The Greek that is translated in English typically as “vine” is translated in Lak as къюмайтӀутӀул мурхьра: “the (grape-)cluster tree.”
Vitaly Voinov tells this story:
“Laks (who live in the mountainous regions of Dagestan) historically have had no experience with planting and tending vineyards. They buy grapes at the market or the store, but that’s about all they know of grape growing. Thus, in field testing, none of the readers could picture the primary image of this chapter. The translator’s initial attempt of rendering ‘vine’ as ‘grape stalk’ met with complete non-understanding. After much discussion of the problem and potential solutions, we settled on what one of the field testing respondents suggested to remedy the problem: ‘vine’ was rendered as ‘the (grape-)cluster tree’ (къюмайтӀутӀул мурхьра). Technically grapes of course don’t grow on trees, but something had to be put in the text, and it had to be said in a way that the average reader/hearer could understand it. The Lak team could have borrowed the Russian word for ‘vine’ (лоза), but since this is a very low-frequency word in the Russian language, it’s likely that many Laks wouldn’t know the Russian word either. So the team settled for a reduction of accuracy in order to achieve greater clarity. After all, the primary point of importance in this passage is not a horticultural analysis, but a metaphorical comparison to the spiritual world, to the relationship between the Father, His Son, and the followers of Jesus. This rendering allows readers to get to the core of this meaning without getting tangled up in unknown terms.”
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )
Following are a number of back-translations of John 15:4:
Uma: “‘Remain in-harmony [mutual-life] with me, and I also with you. A branch that is broken off from the tree trunk does not bear-fruit. A branch must definitely stick to the trunk in order to bear-fruit. So also you: You will only bear-fruit if you remain in-harmony with me.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “You shall remain with/in me and I also will remain with/in you. Take a branch for a parable (lit. parable branch) the branches cannot bear fruit by themselves only if they are not separated from the stock do they bear fruit. Likewise you, you cannot do good if you do not remain with me.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t separate from me just like I also will not separate from you. There is no branch which can fruit if it separates from the body of the plant. And you also, if you separate from me, you cannot fruit, which is to say, you cannot do good.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Continue being-united-with me and I will also continue being-united-with you. The branch of the grape, it has no way to bear-fruit if it is separated from its base. It’s the same with you, because your faith will have no fruit if you don’t continue to be united-with me.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Hold fast to me. I will hold fast to you too. Because a branch can’t bear fruit by itself alone but only if it’s connected to the trunk. As for you, it’s like that too. You can’t be-really-fruitful unless you hold fast to me.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Do not forsake me and likewise I do not forsake you. A branch cannot bear fruit when it is alone and not attached to the vine. It is like that for you. You cannot live good lives if you forsake me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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.
And I will remain united in you may also be understood as a comparison “as I remain united with you,” since the Greek conjunction kai may mean either “and” or “as.” If the clause is interpreted as a comparison, then the first clause is most appropriately understood as an imperative, for example, “continue to be a part of me even as I am a part of you” or “continue to be joined to me even as I will remain joined to you.” However, if the second clause is not to be considered a type of comparison, in most languages a conditional relation would be more appropriate, for example, “If you remain joined to me, I will remain joined to you.”
Most translations are literal, maintaining the imagery either of “living in” or “abiding in.” The meaning is essentially that of 6.56 (“to live in fellowship/union with”). Since the spatial concept of one person living in another person may be difficult, it is better to follow Good News Translation and translate “remain united with me.”
By itself is the same expression translated on his own in the son can do nothing on his own of 5.19 (see also 7.18; 16.13). In the same way that the Son can do nothing on his own, so the disciples can do nothing on their own; they must remain united with the Son, as the Son remains united with the Father.
It may not be easy in some languages to translate literally by itself. One equivalent may be “a branch alone cannot bear fruits,” or it may be necessary to indicate clearly what the relation is of the branch to the trunk, for example, “if a branch is not attached to the trunk of a tree, it cannot bear fruit.” This same truth is also expressed in the second part of this second sentence, which may be rendered “a branch can only bear fruit if it remains a part of the vine.” These two parts of the sentence simply reinforce one another.
What may be difficult is the parallel stated in the third sentence of verse 4, since in some languages one cannot speak of a person’s bearing fruit. Such a figure is simply meaningless. One can, however, translate this sentence “In the same way you can’t do anything unless you remain a part of me….”
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 .
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