complete verse (Philippians 4:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Philippians 4:17:

  • Uma: “The reason I say that, is not just because I want to receive gifts. My real desire [is] that from that goodness of your hearts, the blessings of God to you, relatives, will continue to increase.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “It is not that I am just happy to receive from you. But/instead I really want that your reward from God will be added to.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I’m not saying this so that I might always get what you have to give; I want that God’s reward to you might be big.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But I want to make-known to you that it’s not what you are giving that I am looking for but rather the adding-to of your reward.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I don’t mean to say that what is big in my mind/inner-being is to be always getting this grace/aid of yours, but rather what I want is that you continue this which you are doing which is like fruit of your believing/obeying for you will be rewarded by God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I am rejoicing not only because you gave me what I needed for eating, rather I rejoice because what you did for me causes God to look with more favor on you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Philippians 4:17

I … want to receive (literally, “I seek”) is in Greek an intensive verb with an active meaning of “I hunt for.” It is repeated in Greek in order to emphasize a strong contrast … not that I … want to … rather, I want to. This may be rendered as “my interest is not to receive gifts,” “my concern is not that I receive gifts,” or “I am really not interested in receiving gifts.”

Three key words now follow, all of them current business terms when this letter was written. (1) The word rendered profit is literally “fruit,” but it can be used in the sense of “interest” gained in a business transaction (Moffatt). (2) The word added translates a participial form of a verb meaning “to increase,” “to accumulate,” “to multiply,” suggesting compound interest. Paul welcomes the gifts, not so much for his personal benefit as for that of his friends. He considers their gifts a profitable investment in the service of God, for God will repay them rich dividends by adding interest to their account. (3) The third current business term appears in verse 18, namely receipt.

In some languages it may be impossible to produce a satisfactorily literal translation of I want to see profit added to your account, for many societies do not have the type of commercial structure which would provide the basis for such a rendering. In some instances the closest equivalent may be “I want to see even more good deeds added to the list of what you have done,” or “I want you to have an even better record of the good that you have done.”

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .