tongue

The Greek that is translated as “tongue” in English is translated in Binumarien as “lips and teeth” because those are the body parts that are associated with speech. (Source: Oates 1995, p. 269)

complete verse (1 Peter 3:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 3:10:

  • Uma: “In the Holy Book it is written like this: ‘Whoever wants to be glad and have good life must guard/watch his lips, so that he does not utter evil words and isn’t deceitful.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Because the holy-book says hep, ‘Whoever wants to be happy as long as he lives here in the world and have good experiences, he should not say evil things and should not lie.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There is a written Word of God which says, ‘He who wants his life here on the earth to be good and always happy, it is necessary that what he says is not evil and he does not lie.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because there is that which God caused-to-be-written which says, ‘If a person wants to enjoy his life and be-made-happy, he must not speak evil and not tell-lies.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For it’s like what is written in the writing which says, ‘The one who wants his life to be happy and good, he must put far away speech which is evil and deceptive.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This also is what is written in the Holy Book which says: ‘If you want to enjoy how you live or you want to see good days, control your tongues, then do not speak evil and do not speak lies.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Peter 3:10

As in so many instances, it may be necessary to render As the scripture says as “as one may read in the Scriptures” or “as one may read in a passage of Scripture.”

To enjoy life and to see good times (literally “good days”) refer primarily to life on earth in their Old Testament context; the verse is an invitation to anyone who wants to live long and happily. Here, however, these terms are understood in a Christian and eschatological way. Thus life is now understood as eternal life (verse 7) and good days as referring to the final salvation mentioned in 1.5. Despite this fact, it is perhaps best to stick as close as possible to its Old Testament context, since we are dealing here with an Old Testament quotation. Enjoy life is literally “love life,” with “love” used in the sense of “desiring to have,” “to enjoy” (compare Jerusalem Bible “have a happy life”). To see good times is literally “to see good days,” with “days” referring to an extended period of time, and “good” in the sense of “happy, prosperous” (Knox, New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible).

To enjoy life may be rendered as “to live happily” or even “to live and be happy.” In a sense to see good times is essentially equivalent to to enjoy life and may sometimes be rendered as “to experience what is good.”

The clause introduced by the indefinite pronoun Whoever may be rendered as a conditional in some languages, for example, “if anyone wants to enjoy life and wishes to see good times.”

Keep from speaking evil (literally “keep his tongue from evil”) and stop telling lies (literally “his lips from speaking deceit”) are parallel, both referring to malicious verbal activity (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “must not speak evil … must stop telling lies”). “Evil” (Greek kakos) is speech which is malicious and bitter, resulting in the downgrading and shame of the person spoken of. Lies also includes deceitful and treacherous language (see further 2.1; 2.22).

Keep from speaking evil may be rendered as “keep from speaking bad about people,” and stop telling lies may simply be rendered as “stop lying” or “stop deceiving people with words.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The First Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .