love (Luang)

The various Greek terms that are translated as “love” in English can be translated with various terms in Luang with different shades of meaning.

For Acts 7:46 and Titus 1:8, ralamni nala (“insides take”). “This term has the sense of finding favor with or being pleased by someone and is used for love between a man and a woman, between a parent and a much-loved child. It is also used of God’s being especially pleased with a human, such as he was with Noah and Moses. It can refer to loving objects good or bad, and to loving the world. The focus here is on some pleasing characteristic of the person or thing loved.”

For Mark 6:34, nmawaldoinla (“insides turn completely over”). “Love mixed with pity and distress. One can feel this for oneself as well as for others. Jesus felt this way when he looked at the multitudes who were like sheep without a shepherd.”

For Mark 1:11, lilili (“take care of, honor”). “Loving with special care, attention, and honor. This is the term often used for loving a dear child and God’s loving his Son.”

For 1 Thess. 2:8 and Mark 1:11, siayni (“love, pity”). “Affection for children or for those in difficult circumstances.”

For Titus 3:4 and 1 Thess. 1:2-3, ralamni kalwieda-paitiota (“good insides”). The focus of this term is the goodness of the one who loves. There is absolutely no focus whatsoever on the one loved, who may even be despicable. This term is often used for God’s love and mercy toward us especially in such verses as ‘God loved us, not because of what we have done, but because of his great mercy.'”

For 1 Thess. 1:4 and 2 Tim. 4:10, napalniana (“insides face”). “The sense of this term is very close to that of the sense of ‘ralamni nalal’ for ‘love’. It indicates something about the thing or person loved that pleases the one loving. However, the sense ‘ralamni nalal’ refers generally to love as an outcome of the loved one’s pleasing characteristics, while this term, when it collocates with human beings, is used more for love that results from the loved one’s loving actions. It is not used for the love between a man and a woman.”

The following are service-related terms for “love.” “There are several different words for love where the focus is on the act produced by love, not on the goodness of the one loving, the one being loved, or any emotion of affection or pity. These words are differentiated by the particular service given and are mainly used in verses where people are commanded to love one another.”

For 2 Thess. 1:3 and 1 Tim. 6:18, ra’a-palu (“love-widow”). “This term’s focus is on love displayed by giving to one another financially.”

For 1 Thess. 3:12, nhimpai-nmanatu (“hold out hands, place carefully”). This term’s focus is more on daily practical care of someone.

For Titus 2:2 and 1 Tim. 6:11, hima-re’a (“hold out hands”). “This term’s focus is on helping someone with their work.”

For 1 Thess. 4:9, mpiehwa-mliakta kalwiedweda (“good/careful actions”). “This term’s focus is on the proper treatment of others on meeting them. It implies being hospitable, polite, respecting.”

Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.

hospitable

The now commonly-used German expression gastfrei, literally meaning “generous tóeward guests,” was first coined in 1522 in the German New Testament translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Günther 2017, p. 72)

For other idioms or terms in German that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

See also practice hospitality and hospitality.

complete verse (Titus 1:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Titus 1:8:

  • Uma: “People whom you raise to become religious leaders must be people who are open [lit., friendly/extrovertish] to having-visitors, remain/faithful in doing good, their hearts must be clear and straight, their actions must be holy and they must be able to hold-in-check the evil desires of their hearts.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If he has visitors he must really honor them/treat them according to custom and he must be pleased with everything good. He must be able to control himself and he must be straight/righteous. He ought to follow God wholeheartedly/(lit. entirely his liver) and he ought not to indulge his desires/greedy-desires.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He must be one who cares for his guests. And it is also necessary that what he really wants to do is to help people. He knows how to think properly. He is a righteous person, and God is pleased with his deeds. He knows how to constrain the desires of his body.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “but rather he must be consistently-hospitable and consistently-love what is good. He must also be a reflective and circumspect person who is able-to-control himself (lit. his body). He must also be righteous (lit. straight) and holy.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “On the contrary, it’s necessary that he welcomes people well who need to stay at his house. He prefers doing good works, knows how to control himself, he is righteous/straight and desirous that he be pleasing to God. And he no longer indulges evil desires.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He must be a person who gives a resting place to others in his house. He must like to do what is good. He must control his heart. He must be a good person. He must reverence God. He must guard himself well.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Titus 1:8

This verse enumerates the six virtues that elders must possess. As in the previous case, only those not mentioned in 1 Timothy will be discussed.

For hospitable see 1 Tim 3.2 and elsewhere,

Lover of goodness appears only here in the whole New Testament. It describes someone who not only loves good things but likes to do them as well (so Jerusalem Bible “a friend of all that is good,” Phillips “a genuine lover of what is good,” Contemporary English Version “enjoy doing good things”).

Master of himself is the same word translated “temperate” in 1 Tim 3.2. The word is derived from a verb that means “to behave in a sensible manner”; hence “self-controlled” (Good News Translation), “discreet” (Phillips). A related meaning is being moderate and balanced in one’s behavior; hence “temperate” (Revised English Bible), “self-restrained” (Translator’s New Testament).

Upright is literally “righteous,” here used to refer either to morally and ethically acceptable behavior, or to fairness in dealing with others (so Phillips “fair-minded,” Contemporary English Version “fair”). See further on 1 Tim 1.9, where Revised Standard Version has “just” and Good News Translation has “good people.” Since the ethical aspects are covered by the traits that come immediately before and after upright, it seems best to follow the second alternative, and therefore “fair,” “impartial,” or “unbiased” are all good models.

Holy is used here in an ethical sense, referring to an attitude of complete dedication to everything that is good and acceptable to God. See further on 1 Tim 2.8.

Self-controlled translates a word that is derived from the verb that means “to exercise self-control” or “to have self-discipline,” especially in relation to sinful desires.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Titus. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .