complete verse (Titus 3:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of Titus 3:13:

  • Uma: “As for Zenas, that teacher of the Law of Musa, and Apolos, I ask that you give-a-good-sendoff to them, so that they won’t lack anything [lit., so that there won’t be their lacks] on their trip.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Help Apollos and Senas, the lawyer, when they continue travelling. Give them whatever they lack.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Do what you can to help the lawyer Zenas and Apollos when they travel. Check up on them so that they have no lack.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Do your (sing.) utmost also to help Zenas who is a lawyer and Apollos when they start-out from there so they will have all they need on their journey.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And persevere to be able to help Apolos and the lawyer Zenas, so that they can travel quickly/easily. Ensure that they won’t be lacking anything they need on that planned-journey of theirs.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning Zenas, the lawyer, help him in what he needs. Also help Apollos in what he needs. Give them what they need for traveling, don’t let them lack anything.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Japanese benefactives (agete)

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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, agete (あげて) or “do for their sake” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). 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. )

Translation commentary on Titus 3:13

For Do your best see previous verse.

There is nothing else known about Zenas, since he is only mentioned here. He is identified as a lawyer, but it is not known whether he specialized in Roman, or Greek, or Jewish law. At any rate, since lawyer only functions to identify Zenas, it is not necessary to include any further explanations about it. Apollos is also mentioned in the book of Acts (18.24; 19.1) and in the Corinthian correspondence (1 Cor 1.12; 3.4; 16.12); it is possible that these references are talking about the same person, but of course it is difficult to be certain.

Speed … on their way can mean “to accompany,” “to escort”; but “to aid in travel” seems to be the meaning here. This same verb occurs in other parts of the New Testament in similar contexts (see, for example, Acts 15.3; 21.5; Rom 15.24; 1 Cor 16.6, 11; 2 Cor 1.16; 3 John 6), which seems to indicate that aiding Christian travelers was a usual practice at that time. Such aid was necessary since travel was quite difficult, and Christian travelers would feel much more at home with fellow Christians. In the present case, presumably Zenas and Apollos would have stayed in Crete for some time, and the instructions are for the time when they are ready to leave and go on with their journey. Their destination is not mentioned in the letter.

See (Good News Translation “see to it”) is literally “in order that,” the sense being that Timothy should give all aid and assistance to the two travelers to guarantee that they have everything they need to continue on in their journey. Lack nothing is literally “nothing is lacking,” which refers to the things they need for their journey, including provisions. The idea may be expressed positively; for example, “they have everything they need” (Good News Translation) or “everything they need for the journey.”

The very fact that Paul knows that Zenas and Apollos are in Crete has led some interpreters to infer that these two men must have been with Paul (wherever he was), and that when Paul had found out they were going through Crete, he requested them to take along his letter to Titus. Ingenious and attractive as this theory may be, it is at best speculative; it may or may not be true, but then, what difference does it make in the proper translation of this passage?

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• When Zenas the lawyer and Apollos get ready to leave, help them in every way you can, so that they will have everything they need for the journey.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Titus. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on Titus 3:13

3:13a

Do your best to equip Zenas the lawyer and Apollos: Paul wanted Titus to help Zenas and Apollos while they traveled. It is not clear where Zenas and Apollos were when Paul was writing this letter. There are two possibilities:

• These two men were with Paul and he knew that they were soon going to Crete. Possibly they were the ones who took this letter to Titus. Most commentators hold this view.

• These two men were on Crete with Titus, and that they were about to leave on a trip. A few commentators hold this view.

In your translation, try not to be specific about where these men were because Paul did not give us this information.

Do your best: This translates the same Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “make every effort” in 3:12b. Paul wanted Titus to try hard to help these two men.

to equip: This phrase refers to helping travelers as they set out on a journey. See Acts 15:3; and 1 Corinthians 16:6.

Zenas the lawyer: Zenas is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. If you do not have a word for lawyer in your language, you could say “law expert,” or “person who is an expert in the civil law.” This was his profession. Zenas was probably working in the field of Roman civil law, not the Jewish religious law, the law of Moses.

Apollos: Most scholars think that this is the Apollos mentioned in Acts 18:24 and in 1 Corinthians 3:4–22. Spell his name the same way in each of these places.

3:13b

so that they will have everything they need: The Greek phrase is more literally “so that nothing to them is lacking.” Paul asked Titus to give Zenas and Apollos everything they needed for their journey. This might include money, food, and clothing.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

see that they lack nothing (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
make sure that they have everything that they need for their journey (Easy English Bible)

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Sung version of Titus 3

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