complete verse (Philemon 1:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Philemon 1:18:

  • Uma: “If he perhaps has wronged you, or has a debt to you, I will bear it for him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If he has any sin/fault towards you or if he has a debt to you charge (lit. list) it to my name.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If he has a sin against you, or if he owes you anything, think of it as mine.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If he has a sin/crime or debt to you (sing.), let me be the one from-whom-you-(sing.)-collect.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “If there is a wrong that he has committed against you or if he has a debt to you, I will just take-care-of-it for him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “If he did something wrong to you or if he owes money to you, then charge me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Philemon 1:18

Paul deals with a delicate subject by treating it as doubtful, which it most certainly was not, for it was the common thing for a runaway slave to take with him some valuables or money from his master.

Done you any wrong translates the verb adikeō (see Col 3.25), a general term covering every possible misdeed. Owes you anything refers specifically to theft; Paul avoids calling it robbery.

Charge it to my account is used figuratively; it is a term borrowed from the business world and simply means that Paul will assume the responsibility for making good any loss suffered by Philemon as a result of Onesimus’ action.

If the conditional clause if he has done you any wrong or owes you anything might suggest that he did not do any wrong, it is better to use some kind of indefinite clause, for example, “whatever wrong he has done you or whatever he owes you.”

Charge it to my account is often expressed somewhat idiomatically, for example, “put my name beside the sum” or “tell me how much I owe you.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Philemon. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .