reconcile, reconciliation

The Greek terms that are translated as “reconcile” and “reconciliation” in English are translated in various ways. Nida (1952, pp. 140) says this:

“The North Alaskan Inupiatun describe reconciliation in the simple terms of ‘making friends again.’ That is to say, ‘God was in Christ making friends again with the world.’ The Uduk in the Sudan express this same truth, but in the rather interesting phrase ‘meet, snapping fingers together again.’ This expression is derived from the Uduk’s practice of snapping fingers together when they meet each other. Instead of shaking hands, they extend their thumbs and middle fingers and snap fingers together, but only friends will do this. Men who have something against each other refuse to acknowledge each other in this way. And so it is that the natural man is an enemy of God; he refuses to snap fingers with God, but God has come to reconcile man to Himself and through Jesus Christ has brought man into fellowship with Himself. Man and God may now meet ‘to snap fingers together again.’

“The Tai Dam of Indo-China employ quite a different figure of speech. They say that reconciliation consists in ‘rubbing off the corners.’ This does not refer to social acceptability, but to rubbing off the corners so that two objects, meant for each other, will fit together. Man is regarded as being incapable of fitting into the plan and fellowship of God because of the sin which has deformed him and which stands out as an ugly growth on his personality. The corners of iniquity must be rubbed off so that man may be reconciled to God and made to fit into God’s eternal plan for the world.”

In Muna, the phrase manusia suli dopometaa bhe Lahata’ala: “man has-a-good-relationship/is-in-harmony-again with God” is used for “reconciled.” (Source: René van den Berg)

“Reconcile to God” is translated as “our hearts become good toward him” in Tzeltal, as “he makes us his friends again” in Huehuetla Tepehua, as “we are brought close to him” in Highland Totonac, as “he is no longer angry with us” in Sayula Popoluca, as “(Christ) put us in a state of well-being with God” in Yatzachi Zapotec, and as “opposition to God was healed” in Chol. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

Translation commentary on 3 Maccabees 5:13

Then the Jews, since they had escaped the appointed hour … : The Jews realized that the time when they were supposed to be killed by the elephants had passed. We may begin this verse with “When the Jews realized that it was past the time when they were to be killed…,” “The time set aside to kill the Jews had now passed, so…” (Contemporary English Version), or even “The time that Philopator had set for the elephants to kill the Jews had now passed, so….”

Praised their holy God: For holy God, see the comments on 3 Macc 2.2.

And again begged him who is easily reconciled to show the might of his all-powerful hand to the arrogant Gentiles: The Jews believed that God had answered their prayer to escape death, since God is easily reconciled, that is, “quick to respond in mercy” (Anderson). They now prayed that he would punish the Gentiles for even trying to carry out such a presumptuous, arrogant plan. Contemporary English Version omits the adverb again, but it should be kept. The might of his all-powerful hand is a figurative expression that may be rendered “all of his might/power.” For Gentiles see 3 Macc 4.1. We may translate again begged him … to show the might of his all-powerful hand to the arrogant Gentiles as “They again begged him to use all of his tremendous power to punish the arrogant Gentiles” or “They again asked him to show the arrogant Gentiles his tremendous power.”

Here are alternative models for this verse:

• When the Jews realized that it was past the time when they were to be killed, they praised their holy God for showing them such mercy. They once again begged him to use all of his tremendous power to punish the arrogant Gentiles.

• The time that King Philopator had set for the Jews to be killed [or, for the elephants to kill the Jews] had now passed. So they praised their holy God….

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.