The Greek that is often translated as “flesh” in English (when referring to the lower human nature) can, according to Nida (1947, p. 153) “very rarely be literally translated into another language. ‘My meat’ or ‘my muscle’ does not make sense in most languages.” He then gives a catalog of almost 30 questions to determine a correct translation for that term.
The Toraja-Sa’dan translation uses a variety of terms for the translation of the same Greek term (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight)
A form of kale tolinona or “corporeal” is for instance used in Romans 9:5 or Colossians 1:22 (and also in Genesis 6:3 and Exodus 30:32)
A form of mentolinona or “the human” is for instance used in Matthew 16:17 or John 1:14
Phrases that include pa’kalean or “bodiliness” (also: “human shape”) are for instance used in Romans 6:6 or 1 Peter 2:11 (as well as in Isa 52:14, Isa 53:2, and Lamentations 4:7
The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “circumcise” or “circumcision” in English (originally meaning of English term: “to cut around”) are (back-) translated in various ways:
Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “put the mark in the body showing that they belong to God” (or: “that they have a covenant with God”)
Indonesian: disunat — “undergo sunat” (sunat is derived from Arabic “sunnah (سنة)” — “(religious) way (of life)”)
Ekari: “cut the end of the member for which one fears shame” (in Gen. 17:10) (but typically: “the cutting custom”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Hiri Motu: “cut the skin” (source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1079)
Garifuna: “cut off part of that which covers where one urinates”
Bribri: “cut the soft” (source for this and the one above: Ronald Ross)
Amele: deweg cagu qoc — “cut the body” (source: John Roberts)
Eastern Highland Otomi: “cut the flesh of the sons like Moses taught” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
Newari: “put the sign in one’s body” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 6:13:
Uma: “But actually, those people who are following the custom of circumcision, even they are not following all the Law of Musa. Their desire is for you to be circumcised so that they will be proud [lit., their hearts will be big] of your following their orders.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Even though they teach that you ought to be circumcised as the law written by Musa commands, they do not follow/obey all the commands in the law. They force/persuade you to be circumcised only so that they can boast that they are the ones who convinced you therefore you were circumcised.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for those people, now they teach that it is necessary that you be circumcised according to the teaching of the Law. But in spite of that, they do not thoroughly keep the Law. The reason they want that you be circumcised is so that they might be praised because you have become their converts.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Even those who are circumcised, they don’t obey all the laws of Moses, but they want you to get-circumcised so they will be able to boast that you got-circumcised because of them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But even those who have themselves circimcised, they are not in fact obeying those laws with true obedience. They are just forcing you to be circumcised so that they will be praised because they persuaded you to join the way that they are following.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Well, these teachers whose bodies are marked do not even do all that the law says. They only want you to be marked in order that where they talk they can be proud, saying that you have obeyed them in getting marked.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (wsource: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
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Scholarly opinion is divided as to whether those who practice circumcision (literally, “the ones who are being circumcised”) are identical with the people Paul is talking about in verse 12. Some hold that in verse 13 Paul is referring in a general way to all who accept the validity of circumcision, both in Galatia and elsewhere. Others interpret this to refer to those among the Galatian Gentile Christians who have submitted to circumcision through the influence of the false teachers. A third view is that the reference is to the false teachers themselves. Most translators preserve some degree of ambiguity (Knox “they do not even observe the law, although they adopt circumcision”; compare Jerusalem Bible). The merit of this position is that it makes it easier to explain the remaining parts of the verse, as is seen below. In any case, those who practice circumcision should not be understood merely in the sense of “those who cause others to be circumcised,” but primarily in the sense of “those who cause themselves to be circumcised.”
What is accented in Paul’s statement that these people do not obey the Law is not their inability to follow the law but their indifference toward obeying it. There is a touch of sarcasm in Paul’s tone; in a sense he is saying “They want you to follow the Law, but they themselves don’t obey it!” As in so many contexts, do not obey the Law may be rendered as “do not do what the Law commands,” or “… the laws command.” The passive form to be circumcised may be expressed actively as “they want to circumcise you.”
The motive of these people in wanting the Galatians circumcised is so that they can boast that you submitted to this physical ceremony (literally, “so that they may glory in your flesh”), which is very similar to the statement in the first part of verse 12. As there, but even more so here, “flesh” has reference to the rite of circumcision. These people were probably boasting, perhaps to the Jews, that they had gotten Gentiles to be circumcised and therefore technically to become members of the Jewish community. You submitted to this physical ceremony may be simply rendered as “you allowed yourselves to be circumcised,” or “… for them to circumcise you.”
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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