others, or (4) those which involve a variety of intense feelings.

While the English mercy originates from the Latin merces, originally “price paid,” Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Corsican, Catalan, Friulian) and other Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Danish — Barmherzigkeit, barmhärtighet and barmhjertighed, respectively) tend to follow the Latin misericordia, lit. “misery-heart.”

Here are some other (back-) translations:

See also steadfast love and Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions.

complete verse (Romans 9:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 9:18:

  • Uma: “So, God shows his love to one person, and he hardens the heart of another. He does this according to his desire.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “This we (dual) can see that God pities everyone he wants to be pitied. And from his will/wish also he abandons people to be hard headed (stubborn, rebellious).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And we can know from that that as for God, He is the one who controls who he has mercy for, according to what He wants to do for anyone. And He is also the one who controls who He will permit not to be subject to Him according to what He wants for anybody.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So that’s how we know that God shows-mercy to whom he wants to show-mercy and he hardens the minds of the people whom he wants to harden.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Thus it is apparent here that concerning God, whoever he determines to pity, he pities. But God determines to give the road to whatever person he wants to harden his heart.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

will (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-kokoro (みこころ) or “will (of God)” in the referenced verses. Two verses (Ezra 10:11 and Ephesians 1:9) use mi-mune (みむね) with the same honorific prefix and meaning.

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

See also will and doing the will of God.

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("do/make")

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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, s-are-ru (される) or “do/make” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Romans 9:18

This verse is similar to verse 16 in that it draws a conclusion on the basis of the previous scripture quotation, so then.

Makes stubborn is literally “harden.” The Revised Standard Version and Jerusalem Bible render this with the sense of “to harden (someone’s) heart.”

As in the case of verse 15, the clauses whom he wishes may be translated as conditional since in a sense these clauses are conditional relatives—for example, “whomever he wishes.” Therefore, one may translate as “if God wishes to show mercy on someone, he does so, and if he wishes to make someone stubborn, he does that.”

Normally it is wise to avoid the idiom “to harden the heart.” Even in European languages in which this phrase has been translated literally, the correct meaning of the Semitic idiom (which is basically “to make stubborn or obstinate”) has not been accurately represented. Furthermore, in some languages “to harden the heart” would mean “to make a person brave,” and this is obviously wrong.

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 9:18

9:18a

Therefore: These words introduce what Paul concluded from what he said in 9:17. For example:

So then, (English Standard Version)

God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy: Here the word wants refers to God choosing someone. This clause says that God chooses those to whom he will have mercy. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

he has mercy on whomever he wills (English Standard Version)
-or-
he has mercy on whomever he chooses (New Revised Standard Version)

9:18b

He hardens whom He wants to harden: Here the word wants refers to God choosing someone. This clause says that God chooses those whom he will make hard/stubborn.

hardens: Here this word refers to causing someone to be stubborn, especially against what is true. Here are other ways to translate this word:

makes stubborn (Good News Translation)
-or-
harden the hearts…so they refuse to listen (New Living Translation (2004))

© 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.