truth

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is usually translated in English as “truth” is translated in Luchazi with vusunga: “the quality of being straight” (source: E. Pearson in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 160ff. ), in Obolo as atikọ or “good/correct talk” (source: Enene Enene), and in Ekari as maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (esp. in John 14:6 and 17; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).

The translation committee of the Malay “Good News Bible” (Alkitab Berita Baik, see here ) wrestled with the translation of “truth” in the Gospel of John (for more information click or tap here):

“Our Malay Committee also concluded that ‘truth’ as used in the Gospel of John was used either of God himself, or of God’s revelation of himself, or in an extended sense as a reference to those who had responded to God’s self-disclosure. In John 8:32 the New Malay translation reads ‘You will know the truth about God, and the truth about God will make you free.’ In John 8:44 this meaning is brought out by translating, ‘He has never been on the side of God, because there is no truth in him.’ Accordingly Jesus ‘tells the truth about God’ in 8:45, 46 (see also 16:7 and 8:37a). Then, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ becomes ‘I am the one who leads men to God, the one who reveals who and what God is, and the one who gives men life.” At 3:21 the translation reads ” … whoever obeys the truth, that is God himself, comes to the light …’; 16:13a appears as ‘he will lead you into the full truth about God’; and in 18:37 Jesus affirms ‘I came into the world to reveal the truth about God, and whoever obeys God listens to me.’ On this basis also 1:14 was translated ‘we saw his glory, the glory which he had as the Father’s only Son. Through him God has completely revealed himself (truth) and his love for us (grace)’; and 1:17 appears as ‘God gave the law through Moses; but through Jesus Christ he has completely revealed himself (truth) and his love for us (grace).'” (Source: Barclay Newman in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 432ff. )

Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) tells of the translation into Kui which usually is “true-thing.” In some instances however, such as in the second part of John 17:17 (“your word is truth” in English), the use of “true-thing” indicated that there might be other occasions when it’s not true, so here the translation was a a form of “pure, holy.”

Translation commentary on Psalm 15:2

The conditions for entering the Temple and worshiping there are given by the priests (verses 2-5b). These conditions are all moral and spiritual, not ritual and ceremonial; they have to do with character and conduct.

In translation it will often be necessary to indicate that verses 2-5 are the responses to the question asked in verse 1. This may be done by making the question element more explicit in verse 1; for example, “LORD, I inquire from you, who are the persons who can enter your Temple to worship you?” Verse 2 may then contain an explicit response marker; for example, “The LORD answers…” or “The answer is….”

(1) A worshiper must “walk perfectly” and “do justice.” Both phrases describe conduct. For walks as way of life, see comments on 1.1. In languages where walks indicates behavior, the translator is encouraged to keep the idiom if possible. However, in some languages another idiom can be used; for example, “The person who follows a straight path” or “The person who poles his canoe in clear waters.”

The word translated blamelessly is related to the word “perfection” in 9.6. New Jerusalem Bible has “whoever lives blamelessly.” To be “blameless” is to obey the commands of God in everything (see Anderson).

For comments on right see 4.1.

(2) The next qualification has to do with speech: speaks truth from his heart. The word translated truth (ʾemeth) comes from a root meaning “to be firm, reliable, trustworthy.” The phrase from his heart may be taken to indicate sincerity (so Good News Translation; see Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “speak the truth with all his heart”); but see New Jerusalem Bible “in his heart acknowledges the truth.” “Whose words are true” is said in some languages as “he who speaks with one mouth,” and in others, “he whose words are straight.” Many languages use expressions based on the heart; for example, “he who speaks from a white heart.” Good News Translation “true and sincere” is an attempt to include the element from his heart. Another way is “with his whole heart he speaks the truth” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “he insists on thinking and speaking only the truth” (see also Bible en français courant).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .