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.

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 14:13

For Son of man, see Ezek 14.3.

When …: Verses 13-14 contain a long and complicated conditional sentence in Hebrew. The five clauses in verse 13 and the first one in verse 14 are all part of the condition, which the conjunction when (“if” in Good News Translation) introduces. The result of the conditional sentence does not come until the end of verse 14. Some languages may need to break up this long sentence to ensure that its sense is clear (so Good News Translation). The model at the end of the discussion on verse 14 gives one way to do this.

A land sins against me: For many languages it may not be possible to say that an inanimate object such as a land or “a country” (Good News Translation) sins. If so, translators may say “an entire nation” (Contemporary English Version) or “the people of a country” (New Century Version). Although the land in focus here is Israel, translators will go too far if they refer explicitly to Israel at this point, because God has left it general so that his message applies to any sinful nation. The Hebrew verb rendered sins conveys the idea of breaking a relationship here. At the heart of its meaning is the idea of “missing the mark” or “failing to attain something.” The pronoun me refers to God. This whole clause may be rendered “the people of a nation do wrong against me.”

By acting faithlessly renders a Hebrew verb and noun from the same root. This root also presupposes a relationship, usually between God and people, that the people break by refusing to accept God’s authority. New Century Version provides a helpful model here, saying “by not being loyal.” Some languages may find it hard to distinguish between sins and acting faithlessly. If so, it is acceptable to combine the two expressions (so Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation).

And I stretch out my hand against it means God will punish the nation. For the figurative language here, see Ezek 14.9. New Century Version says “I will use my power against them.”

And break its staff of bread and send famine upon it means God will destroy the nation’s crops, so that the people starve. For break its staff of bread, see the comments on 4.16. These two clauses may be rendered “and cut off their supplies of food and cause a famine in that country.”

And cut off from it man and beast means God will destroy all the people and animals in the land. Many translations interpret this clause to mean that the famine causes them to die (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, Moffatt, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This is a possible interpretation, but the Hebrew also allows for God to destroy the people and animals in some other way. Translators may take either interpretation.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .