In my previous post, I discussed a challenging translation issue we encountered in John 6:46, focusing on linguistic nuances. Today, our “Taste of Translation” delves into cultural and worldview considerations.

Choosing Inclusive Language in John 6:46

For those curious about our decision in the last post, we chose number 4: Tamara (“our Father”). In Mamusi culture, inclusivity holds significant value. Whenever the context permits, we opt for inclusive language. To a Mamusi speaker, it feels natural for Jesus to say “our Father” when addressing his Jewish audience (see verses 41 and 52).

Examining the broader context, we used Tamangku (“my Father”) in verses 44-45. In these verses, Jesus speaks in the first person, addressing the Jews’ misunderstanding of his origin in verse 42:

“We know his mother and his father. How then can he say, ‘I came down from Heaven’?”

By shifting to the inclusive Tamara (“our Father”) in verse 46, Jesus indicates that not only has he come from his Father, but adoption into his family is open to anyone who believes (verse 47).

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Translating a Foreign Concept: Slavery

Today, we explore another “Taste of Translation” involving a cultural concept unfamiliar to the Mamusi worldview: slavery. In Jesus’s time, mentioning slavery evoked strong connotations among his audience. The Jews had long recounted stories of their enslavement in Egypt, and in first-century Palestine, they were experiencing subjugation under the Roman Empire. They understood living under oppressive rule and witnessing the fruits of their labor benefiting their overlords. These experiences would have resonated when Jesus spoke the words recorded in John 8:34-36 (NIV):

“Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Translating this passage into Mamusi posed significant challenges. Based on oral tradition and historical accounts, the Mamusi people have not practiced or experienced slavery in their region. While discussing partial parallels, we considered Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) history under Australian rule until independence in 1975, as well as instances where some were conscripted by occupying Japanese forces during WWII. However, none of these scenarios fully encapsulated the concept of slavery as Jesus intended, and the Mamusi language lacks terms to convey these seemingly straightforward ideas.

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Finding a Cultural Equivalent

After extensive discussions, we found that using the concept of “tying up” for a specific purpose effectively conveyed the intended meaning. In verse 32, where Jesus says, “the truth will set you free” (NIV), we employed the word ruse, meaning “untie” or “loose.” This is the same term used in Luke 19 when the disciples “untied” the donkey for Jesus, and in John 21:7 when Peter put back on the garment he had “taken off.”

In verse 33, when the Jews assert, “We… have never been slaves of anyone” (NIV), we expanded the translation to convey:

“No one has ever captured us and forced us to do his work for no pay.”

The term toliliwaele (“captured”) is not commonly used but is easily understood, derived from the root liwae, meaning “tie up.”

While this approach worked well in this context, it’s a lengthy explanation to use whenever “slave” or “slavery” appears, which will be important in translating Paul’s writings. For now though, we’ve opted for descriptive translations, even if they are more verbose. For example, verses 34-35 in Mamusi read:

Jesus answered them, “Very truly I tell you, those who engage in bad behavior [sin], their bad behavior has captured them. A person whose master has captured him for his work is not a member of the master’s household…”

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Expressing “Free Indeed”

The final challenge in this passage was expressing “free indeed” in verse 36. We reused the “untie” verb from verse 32 for “set (you) free.” However, Mamusi lacks a related word for the state of being “untied.” After further discussion, someone suggested the idiom mu kotu wemu ura anakena, literally meaning:

“Your physical body is completely in open space.”

Community testing of these translations elicited smiles and nods of understanding, confirming that the text was both culturally appropriate and effectively communicated the intended meaning. This collaborative effort resulted in a text that communicates a complex concept clearly, naturally, and accurately, in a manner that is vivid and meaningful.

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Next time we’ll look at the idea of “implied information” in the context of John 18:28, wrestling with how much explanation to insert into the text to make it understandable. Thanks for reading!