hope

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“Hope is sometimes one of the most difficult terms to translate in the entire Bible. It is not because people do not hope for things, but so often they speak of hoping as simply ‘waiting.’ In fact, even in Spanish, the word esperar means both ‘to wait’ and ‘to hope.’ However, in many instances the purely neutral term meaning ‘to wait’ may be modified in such a way that people will understand something more of its significance. For example, in Tepeuxila Cuicatec hope is called ‘wait-desire.’ Hope is thus a blend of two activities: waiting and desiring. This is substantially the type of expectancy of which hope consists.

In Yucateco the dependence of hope is described by the phrase ‘on what it hangs.’ ‘Our hope in God’ means that ‘we hang onto God.’ The object of hope is the support of one’s expectant waiting.

In Ngäbere the phrase “resting the mind” is used. This “implies waiting and confidence, and what is a better definition of hope than ‘confident waiting’.” (Source for this and above: Nida 1952, p. 20, 133)

In Mwera “hope” and “faith” are translated with the same word: ngulupai. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Other languages translate as follows:

  • Mairasi: “vision resting place” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Enlhet: “waitings of (our) innermost” (“innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind — for other examples see here) (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
  • Kwang: “one’s future is restored to one’s soul like a fresh, cool breeze on a hot day.” (Source: Mark Vanderkooi right here )
  • Noongar: koort-kwidiny or “heart waiting” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Anjam: “looking through the horizon” (source: Albert Hoffmann in his memoirs from 1948, quoted in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 7)
  • Ron: kintiɓwi or “put lip” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Highland Totonac “wait with expectation” (to offset it from the every-day meaning of hope or wait — source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. ).
  • Alekano: “wait not hearing two ears” (meaning to “wait without being double-minded” — source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation June 1986, p. 36ff.)
  • Marathi aasha (आशा) with a stronger emphasis on desire
  • Tamil: nampikkai (நம்பிக்கை) with a stronger emphasis on expectation (source for this and above: J.S.M. Hooper in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 2ff. )

C.M. Doke looks at a number of Bantu languages and their respective translations of “hope” with slightly varying connotations (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 9ff. ):

  • Xhosa and Zulu: themba “hope, expect,” also “have faith in, rely upon”
  • Tswana: tsholofelo “hope, expect, look for confidently”
  • Southern Sotho: tshepo “trust, rely on, believe in, have confidence in”
  • Kuanyama: eteelelo “waiting for”
  • Swahili: tumaini “confidence, trust, expectation, hope” (as a verb: “hope, trust, expect, be confident, be truthful, rely on”
  • Luganda: okusuubira “hope, trust, expect” also “look forward to, rely upon, anticipate, reckon”
  • Chichewa: chiyembekezo “wait for, wait, expect”
  • Koongo: vuvu “hope, expectancy, expectation, anticipation”
Syntyche D. Dahou (in Christianity Today, January 2021 or see here the same article in French ) reports on the two different terms that are being used in French (click or tap here to see the details):

“Unlike English, which uses the word hope broadly, the French language uses two words that derive from the word espérer (to hope): espoir and espérance. Both can first refer to something hoped for. In this sense, the word espoir usually refers to an uncertain object; that is, someone who hopes for something in this way does not have the certainty that it will happen (“I hope the weather will be nice tomorrow”). On the other hand, espérance describes what, rightly or wrongly, is hoped for or expected with certainty. It often refers to a philosophical or eschatological object (‘I hope in the goodness of human beings’; ‘I hope for the return of Jesus Christ’).

“When we speak of espoir or espérance, we then have in mind different types of objects hoped for. This difference matters, because both terms also commonly refer to the state of mind that characterizes the hopeful. And this state of mind will be different precisely according to the object hoped for.

“Having espoir for an uncertain yet better future in these difficult times may be a good thing, but it is not enough. Such hope can be disappointed and easily fade away when our wishes and expectations (our hopes) do not materialize.

“The opposite is true with espérance, which is deeper than our desire and wish for an end to a crisis or a future without pain and suffering. To face the trials of life, we need peace and joy in our hearts that come from expecting certain happiness. This is what espérance is: a profound and stable disposition resulting from faith in the coming of what we expect. In this sense, it is similar in meaning to the English word hopefulness.

“If we have believed in the Son of the living God, we have such a hope. It rests on the infallible promises of our God, who knows the plans he has for us, his children—plans of peace and not misfortune, to give us a hope and a future (Jer. 29:11). By using the two meanings of the word, we can say that the espérance that the fulfillment of his promises represents (the object hoped for) fills us with espérance (the state of mind).”

joy

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The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated with “joy” or “gladness” in English is translated with various associations of “sweetness” or taste: Bambara has “the spirit is made sweet,” Kpelle translates as “sweet heart,” and Tzeltal as “the good taste of one’s heart,” Uduk uses the phrase “good to the stomach,” Baoulé “a song in the stomach,” Mískito “the liver is wide open” (“happily letting the pleasures flooding in upon it”) (source: Nida 1952), Mairasi says “good liver” (source: Enggavoter 2004), Noongar has koort-kwabba-djil or “heart very good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), and Chicahuaxtla Triqui “refreshed heart” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).

See also Seat of the Mind for traditional views of “ways of knowing, thinking, and feeling,” happiness / joy, and exceeding joy.

complete verse (Luke 1:1)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 1:1:

  • Noongar: “My good friend, Theophilus, Many people did well. They wrote true words on paper, all the things happening among us.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Honored Teofilus: Many people have tried to write an account of the life of Yesus, like what happened several years ago in our midst.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Many have already written about the things that have happened among us (excl.), about Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Dear Theophilus: Many have tried to write about all that was done here in our place about the works of Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “My-esteemed Sir Teofilus. Many (appreciation particle) are those who have tried to write concerning all that has been-fulfilled in our place.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Respected Teofilo,Admittedly many have already persevered in writing each-his-own testimony of the things which happened here among us (incl.), which were the fulfillment of the things determined by God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 1:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 1:2:

  • Noongar: “They wrote true things on paper, everything people told us. These people have seen everything from the beginning and they told the Good News.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “What they wrote, it is the same as the story that was announced to us by people who had seen [with their] eyes all that happened from the beginning and who became carriers of the Lord’s Word.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “It was written by them what was told to us (excl.) by those who saw what he did from the beginning, and they are the people who proclaim God’s Word.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They wrote down what was related to us people who were the ones who saw these works and were the ones who spread the Word of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “What they wrote is indeed also what was related by those who saw it beginning-from the first and preached concerning the Lord Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The things they wrote were what was related to us (excl.) by those who observed them from the past and who now go teaching concerning this which is being testified to.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 1:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 1:3:

  • Noongar: “And so, my boss, I too studied (lit., “strongly think”) everything from the beginning. I think this will be good, writing the true story on paper.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “So, after I researched all from its source [lit., trunk, base] carefully, I said/thought I also should write the story in order [lit., following its order].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Now, I also, because I have really investigated all the things that happened since the beginning, I also thought now to write this one after the other, for you, sir Teopilus,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And I also now, since I have carefully studied this beginning at the beginning of these doings, I thought it would be good also if I carefully wrote for you the account of all these things.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And I also, I have thoroughly followed-up all those-aforementioned-things from their beginning, so I thought that perhaps it would be good if I arranged those stories-that-they -related so that their connection would be correct in order that I would then write it to you (sing.).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, when I had found-out- well -by-questioning concerning these things from their beginning, I too decided to write my testimony, so that you (sing.) will have it properly made clear to you.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 1:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 1:4:

  • Noongar: “I am writing so that you will know the full truth, everything you have heard.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “My purpose is so that you (sing.) will really know the truth of what has already been taught to you (sing.).” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “so that you will know that all that has been taught to you is really true.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason I am writing this is so that you might thoroughly understand the trust of all that has been taught to you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because I want you (sing.) to know that all that has been taught to you (sing.) is absolutely very-true.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I am writing this so that you will really know the truth of these things which have been taught to you.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 1:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 1:5:

  • Noongar: “A man, his name was Zechariah, he was a priest in the years Herod was King of Judea. He was one of the priests who worked for Abijah. Elizabeth was his wife. Her people were priests also.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “When King Herodes was ruling in Yudea-land, there was a priest named Zakharia. This Zakharia was from the family of priests descended from Abia. The name of his wife, Elisabet, she was also a descendant of priests.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The beginning was like this. Formerly, at the time when Herod was still king in the place of Yahudiya, there was a priest called Jakariya. He was one of the priests in the group of Priest Abiya ley (deceased-particle). His wife was Elisabet, also a descendant of priests.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And this which I am telling you, it started long ago at the time when Herod was still king over the province of Judea. And there was then a man named Zechariah. And as for this Zechariah, he was a priest, one of the descendent of a man long ago named Abiah. And the descendents of Abiah, they were priests of God. And as for Zechariah, his wife was a woman named Elizabeth, a descendent of the priest long ago called Aaron.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “During the ruling of King Herod in Judea, there was a priest named Zekarias who belonged to the party/group of priests who were descendants of Abias. His wife Elizabet, she was also descended from Aaron who was a priest long ago.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “At the time when Herodes was king in Judea, there was a priest of the group of Abias whose name was Zacarias. His wife was Elisabet. They were both descendants of Aaron.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 1:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 1:6:

  • Noongar: “Both behaved well in the sight of God, doing everything the God’s Law said.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “That married couple, their behavior was straight in the sight of God, because they followed all the commands and rules of God with no faults.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Both of them were straight in God’s sight. They really followed all laws and commands of God, nobody could blame them for anything.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now as for Zechariah and his wife, they were righteous people because there was nothing to rebuke them for in their thoroughly obeying all of the doctrines and commands of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “They were a righteous (lit. straight/law-abiding) married-couple in the sight of God, and they thoroughly obeyed all his rules and laws.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And really as for both of this married-couple, their lives were straight/righteous in the sight of God. They obeyed well his laws and will.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)