Interpretative Analysis of the Translation of Matthew 6:12 in the Farefare Bible
Alexander Akaninga, Jonathan E.T. Kuwornu-Adjaottor 
& Amutanga Akaninga
Issue: Vol.6 No.3 May 2024 Article 2 pp. 35-46
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/motbit.2024632 | Published online 21st May, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The study sought to analyze the translation of the Greek word “ἄφες” (forgive) as “patience” in the Farefare language of the Upper East Region of the Republic of Ghana. Using the views of respondents in the field study conducted as well the mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics methodology by Kuwornu-Adjaottor, the findings of the study maintained that the Farefare term suguru which is often used to translate “ἄφες,” is inappropriate because suguru is a noun, while “ἄφες” is a verb. The study also established that the word bahɛ in Farefare means “forgive,” and frequently accompanies the noun be’em (sin/wrongdoing). The cultural understanding of the Farefare is that patience is necessary before granting forgiveness. As a result, this research recommends that the Farefare translation incorporates both “patience” and “forgive” in the appropriate order (that is patience first and then forgive) to reflect the intended meaning of the text and the indigenous cultural understanding. This work contributes to interpreting Biblical texts in the field of theology.
Keywords: Sin, Forgiveness, Lord’s Prayer, Matthew, Luke, Farefare Translation, Patience, Suguru, ἄφες
Akaninga, Alexander. “Kasem, Farefare and Gonja Rendition of Touch in 1John 1:1 1.” Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology 1, no. 2 (2019): 57–66.
Bruce, F.F. The Epistle of Paul to the Romans . Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1963.
Ellingworth, P. “Forgiveness of Sins.” In Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, edited by Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1992.
Fee, Gordon D., and Mark L. Strauss. How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions . Grand Rapids, MI:2014.
France, Richard T. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman Publishing Company, 2007.
Hagner, D. A. Matthew 1-13. Dallas: Word Books, 1993.
Kuwornu-Adjaottor, Jonathan E T. “A Comparative Study of Matthew 6: 12 and Its Parallel in Some Ghanaian Mother-Tongue Translations of the Bible.” International Conference on Research and Development, 2010.
———. “Are Sins Forgiven or Loaned?: Translations and Interpretations of Matthew 6: 12 by Some Dangme Scholars.” ORITA: Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies 42, no. 2 (2010): 67–81.
Metzger, Bruce M., and Bart D. Ehrman. The Text of New Testament. Рипол Классик, 1968.
Stott, J.R. W. The Cross of Christ, 16. Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1992.
Turner, D.L. Matthew. Baker Academic, 2008.
Wandusim, Michael. “2 Exegesis of the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9b–13).” In The Lord’s Prayer in the Ghanaian Context, 15–95. De Gruyter, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110730579-004.
Alexander Akaninga, BA, MPhil, PhD candidate is a Research Associate at the Department of Religious Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology – Kumasi, Ghana.
Jonathan Edward Tetteh Kuwornu-Adjaottor, PhD, is an Associate Professor of New Testament and Mother Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics, Department of Religious Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi-Ghana.
Amutanga Akaninga is an MPhil Candidate at the Department of Educational Leadership, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development – Kumasi, Ghana.
Akaninga,Alexander, Jonathan E.T. Kuwornu-Adjaottor & Amutanga Akaninga. “Interpretative Analysis of the Translation of Matthew 6:12 in the Farefare Bible,” Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology 6, no.3(2024):35-46. https://doi.org/10.38159/motbit.2024632
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
