patience / patient

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The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “patient” or “patience” are translated in a variety of ways.

Eugene Nida (1952, p. 130) gives some examples:

“Peace is the quality of the soul; patience is the behavior of the soul. The Aymara of Bolivia have described patience well by the phrase ‘a waiting heart.’

“The Ngäbere of Panama describe patience in more vivid terms. They say that it is ‘chasing down your temper.’ The impatient person lets his temper run away with him. Patience requires one to “chase down his temper” and get it under control [see also Mairasi down below].

“The Yucateco describe patience as ‘strength not to fall.’ This seems to include almost more than patience, but it is important to note that this Yucateco translation recognizes that impatience means ‘falling.’ For some of us, who tend to take a certain secret pride in our impatience—describing it as energetic drive—it might be well to recognize that impatience is failure, while patience is strength.

“The San Blas Kuna in Panama use a rather strange phrase to depict patience. They say ‘not caring what happens.’ But this is not meant as condoning foolhardy indifference to life and danger. It reflects a kind of reckless confidence in God, a confidence not bred of desperation but of utter reliance. The patient person is not concerned about what happens; he is willing to wait in confidence.”

In Mairasi, the phrase that is employed is “stop (our) anger” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Suki “slow careful thinking way” is used (source L. and E. Twyman in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 91ff. )

In Kwang an expression is used that directly translates as “carry one’s head” (source: Mark Vanderkooi right here ), and in Q’anjob’al it is translated with the phrase “large stomach” (source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. ).

In Akan, it is typically translated as abodwokyɛre, lit. “chest cool longer.” (Source: Kofi Agyekum in International Journal of Language and Communication 2015, p. 35ff. )

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions and slow to anger.

Translation commentary on Sirach 3:13

Even if he is lacking in understanding, show forbearance: Lacking in understanding does not describe a man who is simply not intelligent or very bright. The Greek clearly is talking of an old man whose mind no longer functions as well as it once did. New Revised Standard Version says it very well: “even if his mind fails, be patient with him.”

In all your strength do not despise him: In this context strength does not refer to physical strength—or at least, not only to that. It refers to all the things your father was when he was your age, all that you are now, and all that he has now lost: physical strength, but also good health and full intelligence. Do not despise him means not to look down on him, not to treat him with contempt, not to make fun of him, or to deal with him in any way other than respectfully.

A problem in this line is the relation between in all your strength and do not despise him. Good News Translation “don’t look down on him just because you are strong and healthy” misses the point. No one thinks to himself, “I am strong and healthy, so I am going to despise my father.” The meaning is more like “from your favored position of youth and health and strength, do not be unsympathetic for your father who no longer has these qualities.” A model that expresses this is “You are stronger than he in mind and body, but don’t look down on him.” Contemporary English Version provides a helpful model for the whole verse. It renders in all your strength as “when you are strong,” placing it at the beginning of the verse as follows:

• And when you are strong,
but his mind is fading,
don’t make fun—
instead, be patient.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.