face to face

The Greek phrase that is translated as “face to face” in English would imply confrontation in the Kilivila culture, so the Kilivila translation expresses the phrase as “see the reality of things.”

See also face to face (Deuteronomy).

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (1Cor. 13:12)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the addressee).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (1 Corinthians 13:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 13:12:

  • Uma: “For at this time, we are like a person who is looking at an image in a hazy mirror, for we do not-yet understand everything clearly. Only in the future will we really understand everything, for we will see God forehead-to-forehead. Now, my knowledge is not-yet complete. Only in the future will I really know [it/him], like God also knows me.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “As long as we (dual) are still here in the world our (dual) knowledge about God is not yet complete. It is not yet clear in our (dual) mind. It is as if figuratively we (dual) look in a mirror which is clouded therefore we (dual) don’t see clearly. But on a different day when we (dual) are facing/are in the presence of God everything will be clear to us (dual). My knowledge now is not yet complete about God but when that day arrives my knowing him will be complete as God’s knowing me.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And it’s the same way also with us (incl.), because the only thing that we know now is just like a cloudy image that we see in the mirror. We don’t really yet understand what is right. But in the future, it won’t be just an image that we see, but rather it will be Jesus Christ that we see. And then we will understand everything in a proper way, just like God understands us in a proper way.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It’s the same with us who believe, because the way-we -see God now is blurred as if we looking-in-a bad -mirror, but in a future day however, we will see him face to face. Now, I don’t know him properly, but in a future day however, my knowing him will have no lack, because it will be the same as his-knowing me.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “At present we are still like children in that what we understand concerning the things of God is not yet complete. What it’s like is, we are looking into a mirror which is no longer clear. But the day really will come when all this will become clear for all that clouds the understanding will be removed. At that time we will have complete understanding, just like God’s understanding of us.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now as I think about the word now, it is like I was looking into a mirror. It isn’t clearly apparent about all things. But there will come the day when we will look upon the face of Christ. Then it will be that we know well about the word. Now it is just a little bit that we know, but in those days we will know completely, like God knows us very well.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Chichewa (interconfessional translation, 1999): “Now we see things as if in a glass mirror, | not very clearly at all. | But at that time we will really see with our own eyes. | Now I only know things insufficiently, but at that time I will understand completely, | even as God knows me completely.” (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 161)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:12

Reference to a mirror may suggest to readers a modern mirror made with glass and mercury. Ancient mirrors, however, were made of polished metal and therefore gave a generally less clear reflection, as the contrast shows.

See implies seeing God. The phrase face to face is not found elsewhere in the New Testament, but its meaning is plain. Num 12.8 similarly refers to God and Moses speaking “mouth to mouth.” Languages will have differing ways of expressing face to face; for example, “eyes to eyes.”

The Greek verbs translated know and understand fully are related, the second being a stronger form than the first, as fully shows. I have been fully understood refers to the activity of God, and in many languages will be expressed as “even as God fully understands me” or “as complete as the way that God understands me.” In some languages it will be more natural to provide an object for the verbs know and understand. In that case “I know God incompletely; then I shall understand him fully” is probably the best solution.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .