hell

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The Greek that is translated in English versions as “hell” (or “Gehenna”) is translated (1) by borrowing a term from a trade or national language (this is done in a number of Indian languages in Latin America, which have borrowed Spanish “infierno” — from Latin “infernus”: “of the lower regions”), (2) by using an expression denoting judgment or punishment, e.g. “place of punishment” (Loma), “place of suffering” (Highland Totonac, San Blas Kuna) and (3) by describing a significant characteristic: (a) the presence of fire or burning, e.g. “place of fire” (Kipsigis, Mossi), “the large bonfire” (Shipibo-Conibo), or (b) the traditionally presumed location, e.g. “the lowest place” (a well-known term in Ngäbere), “the place inside” long used to designate hell, as a place inside the earth (Aymara). (Source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)

In Noongar it is translated as Djinbaminyap or “Punishing place” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang) and in Tagbanwa as “the fire which had no dying down” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

The Mandarin Chinese dìyù (地獄 / 地狱), literally “(under) earth prison,” is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32)

cause to stumble, offend

“The word ‘offend’ as a translation of the Greek skandalizó seems to cause all sorts of trouble for translators. The difficulty is that the meaning of this word covers such a wide area. The basic meaning of the Greek is ‘to cause to stumble by putting some impediment in the way.’ The present central meaning of English ‘offend’ is often quite different. In some languages there is no metaphorical value in a translation ‘to cause someone to stumble.’ If the language permits no such metaphor, the translator should not attempt to force it. In Highland Totonac, the metaphor ‘to show the wrong road to’ is used in a manner almost exactly parallel to the Greek idiom.” (Source: Nida 1947)

In San Blas Kuna the translation is “spoil the heart” (source: Claudio and Marvel Iglesias in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 85ff.).

See also fall away, stumble.

complete verse (Matthew 18:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 18:9:

  • Uma: “And if for example one of our (incl.) eyes carries us (incl.) to sin, gouge/pry it out and throw it away. It is better to have just one eye and receive goodness of life with God that to have two eyes but in the end we (incl.) are thrown into the fire of hell.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And if your eye also influences you to sin, leave/give up your sin. Figuratively as if you dig out your eye and throw it away. It is better for you to enter heaven even if you have only one eye than if you have two eyes but are thrown into the fire of hell.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And if the thing by which you are successfully tempted is your eye, dig it out and throw it away, because it is better if you only have one eye and you are given life forever rathen than your having two eyes and you are thrown in the fire of hell.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Your (sing.) eye also, it that’s your (sing.) means-of-sinning, extract-it to throw it away. Because it is better if you (sing.) go join-in-experiencing the life in heaven one-eyed than that you (sing.) have two eyes and you (sing.) are thrown into the fire in hell.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well if supposing your eye is where what causes you to sin originates, just pluck it out and throw it away. For it doesn’t matter even if one eye plucked out, as long as life which is without ending will be yours. Certainly (better) than still having both eyes and be thrown into the fire which never dies down.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “If you say that it is the sin of your eye that you committed sin, pluck out your eye and throw it far away. It is better that you only have one eye when you enter where you will live with God, than that you have two eyes and thus go to hell where the fire burns.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 18:8-9

These two verses are similar to 5.29-30; therefore, only a few additional comments need be made: (1) The body parts differ. In 5.29-30 the arrangement is “right eye … right hand”; here it is your hand or your foot … eye. (2) The place of final punishment is described in slightly different terms. In 5.29-30 it is “hell” as opposed to eternal fire … hell of fire of the present passage. (3) The expression enter life, absent from the earlier passage, is used twice here.

The expression enter life is difficult, because for many readers it will mean simply “enter into this life,” that is, “be born.” The reference is to eternal life, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “to live with God” (verse 8) and “to live eternally” (verse 9). INCL translates both times as “to live with God.” “To receive real life” or “to have the life that doesn’t end” are also good. Traduction œcuménique de la Bible provides a footnote, indicating that the meaning is eternal life, and at the same time noting that the word “life” is used in the same sense as in 7.14; 19.16, 29; 25.46.

The majority of translators and commentators understand both eternal fire and hell of fire as references to the place of final destruction. Phillips, however, wrongly distinguishes between the two: “the everlasting fire … the fire of the rubbish-heap.” One way to avoid a false distinction is to render eternal fire by “hell, where the fire doesn’t go out (or, burns forever)” and hell of fire as “the fire of hell” or “hell, where the fire is.” For more comments on the terms hell and “Gehenna,” see also 5.22, 29.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .