sin

The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated as “sin” in English has a wide variety of translations.

The Greek ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) carries the original verbatim meaning of “miss the mark.” Likewise, many translations contain the “connotation of moral responsibility.” Loma has (for certain types of sin) “leaving the road” (which “implies a definite standard, the transgression of which is sin”) or Navajo uses “that which is off to the side.” (Source: Bratcher / Nida). In Toraja-Sa’dan the translation is kasalan, which originally meant “transgression of a religious or moral rule” and has shifted its meaning in the context of the Bible to “transgression of God’s commandments.” (Source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21ff. ).

In Shipibo-Conibo the term is hocha. Nida (1952, p. 149) tells the story of its choosing: “In some instances a native expression for sin includes many connotations, and its full meaning must be completely understood before one ever attempts to use it. This was true, for example, of the term hocha first proposed by Shipibo-Conibo natives as an equivalent for ‘sin.’ The term seemed quite all right until one day the translator heard a girl say after having broken a little pottery jar that she was guilty of ‘hocha.’ Breaking such a little jar scarcely seemed to be sin. However, the Shipibos insisted that hocha was really sin, and they explained more fully the meaning of the word. It could be used of breaking a jar, but only if the jar belonged to someone else. Hocha was nothing more nor less than destroying the possessions of another, but the meaning did not stop with purely material possessions. In their belief God owns the world and all that is in it. Anyone who destroys the work and plan of God is guilty of hocha. Hence the murderer is of all men most guilty of hocha, for he has destroyed God’s most important possession in the world, namely, man. Any destructive and malevolent spirit is hocha, for it is antagonistic and harmful to God’s creation. Rather than being a feeble word for some accidental event, this word for sin turned out to be exceedingly rich in meaning and laid a foundation for the full presentation of the redemptive act of God.”

In Kaingang, the translation is “break God’s word” and in Sandawe the original meaning of the Greek term (see above) is perfectly reflected with “miss the mark.” (Source: Ursula Wiesemann in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 36ff., 43)

In Warao it is translated as “bad obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ). See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the Danish Bibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “We would explain terms, such that e.g. sin often became ‘doing what God does not want’ or ‘breaking God’s law’, ‘letting God down’, ‘disrespecting God’, ‘doing evil’, ‘acting stupidly’, ‘becoming guilty’. Now why couldn’t we just use the word sin? Well, sin in contemporary Danish, outside of the church, is mostly used about things such as delicious but unhealthy foods. Exquisite cakes and chocolates are what a sin is today.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

See also sinner.

complete verse (1 Corinthians 7:36)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 7:36:

  • Uma: “For instance an unmarried-man is engaged to an unmarried-woman. The man says, it isn’t fitting if he never marries his fiancee, for his fiancee is getting older and older. So, if he really wants to get-married [wived], they should get-married [they should couple], it is not a sin.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Now, this is about unmarried girls that will soon be-past-the-age-when-girls-normally-get-married. (la’unan) If her parent says/thinks that it is not right if she is not married and the girl also would like to have a husband, na, then she should be caused to get married. Her parent does not sin.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is a man, and he has a virgin daughter who is already of age and that daughter is having a hard time because her father will not allow her to marry, it would be better if he allowed her to marry if she wants to, because that is no sin.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Now concerning also the man who has a child who has already become-a-young-lady, and he thinks it improper that he forbid her from being-married, it’s-OK if he gives-her -in-marriage if that’s what he thinks is the right-thing for him to do. That’s not a sin.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But if there is a man who has an arrangement (to marry) with a woman, but he thinks maybe it would be his sin if he went through with their arrangement, it would be good if he does indeed go through with it, especially if it’s hard for him to control himself. It’s indeed not his sin if they marry.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now I want to say a word to men who have daughters and now there has arrived the days to marry. If the man thinks that it is not good to have marriage by-pass his daughter, then he can give her in marriage. Because marriage is not sinful.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 7:36

The verse begins in Greek with words meaning “But if,” suggesting that Paul is about to move to another question. He may be referring to a situation that has already arisen at Corinth, perhaps similar to that implied in verse 5, except that the couple in question in verses 36-38 are not yet married.

Thinks (Good News Bible‘s “feels”) involves a judgment or decision rather than emotion.

Not … properly is an adjective that is related to “good order” in verse 35. This phrase may be expressed as “acting in a way he should not” or “behaving in a wrong way toward.”

His betrothed (“the young woman,” Good News Bible) is literally “his virgin”—a rather strange expression, especially if a daughter is meant as in explanation (A) above. However, “his virgin” could mean “his beloved” or “his sweetheart.”

The Greek does not tell us whether the subject of are strong is the passions of the man or of the woman. The problem is that in Greek an adjective is used which, if applied to a woman, commonly means that she is beyond the prime in age—namely that she is no longer young. However, the word may also be applied to a person, especially a man, who has strong sexual impulses. The situation is similar to that described in verse 9.

The thought of the last part of verse 36, let them marry …, is similar to that of verse 28a but is more fully developed.

The clause it is no sin is literally “(he) does not sin.”

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 .