complete verse (Hebrews 2:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 2:18:

  • Uma: “Yesus underwent suffering when he was tested, that’s why he can help people who are tested, for he too got/ underwent testing.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And now he can help the people who are tempted so that they are not carried to sin because he has experienced temptation and persecution/suffering.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And it’s possible for Him to help those who are tempted by Satan, because He has experienced difficulty because of His being tempted.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And because he experienced hardship and temptation, he knows how to help all people who experience temptation.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And because he was hardshipped and really tested/tempted by Satanas (to see) if he might-be-made-to-fall(fig., into sin), therefore he can really help us when we also are tested/tempted. 2:2 According to the perception of the Jews in the past, when God set in motion his laws, the angels were the ones he entrusted (with the task) (Deuteronomy 33:2). 2:6-8 Psalm 8:4-6. 2:8 Genesis 1:26-28. 2:12 Psalm 22:22. 2:13 Isaiah 8:17. 2:13 Isaiah 8:18.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He knows how to strengthen the hearts of the people when they are urged to sin. Because here on earth he went through the sufferings there and he himself was urged to sin.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Hebrews 2:18

Now should be understood in a temporal sense; it is not a conjunction to show some kind of connection in thought.

Help is not the same word as in verse 16, but the meaning is the same.

The temptations of Jesus are mentioned here for the first time and then emphasized later. The same Greek word for tempted means both “tempt” (encourage to do wrong) and “test.” The first meaning is appropriate here, as it is in 4.15; the second is appropriate in 3.8-9 and in 11.17. The relation between tempting and suffering in this verse is not clear; the literal translation of tempted and suffered is “suffered, having been tempted (over a period).” Barclay takes the two closely together (“went through the ordeal of suffering”; Translator’s New Testament “tested by suffering”), but not all of Jesus’ temptations or testings were linked with suffering. Good News Translation is therefore probably right to join tempted and suffered, in that order, by and. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “what was demanded of him” tries to bring out the full meaning of “tempted-tested” in non-church language, although by whom is not expressed.

It is rare that one can combine in a single word the meaning of both “tempted” and “tested.” It is possible to translate those who are tempted as “those who are encouraged to do wrong” or, in the active form, “those whom the Devil encourages to do wrong.”

He himself was tempted may be expressed as “he himself was encouraged to do wrong,” but it is probably better to use a specific reference to the temptation of Jesus by the Devil; for example, “the Devil himself tried to get Jesus to do wrong.” In reference to the temptation of Jesus it is probably better to use an expression such as “tried to,” in order to indicate clearly that the Devil did not succeed in causing Jesus to sin.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .