fornication, sexual immorality

The Greek that is translated as “sexual immorality” or “fornication” or similar is translated much more specifically in some languages. Morelos Nahuatl has “let a man not yield himself to another woman except only to his wife. Also let a woman not yield herself to another man except only to her husband” or in Lalana Chinantec as “not proper for them to mix themselves with other women. The same is true of women for other men also.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

In Low German as Hurenkram or “things related to prostitution (and/or sleeping around)” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).

complete verse (1 Corinthians 5:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 5:9:

  • Uma: “In my previous letter I told you not to mix with people who behaved wrongly [sexual connotation].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “In the letter I sent to you I said there, ‘Don’t be friends with the people who commit adultery-fornication.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In that first letter that I sent to you, I commanded you that it was necessary that you not go around anymore with people whose activities are filthy.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: ” (incl.) my letter to you previously, I said that you were not to be-friends-with people who were doing what-was filthy.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “In my first letter that I sent to you I did indeed say that it’s necessary for you not to go-around-as-friends-with people who behave-immorally with one who is not their spouse.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning that letter I sent to you before, I told you what was necessary for you to do in that you not mix with adulterers.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 5:9

The Greek word for I wrote can mean either “I wrote” or “I am writing” (see the comments on “sent,” 4.17). In this verse Paul’s reference to another letter means that the verb I wrote must be a real past tense. I wrote to you in my letter is literally “I wrote to you in the letter.” Revised Standard Version expands this to in my letter to make the meaning clear. In some languages it may be necessary to say “in my earlier letter” or “in my first letter.” Wrote implies the meaning “ordered” or “instructed,” as Good News Bible‘s rendering “I told you” shows. So it may be necessary to translate this sentence as “I instructed you in the letter that I wrote to you not….”

Associate translates a rare word that is used only by Paul in the New Testament, although it occurs in other Greek literature. Another translation could be “have nothing to do with.”

The Greek for immoral men (Good News Bible‘s “immoral people”) is related to the abstract noun for “sexual immorality” used in verse 1, and has a similar meaning here.

Men, of course, refers to people in general, including both men and women.

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 .