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 (2 Timothy 3:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Timothy 3:6:

  • Uma: “Some of them take teaching that is not true to other people’s houses, and they deceive women whose faith is weak so that those women believe their teaching. Those women have many sins, and many are the desires of their hearts that control them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “There are men like that who go inside a person’s house and they deceive the women who are easily influenced. They are easily persuaded because their thinking is troubled because of their many sins and they are easily carried-away/influenced by their greedy-desires.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Some of those are the men who go into houses to teach and control women who are no good. Women like this are afraid because of the many sins they have committed, however there are also many evil things which they want.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because some of them are going to the various-houses to make-friends with the residents so that they will then talk-glibly-to women who are easily persuaded so that they will follow what they are teaching. These women, they are burdened with their piled-up sins, and they are easily incited (lit. pushed) by the many kinds of evil that they want/like.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “There are included among these people those who, what they do is, they go up into houses to gently-talk the householder woman into believing/going-along-with this false teaching of theirs. Well some are easily defeated by them, those who are lacking in understanding, who are drowning in sin and are easily caused to fall (into sin) through indulging desires which are not good.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because these are people who already in some of the houses have spoiled the faith of all who live in those houses. First of all they deceive the women with their lying teachings. They look for women who are depressed because of their sins and don’t know what to do about their sins. These they deceive.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 2 Timothy 3:6

As an example of the evil activities of the false teachers, Paul describes how some of them use their standings within the Christian community to take advantage of unsuspecting women. The verb translated make their way (Good News Translation “go into”) means to enter secretly under false pretenses (compare Phillips “worm their way into”). In other words these people enter the homes without people knowing what their motives are.

Households is literally “houses” but can also be translated “homes” (compare Translator’s New Testament “private homes”) or “families” (compare Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Contemporary English Version), although this last option may not be appropriate in the present context. However, in some cultures it will be more meaningful to say something like “Some of them completely deceive (or, fool) certain families” or “Some of them worm their way into being accepted by families.”

Capture translates a verb that literally means “to take captive,” “to make someone a prisoner of war” (compare Eph 4.8), but which can be used figuratively to mean “to gain complete control over.” The literal figure is used in both Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version (also New American Bible, Revised), while the meaning of the figure is found in Good News Translation (compare Jerusalem Bible “get influence over”).

Weak women translates a term derived from the word for “woman” that shows either contempt or smallness, and it can therefore be translated literally as “little women,” or in a derogatory sense as “foolish or unwise women” (so New Revised Standard Version “silly women”). This word appears only here in the whole New Testament. Other ways to express this phrase are “easily influenced,” “weak-willed,” and in some languages there will be appropriate figurative expressions; for example, “women with weak hearts.”

Burdened translates a verb that literally means “to heap up” but can figuratively mean (1) “to be given over, to be fully engaged in”; (2) “to be loaded down with,” “to be burdened with” (compare New Revised Standard Version “overwhelmed by”); hence “to feel guilty about” (compare Good News Translation “burdened by the guilt of”).

There is no explanation about the sins that press down on these women. What we are told is that because of their condition they become easy prey to these religious charlatans who probably have promised them relief from their guilt if they did what they were told.

Swayed translates the passive form of the verb “to bring,” “to lead, guide”; hence “to be led” (compare Translator’s New Testament), “to be driven” (compare Good News Translation, Revised English Bible “carried away”). What sways these people are various impulses. The word for impulses is literally “desires” (Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version), used here in a negative or derogatory sense. What these evil desires are is not, however, stated.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• Some of them deceive whole families and gain complete control over foolish women whose hearts are burdened by the guilt of their sins and are controlled by all kinds of desires.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .