truly truly - I tell you

The Greek that is often translated in English as “truly, truly, I tell you” or similar is translated in the Russian BTI translation (publ. 2015) as Поверьте Мне (Pover’te Mne) or “trust me.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Amen.

he who, whoever

The Greek that is typically translated with a generic expressions such as “he who,” “whoever,” or “if anyone” in English is translated with the plural form (“they”) in Daga. “A literal translation of these conveys the idea that one specific unnamed individual is being dis cussed. Thus, for instance, in John 5:24 ‘he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life’ meant in Daga that there was one fortunate individual to whom it applied.”

See also love your neighbor as yourself.

complete verse (John 10:1)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 10:1:

  • Uma: “Yesus said: ‘These my words are very true: if a person enters a corral by climbing the wall, and he does not pass through the door, he is a thief and a robber.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then Isa parabled, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, if a person goes inside the enclosure of the sheep but does not go through the door but enters by a different way, that person is a thief and he breaks in.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus taught a parable, he said, ‘True is what I say to you that if there is a person who enters into the corral of the sheep, and he does not pass through the gateway because he passes through a different way, that man is a thief and a bandit.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then he said by-illustration, ‘This that I tell you is indeed true. If there is a sheep corral and a person doesn’t enter by the correct entrance but rather climbs-over the fence, he is a thief and bandit.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘The truth really is what I am telling you,’ said Jesus. ‘That one who enters into the enclosure of the sheep who takes a shortcut, not passing through the gateway but wherever he can get-in-uninvited, that is none other than a thief or if not, then a robber.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “‘It is true what I tell you. He who does not enter through the gate of the fence for sheep but rather climbs over another side is the sheep-thief.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on John 10:1

The details of this chapter regarding sheep and shepherd agree accurately with what is known of sheep herding in Palestine. Although sheep pens were sometimes located on hills and enclosed by stone walls, the one referred to here is apparently of a yard in front of a house and surrounded by a stone wall. It may be difficult to find an adequate term for sheep pen, which must often be described as “a place for the protection of sheep” or “a place where sheep are kept.” The only equivalent in some languages is “a corral for sheep.”

The Greek text has “door,” but a number of translators find gate to be more appropriate.

There may be problems in rendering climbs in some other way. The only way that a thief or robber could get into the sheep pen would be by climbing over the wall, since the gate would obviously be guarded and there was no other opening. It may be necessary to say “but climbs over the wall” or “climbs over at some other place” (implying some place other than the gate). However, it may be possible to use a less specific expression, for example, “but gets into the sheep pen by some other means.”

In some languages it is almost obligatory to employ the positive expression before the negative; therefore, it may be necessary to say “the man who gets into the sheep pen over the wall rather than by entering the gate is a thief….”

In the phrase a thief and a robber most translations render the first noun as Good News Translation does (it is used of Judas in 12.6), but there is considerable difference in the translation of the second word. Revised Standard Version and New English Bible also have “robber,” but New American Bible has “marauder”; Phillips “rogue”; Jerusalem Bible “brigand”; and Anchor Bible “bandit.” Since the two Greek nouns which Good News Translation renders thief and robber are not normally synonyms, it is suggested by some commentators that the Greek word “and” (kai) should here be translated “or.” However, most translators prefer “and.” In 18.40 the word here translated robber is used of Barabbas, but Good News Translation renders it bandit. Bandit is quite possibly also the meaning in the present context, especially in light of the fact that this discourse on the good shepherd was probably connected with the Festival of Dedication (see verse 22). This festival celebrated the restoration and rededication of the Jewish Temple by Judas Maccabeus in 165 BC. If the Maccabean leaders are the persons referred to in verse 8, the designation bandit fits the context of both verse 1 and verse 8 very well. Jesus is comparing the Pharisees to the leaders of the Maccabean revolt, whom the people willingly followed with Messianic expectations. These people were indeed thieves and bandits, and Jesus is affirming that the Pharisees are no better. They have come only to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus has come to give people life.

In general, the distinction between thief and robber is the fact that the thief employs stealth while the robber uses violence, to obtain what he takes away from other people. Most languages have ways of marking the distinction. A thief may be described as “one who takes away stealthily” and a robber as “one who takes away by threats or weapons” or “… by threat of injury or harm.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .