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)

covenant

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The Hebrew, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that are translated as “covenant” in English are translated in a variety of ways. Here are some (back-) translations:

  • Mossi: “helping promise”
  • Vai: “a thing-time-bind” (i.e. “an arrangement agreed upon for a period of time”)
  • Loma (Liberia): “agreement”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “agreement which is tied up” (i.e. “secure and binding”)
  • Chol: “a word which is left”
  • Huastec: “a broken-off word” (“based on the concept of ‘breaking off a word’ and leaving it with the person with whom an agreement has been reached”)
  • Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “a death command” (i.e. “a special term for testament”)
  • Piro: “a promised word”
  • Eastern Krahn: “a word between”
  • Yaka: “promise that brings together” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Nabak: alakŋaŋ or “tying the knot” (source: Fabian 2013, p. 156)
  • Kâte: ʒâʒâfic or “tie together” (source: Renck 1990, p. 108)
  • Nyamwezi: ilagano: “agreement, contract, covenant, promise” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Bariai: “true talk” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Q’anjob’al: “put mouths equal” (representing agreement) (source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. )
  • Manikion, Indonesian: “God’s promise” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Natügu: nzesz’tikr drtwr: “oneness of mind” (source: Brenda Boerger in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 164)
  • Tagalog: tipan: mutual promising on the part of two persons agreeing to do something (also has a romantic touch and denotes something secretive) (source: G. Henry Waterman in The Bible Translator 1960, p. 24ff. )
  • Tagbanwa: “initiated-agreement” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Guhu-Samane: “The concept [in Mark 14:24 and Matthew 16:28] is not easy, but the ritual freeing of a fruit and nut preserve does afford some reference. Thus, ‘As they were drinking he said to them, ‘On behalf of many this poro provision [poro is the traditional religion] of my blood is released.’ (…) God is here seen as the great benefactor and man the grateful recipient.” (Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. )
  • Chichewa: pangano. This word can also be translated as a contract, agreement, or a treaty between two parties. In Chewa culture, two people or groups enter into an agreement to help each other in times of need. When entering into an agreement, parties look at the mutual benefits which will be gained. The agreement terms are mostly kept as a secret between the parties and the witnesses involved. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Law (2013, p. 95) writes about how the Ancient Greek Septuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew berith was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):

“Right from the start we witness the influence of the Septuagint on the earliest expressions of the Christian faith. In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of his blood being a kaine diatheke, a ‘new covenant.’ The covenant is elucidated in Hebrews 8:8-12 and other texts, but it was preserved in the words of Jesus with this language in Luke 22:20 when at the Last Supper Jesus said, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Jesus’s blood was to provide the grounds for the ‘new covenant,’ in contrast to the old one his disciples knew from the Jewish scriptures (e.g., Jeremiah 31:31-34). Thus, the earliest Christians accepted the Jewish Scriptures as prophecies about Jesus and in time began to call the collection the ‘Old Testament’ and the writings about Jesus and early Christianity the ‘New Testament,’ since ‘testament’ was another word for ‘covenant.’ The covenant promises of God (berith in Hebrew) were translated in the Septuagint with the word diatheke. In classical Greek diatheke had meant ‘last will, testament,’ but in the Septuagint it is the chosen equivalent for God’s covenant with his people. The author of Hebrews plays on the double meaning, and when Luke records Jesus’ announcement at the Last Supper that his blood was instituting a ‘new covenant,’ or a ‘new testament,’ he is using the language in an explicit contrast with the old covenant, found in the Jewish scriptures. Soon, the writings that would eventually be chosen to make up the texts about the life and teachings of Jesus and the earliest expression of the Christian faith would be called the New Testament. This very distinction between the Old and New Testaments is based on the Septuagint’s language.”

See also establish (covenant) and covenant (book).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Covenant in the Hebrew Bible .

exclusion of oneself with the use of non-first personal pronoun

In Alekano it is not possible to use a non-first person pronoun to not exclude oneself in those being referred to. “Thus in the translation of Romans chapter 9, when the apostle Paul speaks of the heritage of the Jews , he says, ‘they are God’s chosen people; he made them his sons . . . ‘ etc . This meant to the hearers that Paul was not a Jew; so the whole passage had to be recast using the first plural pronouns instead of the third plural.”

complete verse (Romans 9:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 9:4:

  • Uma: “Long ago the Israel people received many blessings from God, because they are the people that God made his portion from of old, he made them his own children. He showed them his power. From the promise(s) of God to the Israel people long ago they have a connection with God. He gave them his Laws, he taught them their worship customs. Many are the good promises of God to the Israel people.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “God gave much good to them. They are the tribe/nation chosen by God to be his people. And they were also made his children by him. He showed his brightness to them. Several times God covenanted with them. It was to them he gave his law. They were taught by him how they should honor him. Many were his promises to them that he really would help them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For they are also descendants of Israel. God adopted them long ago as His children, and He showed them his powerful shineyness and He promised them that He would bless them, and He gave them the Law, and He taught them the proper way to worship Him. And there are many other good promises that He made to them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “They have many advantages (lit. distinguishing-places), because they are the descendants of Israel whom God chose to be his people and they are the ones whom he made his children. They also are the ones to whom God showed his godhood. They are the ones who inherited what God repeatedly-promised their ancestors and he also promised them many-things. They indeed also are the ones to whom God gave his law and to whom he made-known the correct way to worship him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The Jews are the descendants of Israel. God called them to make them his children. These saw the power of God. They received the agreement. They were given the law they must follow. They were told the way they were to worship. Beautiful was the word God promised to do for the Jews.” (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) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “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.)

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 9:4

In this verse Paul describes the status of the Israelites by a series of nouns, which are better rendered by descriptive phrases in English. For a literal translation of this verse see the Revised Standard Version (“they are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises”). The Good News Translation translates “Israelites” as God’s chosen people, because the emphasis in the present context is not upon their racial origin but upon the fact that God chose them to be his own people. It is important in the selection of a word for chosen to avoid the idea of favoritism. It is true that God “specially selected” his people, but one should not suggest that this means that he treated them as pampered favorites.

The remaining series of nouns, though introduced in Greek by the phrase “to them belong,” actually describes things that God did for his chosen people, and so the Good News Translation makes this connection explicit: he made … shared … made … they have … they have received. It should be noticed that the Jerusalem Bible also makes this connection clear. On the term “sonship” (Good News Translation he made them his sons) see 8.15, 23. In the present passage Paul seems to be referring to the specific time of the Exodus, when God chose Israel to be his people (see Exodus 4.22).

On the use of the word “glory” (Good News Translation shared his glory with them) see 3.23; 5.2. In the present passage the reference is to the specific manifestations of God among his people, beginning with the Exodus experiences and culminating with his presence with them in the temple.

In some languages one can only translate shared his glory with them as “gave them part of his glory,” but a more appropriate equivalent, considering the context, is probably “showed them his glory” or “showed them how glorious he was.”

The use of the plural, covenants, has occasioned some difficulty, and some manuscripts have the singular “covenant.” However, the plural is by far the more difficult reading and is preferred by the UBS textual committee. Paul may have reference to the several covenants that God made (with Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses), or else he may have reference to the Jewish translation which distinguished three covenants that together made up the great covenant of the Exodus (the covenant made at Horeb, the one made in the plains of Moab, and the one made at Mounts Gerizim and Ebal). Although Paul interprets the purpose of the Law in a different way from that of many Jews, he still looks upon it as a privilege which God gave to the people of Israel. If at all possible, one should choose a term for covenants which will indicate that the initiative exists with God. In order words, the covenant is not a “bargained contract.” In some languages a term such as “compact” may be appropriate, provided this indicates something good. However, in order to indicate clearly the initiative on the part of God, it is possible in some languages to say “he tied himself to them” or “he linked himself to them.”

The true worship is literally “the worship,” but the reference is to the Israelite temple service, which the Jews considered to be the only true way to worship God. The equivalent of they have the true worship may be expressed in some languages as “they worship God in true way,” “they know how to worship God truly,” or “God has shown them how to worship him in the true way.”

God’s promises (literally “the promises”) is doubtless a reference to the many promises of salvation and deliverance made by God throughout the Old Testament.

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 .