peace (inner peace)

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated into English as “peace” (or “at ease”) is (back-) translated with a variety of idioms and phrases:

In American Sign Language it is signed with a compound sign consisting of “become” and “silent.” (Source: Yates 2011, p. 52)


“Peace” in American Sign Language (source )

See also peace (absence of strife) and this devotion on YouVersion .

have salt in yourselves

The Greek that is translated as “have salt in yourselves” in English is translated in Western Highland Chatino as “guard yourselves, as meat is preserved with salt.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (Mark 9:50)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 9:50:

  • Uma: “‘Salt is very useful. But if its saltiness changes with the result that it is plain/tasteless, what else could make it salty? So also, you who follow me must be like salt: Don’t let your faith become weak. You must live in unity.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “He also said, ‘You do know that salt is really good. But if the salt has no more taste, it cannot become salty again. Therefore you also,’ he said, ‘you should be careful in order that you do not lose your reciprocal-respect and your reciprocal-harmony.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Not only that but salt is good because it makes food delicious, however, if salt loses its flavor, there is no way to bring back its flavor. And the same way, your works must be like salt so that you might be the means for making people better. And it is necessary that your relationship together with each one of you must become peaceful.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The salt, it has a purpose, but if it becomes-tasteless, it’s tang can definitely not be returned. So think about the use of salt and help-each-other so that you will be in-harmony.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Salt is good as long as it is indeed salty. But if it’s no longer salty, how can it be made salty again? Well as for you (pl.), you must make it your habit to be like the saltiness of this. For if you make your nature/ways like this, it’s for the benefit of one another. And persevere with being like-minded which will result in your fellowship/companionship with your fellowman being peaceful.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Mazaltepec Zapotec: “Salt gives flavor (makes food taste good). There is salt which is mixed with earth. This salt loses its flavor. If the salt loses its flavor, with what can we restore its flavor? You, my disciples, should be like good salt which does not lose its flavor. Thus you will be in peace among yourselves.”
  • Southern Puebla Mixtec: “Salt is good so that food will not go bad. But if the salt is not salty any more, how can we use it? We cannot. So you do like the good salt does. Care for your heart so that it will not go bad. You had better live at peace with one another.”
  • Korku: “Salt is good to make food acceptable, but if its saltiness is lost leaving only that which is not salt, it is no longer useful to make food acceptable. You also should have something like that in your own hearts so that you will be acceptable to one another and be at peace.” (Source for this and two above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

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 Mark 9:50

Exegesis:

ean de to halas analon genētai ‘if the salt becomes saltless,’ ‘if the salt loses its saltness’: it is explained that the coarse salt from the Dead Sea would dissolve, from excessive dampness or other causes, and leave savorless salt-like crystals as a residue. On the other hand, this may be an instance of oriental hyperbole in which ‘salt losing its salt’ is equivalent to something losing its reason for existence.

en tini auto artusete; ‘how will you season it?,’ ‘with what will you restore its flavor?,’ i.e. restore its saltness, its capacity to season, its distinguishing characteristic as salt.

echete en heautois hala ‘have salt in yourselves’: the majority take echete ‘have’ as imperative; Manson, however, takes it to be indicative, ‘there is salt between you.’ A reasonable explanation of the figure is offered by Lagrange who understands it to mean affability and agreeableness in social relations.

kai eirēneuete en allēlois ‘and be at peace among yourselves,’ ‘and keep peace with one another.’

eirēneuō (only here in Mark) ‘to be at peace.’

Translation:

Good must be understood in the sense of ‘valuable,’ ‘good for something’ or ‘useful’ – not ‘good,’ in the sense of moral or beneficent.

Salt has lost its saltness is translated in Amganad Ifugao as ‘if salt has lost its salt flavor’; in Javanese it is ‘if its being-salty has disappeared.’ One could also say ‘if salt is no longer salty.’ There is, of course, a problem here in that pure sodium chloride cannot lose its saltiness, but as noted above, this passage refers evidently to a highly impure substance from which the sodium chloride could be leached out. Similar kinds of salt are found in many parts of the world, and hence the statement does not seem so “impossible” as it might to those who are acquainted only with more refined products.

How will you season it is in some languages equivalent to ‘how can you put the salt flavor (or ‘taste’) back again’; cf. Javanese ‘what shall then be done so that its flavor is made to return?’

There are two principal meanings conveyed by the word peace: (1) inward attitudes of tranquillity and contentment and (2) lack of strife between persons. The first type of meaning is expressed in such idioms as ‘a song in the body’ (Baoulé), ‘heart coolness’ (Maninka), ‘to sit down in the heart’ (South Bolivian Quechua), and ‘quietness of heart’ (Chol). The second meaning, which is the one occurring in this context, relates to the capacity for unruffled social intercourse and for sympathetic and thoughtful consideration of others (in addition, of course, to the actual absence of strife – whether on a local or national level). In this type of context idioms such as ‘quiet goodness’ (Kekchi) and ‘having your hearts feel oneness for one another’ (Tzeltal) fit quite well, for Jesus is speaking not merely of the absence of strife, but of the positive quality of social adjustment.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .