Semantic Analysis

Romans — Semantic Analysis (Greek Source → Amharic Destination)

PRD Phase 1, Step 1 — Full Book Coverage

Status: FOUNDATIONAL BASELINE. No Amharic Language Package exists prior to this document. Every rendering, register decision, and risk-tier judgment recorded here becomes the mandatory baseline Translation Memory (TM) for all future Amharic curricula. Deviations by later curricula are not permitted without a documented revision process.

0. Baseline Register and Script Decisions (established here, permanent)

Script: Ethiopic script (ፊደል), standard modern Amharic orthography (not Ge’ez-only forms), consistent with all published Amharic Bible editions.
Register: Formal, literary Amharic consistent with the existing Amharic Bible translation tradition (the lineage running from the 1840s Ge’ez-influenced translations through the widely used 1962 E.C. “Haile Selassie I / Union” Amharic Bible and its revisions). This register uses classical/liturgical vocabulary (ጸጋ, ድኅነት, ጽድቅ, ቅዱስ, ሐዋርያ) rather than colloquial modern Amharic or informal neologisms. Rationale: Romans is doctrinally dense, and receptor audiences (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, Protestant/Evangelical “Pente” churches, and Catholic minority) all recognize and expect this liturgical register; using colloquial Amharic would read as irreverent and would fail to carry doctrinal weight already encoded in existing vocabulary.
Divine names: θεός is rendered እግዚአብሔር (Igziabiher) as the primary term for “God” throughout, following the dominant convention of existing Amharic Bible tradition (እግዚአብሔር functions in Amharic Christian usage as the standard word for the one true God across both Testaments, not narrowly as a transliteration-equivalent of YHWH). አምላክ is reserved for generic/comparative statements about deity (e.g., “gods,” false gods, “the God of Abraham” in comparative contexts) and appears rarely in Romans. κύριος referring to Christ is rendered ጌታ (“Lord”); when Paul echoes OT κύριος = YHWH quotations, እግዚአብሔር is used to preserve continuity with the Amharic OT.
Established loanwords retained: ወንጌል (gospel), ሐዋርያ (apostle), ክርስቶስ (Christ), ጳውሎስ (Paul), and other proper nouns follow existing, centuries-old Ethiopian Christian usage. These are treated as immovable baseline terms — not re-coined.
Risk-tier convention (applies to this document and the glossary):
- Critical — the natural/available Amharic rendering actively collides with a competing, well-established theological system in Ethiopia (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo sacramentology, Ge’ez OT ritual vocabulary, folk/zar spirit-possession belief, or Ethiopia’s national Israel-lineage tradition) such that a naive translation could teach a different doctrine than intended.
- High — real risk of doctrinal drift or confusion exists, but is manageable with careful, consistent rendering and translator notes.
- Medium — some ambiguity or flattening of nuance, manageable through context and consistent glossing.
- Low — term is stable, well-established, and low ambiguity in Amharic.

PART A — CORE PASSAGE: Romans 1:1–17 (verse-by-verse)

Verse 1

Greek: Παῦλος δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, κλητὸς ἀπόστολος, ἀφωρισμένος εἰς εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ

δοῦλος (doulos) — Lit. “slave, bondman.” Semantic range: chattel slave; indentured bondservant; honorific self-title echoing OT “servant of the LORD” (Moses, David, the prophets). English variants: servant, slave, bondservant, bondman. Contextual meaning: total ownership and submission to Christ as Lord, an honor title, not a degradation. Amharic: ባርያ (barya). Risk: Medium — ባርያ carries genuine historical-slavery connotations in Ethiopian social memory (Ethiopia had domestic slavery into the 20th c.); some modern Amharic Bibles/preachers soften to አገልጋይ (“servant/minister”). This baseline retains ባርያ because it is the term used across existing Amharic Bible tradition at this exact verse and preserves Paul’s deliberate self-abasement; translators must gloss the honor-paradox in teaching notes.
κλητός (klētos) — Lit. “called, invited one.” Semantic range: passively called/summoned, effectual divine call. English variants: called, appointed. Contextual meaning: Paul’s apostleship originates in God’s summons, not self-appointment. Amharic: የተጠራ (yä-täṭṭara). Risk: Low — stable verbal-adjective construction, no competing tradition.
ἀπόστολος (apostolos) — Lit. “one sent out, envoy.” Semantic range: commissioned messenger with delegated authority. English variants: apostle, sent one, envoy. Contextual meaning: official commissioned representative of Christ with authoritative teaching office. Amharic: ሐዋርያ (ḥawarya) — established loan-derived term. Risk: Low — universally recognized across all Ethiopian Christian traditions.
ἀφωρισμένος (aphōrismenos) — Lit. “set apart, separated off.” Semantic range: cultic/ritual separation (cf. Pharisee = “separated one”), vocational designation. English variants: set apart, separated, appointed. Contextual meaning: divine, pre-temporal designation for gospel ministry (echoes Jer 1:5; Gal 1:15). Amharic: የተለየ (yä-täläyyä). Risk: Low-Medium — could be misheard as ritual/ascetic separation (monastic ተለየ/ምንኩስና associations in Ethiopian Orthodox context); context of “for the gospel” disambiguates.
εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) — Lit. “good news.” Semantic range: royal/victory announcement (secular Hellenistic usage); the proclaimed message of God’s saving act in Christ. English variants: gospel, good news, glad tidings. Contextual meaning: the definitive content of apostolic proclamation — God’s saving action in Christ. Amharic: ወንጌል (wängel) — fully assimilated loanword from Ge’ez, foundational and universal across all Ethiopian Christian bodies. Risk: Low — but flagged as doctrinally load-bearing: entire epistle’s theology rides on this word; must never be rendered by a periphrasis.
θεός (theos) — see §0.3. Amharic: እግዚአብሔር. Risk: Low (rendering) / High (doctrinal weight throughout book — see Election doctrine notes in ch. 9-11).

Verse 2

Greek: ὃ προεπηγγείλατο διὰ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν γραφαῖς ἁγίαις

προεπηγγείλατο (proepēngeilato) — Lit. “promised beforehand.” Semantic range: prior covenantal promise, prophetic anticipation. English variants: promised beforehand, promised in advance. Contextual meaning: continuity between OT prophetic hope and NT gospel fulfillment (important for “Future of Israel” doctrine). Amharic: አስቀድሞ የተስፋ ቃል ሰጠ (asqädmo tesfa qal säṭṭä). Risk: Medium — requires a verbal phrase (no single Amharic verb captures “pre-promise”); must be rendered consistently across Romans (used again conceptually in ch. 4, 9-11) to preserve continuity theme.
προφητῶν (prophētōn) — “prophets.” Amharic: ነቢያት (näbiyat). Risk: Low.
γραφαῖς ἁγίαις (graphais hagiais) — “holy writings/scriptures.” Amharic: ቅዱሳት መጻሕፍት (qəddusat mäṣaḥəft). Risk: Low — standard, universally recognized phrase.

Verse 3

Greek: περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, τοῦ γενομένου ἐκ σπέρματος Δαβὶδ κατὰ σάρκα

υἱός (huios) — “son.” Here: Son of God (title). Amharic: ልጅ (ləǧ), “የእግዚአብሔር ልጅ” for the full title elsewhere. Risk: Low in isolation; High where used of believers’ adoption (see v. huiothesia, ch. 8) — must be lexically distinguished from Christ’s unique sonship.
σπέρματος Δαβίδ (spermatos Dabid) — “seed/offspring of David.” Amharic: ከዳዊት ዘር (kä-Dawit zär). Risk: Low — genealogical idiom well understood; connects to Messianic and Israel-continuity doctrine (relevant later to chs. 9-11).
κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka) — “according to the flesh.” Semantic range: physical/human descent line; contrasted with πνεῦμα-based reality. English variants: “as to his human nature,” “according to the flesh.” Amharic: በሥጋ (bä-śəga). Risk: Medium — ሥጋ (“flesh/meat/body”) risks being read as merely biological, missing Paul’s frequent moral-theological sense of σάρξ (fallen human nature) used extensively in chs. 6–8. Must be glossed distinctly per-context (see ch. 7-8 notes).

Verse 4

Greek: τοῦ ὁρισθέντος υἱοῦ θεοῦ ἐν δυνάμει κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν

ὁρισθέντος (horisthentos) — “declared/appointed/marked out.” Semantic range: legal designation, boundary-setting. English variants: declared, appointed, designated, installed. Contextual meaning: the resurrection publicly vindicates and installs Jesus in the office of Son-of-God-in-power. Amharic: ተለይቶ የተወሰነ (täläyto yä-täwässänä). Risk: Medium — risk of confusion with προορίζω (“predestine,” ch. 8-9); must use a distinct Amharic verb from the predestination term to keep the two Greek concepts (public declaration vs. eternal foreordination) separate.
δύναμις (dynamis) — “power.” Amharic: ኃይል (ḫayl). Risk: Low — recurs as major term (v.16 “power of God unto salvation”; ch.1 theme term “Gospel as Power of God”).
πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης (pneuma hagiōsynēs) — “spirit of holiness.” Amharic: የቅድስና መንፈስ (yä-qədsənna mänfäs). Risk: High — see πνεῦμα general note below; here specifically risk of being heard as an impersonal quality (“a holy disposition”) rather than a title touching the Holy Spirit’s person; translator note required.
ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν (anastasis nekrōn) — “resurrection of the dead.” Amharic: ከሙታን ትንሣኤ (kä-mutan tənśa’e). Risk: Low — standard, doctrinally stable term across Ethiopian traditions.
κύριος (kyrios), “Lord” — Amharic: ጌታ (gäta). Risk: Low, but see §0.3 for the θεός/κύριος distinction rule.

Verse 5

Greek: δι᾽ οὗ ἐλάβομεν χάριν καὶ ἀποστολὴν εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ

χάρις (charis) — Lit. “favor, gift freely given.” Semantic range: unmerited favor; a benefaction; (secondarily) thanks. English variants: grace, favor, gift. Contextual meaning: the foundational category for the whole epistle’s soteriology — unearned divine favor as the ground of salvation (core to “Grace and Salvation by Faith Alone”). Amharic: ጸጋ (ṣägga). Risk: Critical — ጸጋ is the correct and only viable Amharic rendering, but the underlying Ethiopian Orthodox sacramental framework tends to understand ጸጋ as a substance mediated through sacraments/ascetic merit (synergistic infusion) rather than Paul’s forensic, unilateral, unmerited favor received by faith alone. Every occurrence in Romans (esp. chs. 3–6, 11) must be taught alongside explicit clarification that ጸጋ here is received, not earned or infused through works/sacrament — this is the central doctrinal collision point of the entire epistle in the Amharic context.
ἀποστολή (apostolē) — “apostleship, the office of apostle.” Amharic: ሐዋርያነት (ḥawaryannät). Risk: Low.
ὑπακοὴ πίστεως (hypakoē pisteōs) — “obedience of faith” / “the obedience that is faith” / “faith’s obedience.” Semantic range: genitive ambiguous — obedience that consists of faith, or obedience that flows from faith. English variants: “obedience to the faith,” “the obedience that faith produces,” “faith-obedience.” Contextual meaning: programmatic phrase bracketing the whole letter (1:5; 16:26); crucial for holding together “Justification by Faith” and “Sanctification and Life in the Spirit” without collapsing into legalism. Amharic: የእምነት ተገዢነት (yä-əmnät tägäžinnät). Risk: High — a wooden literal rendering could be heard as “submission that IS faith” (fine) or misread as “you must obey the law in order to have faith” (legalistic reversal). Fixed phrase; must recur identically at 16:26.
ἔθνη (ethnē) — “nations, Gentiles.” Amharic: አህዛብ (aḫzab). Risk: Low-Medium — well-established term (also used of “heathen” in older Amharic usage); must be read as ethnic/covenantal category (non-Jew), not a pejorative, especially important for chs. 9–11 and 15.
ὄνομα (onoma) — “name” (= Christ’s honor/authority). Amharic: ስም (səm). Risk: Low.

Verse 6

Greek: ἐν οἷς ἐστὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς κλητοὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

κλητοί Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ — “called of/belonging to Jesus Christ” — reuses κλητός (v.1). Amharic: የኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ የተጠራችሁ. Risk: Low (term already fixed).

Verse 7

Greek: πᾶσιν τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν Ῥώμῃ ἀγαπητοῖς θεοῦ, κλητοῖς ἁγίοις· χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

ἀγαπητοί θεοῦ (agapētoi theou) — “beloved of God.” Amharic: ለእግዚአብሔር ተወዳጆች (lä-Igziabiher täwädaǧoč). Risk: Low.
ἅγιος (hagios) — Lit. “holy, set apart, sacred.” Semantic range: cultic holiness, moral purity, consecrated status; as noun, “saint.” English variants: holy, saint, sacred one. Contextual meaning: believers as a consecrated community, not individually perfected moral exemplars. Amharic: ቅዱስ (qəddus). Risk: Medium-High — in Ethiopian Orthodox usage ቅዱስ/ቅዱሳን (“saints”) strongly connotes a canonized class of especially holy departed persons venerated with intercessory prayer — collision risk that Paul’s address to all ordinary living Roman believers as ቅዱሳን could be read as elevating them to venerated-saint status, or conversely that hearers assume “ቅዱስ” cannot apply to ordinary believers at all. Requires explicit teaching note distinguishing Pauline corporate/positional holiness from the Orthodox canonization category.
χάρις…εἰρήνη — “grace…peace,” the standard Pauline greeting formula. Amharic: ጸጋና ሰላም (ṣäggana sälam). Risk: Low (fixed liturgical greeting, familiar).
πατήρ (patēr), “Father” — Amharic: አባት (abbat). Risk: Low.

Verse 8

Greek: εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ μου διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ περὶ πάντων ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν καταγγέλλεται ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ

εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteō) — “give thanks.” Amharic: አመሰግናለሁ (amäsäggnalähu). Risk: Low.
πίστις (pistis) — Lit. “trust, faith, faithfulness, belief.” Semantic range: (a) the subjective act of trusting/believing; (b) faithfulness/reliability as a character trait; (c) “the faith” as body of belief. English variants: faith, belief, trust, faithfulness. Contextual meaning: here, the Roman believers’ trusting reliance on Christ, renowned empire-wide — foundational term for the whole epistle’s central doctrines (Justification, Grace, Union with Christ). Amharic: እምነት (əmnät). Risk: Critical — the single most theologically load-bearing term in Romans. Amharic እምነት functions colloquially to mean mere “belief/opinion” or “religion/creed” (e.g., “የክርስትና እምነት” = “the Christian faith/religion” as an institutional label) — risk of hearers reducing Paul’s dynamic, relational, justifying trust to mere intellectual assent or denominational identity. Every occurrence throughout Romans (ch. 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 14) must use this single fixed term, and catechetical material must repeatedly clarify the relational/trust sense against the “religion-label” sense.
κόσμος (kosmos) — “world.” Amharic: ዓለም (aläm). Risk: Low.

Verse 9

Greek: μαρτυρεῖ γάρ μοι ὁ θεός, ᾧ λατρεύω ἐν τῷ πνεύματί μου ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ

λατρεύω (latreuō) — Lit. “render cultic service, worship.” Semantic range: priestly/temple service, worship rendered to deity. English variants: serve, worship, minister to. Amharic: አገልግላለሁ (agälgəlalähu). Risk: Medium — general አገልግል can mean any service (secular employment); the cultic-worship sense needs contextual reinforcement, especially since λατρεία recurs at 12:1 (“reasonable service/worship”) — must render consistently.
πνεῦμα (pneuma) — Lit. “breath, wind, spirit.” Semantic range: (a) the Holy Spirit (person of the Trinity); (b) the human spirit/inner disposition; (c) an evil/created spirit. English variants: Spirit, spirit, breath, wind. Contextual meaning: here, Paul’s own human spirit as the seat of worship. Amharic: መንፈስ (mänfäs). Risk: High (general, recurring through chs. 7–8, 12) — Amharic መንፈስ is the same word used for territorial/ancestral “zar” spirits in traditional Ethiopian folk-religious practice still present alongside formal Christianity; when referring to the Holy Spirit the qualifier ቅዱስ (“Holy”) or explicit “የእግዚአብሔር መንፈስ” must always accompany the bare term to prevent syncretistic confusion, especially crucial in ch. 8’s dense πνεῦμα argument.

Verse 10

Greek: δεόμενος εἴ πως ἤδη ποτὲ εὐοδωθήσομαι ἐν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς

θέλημα θεοῦ (thelēma theou) — “the will of God.” Amharic: የእግዚአብሔር ፈቃድ (yä-Igziabiher fäqad). Risk: Low-Medium — foundational for Election/Sovereignty doctrine developed later (ch. 9); must render consistently across the epistle.

Verse 11

Greek: ἐπιποθῶ γὰρ ἰδεῖν ὑμᾶς, ἵνα τι μεταδῶ χάρισμα ὑμῖν πνευματικὸν εἰς τὸ στηριχθῆναι ὑμᾶς

χάρισμα (charisma) — Lit. “a gift of grace.” Semantic range: a concrete grace-gift, spiritual endowment, favor bestowed. English variants: gift, spiritual gift, grace-gift. Related to χάρις (v.5) but concretized. Contextual meaning: here general “spiritual benefit”; in ch. 12 becomes technical “spiritual gifts” for ministry. Amharic: የጸጋ ስጦታ (yä-ṣägga sətota) or contextually ስጦታ. Risk: Medium — must be visibly built on the root ጸጋ to preserve the charis-charisma word-family link for readers; a generic ስጦታ alone loses this connection.

Verse 12

Greek: τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν συμπαρακληθῆναι ἐν ὑμῖν διὰ τῆς ἐν ἀλλήλοις πίστεως ὑμῶν τε καὶ ἐμοῦ

συμπαρακληθῆναι (symparaklēthēnai) — “to be mutually encouraged/comforted together.” Amharic: እርስ በርሳችን መጽናናት (ərs bärsaččən mäṣnanat). Risk: Low — introduces the “Christian Living and Unity” theme, recurs conceptually chs. 12–15.

Verse 13

Greek: οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί…ἵνα καρπόν τινα σχῶ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν καθὼς καὶ ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν

ἀδελφοί (adelphoi) — “brothers/siblings,” used as address for the whole congregation (inclusive). Amharic: ወንድሞች (wändəmoč), understood inclusively of the whole church family. Risk: Medium — gender-generic use requires a translator’s note so ወንድሞች is understood as addressing the whole congregation, not males only; consistent throughout Romans and future NT curricula.
καρπός (karpos) — “fruit” (metaphor for ministry results/spiritual outcome). Amharic: ፍሬ (fəre). Risk: Low.

Verse 14

Greek: Ἕλλησίν τε καὶ βαρβάροις, σοφοῖς τε καὶ ἀνοήτοις ὀφειλέτης εἰμί

ὀφειλέτης (opheiletēs) — “debtor.” Semantic range: one legally obligated to repay. English variants: debtor, one obligated. Contextual meaning: Paul is under obligation to preach to all humanity regardless of status — foundational for “Gospel as Power of God for Salvation” doctrine’s universal scope. Amharic: ባለዕዳ (baläʾəda). Risk: Low-Medium — recurs at 13:8 (“owe no one anything”) with the same root; must remain consistent to preserve the obligation-motif across the letter.
Ἕλλην / βάρβαρος — “Greek / barbarian” (civilizational categories). Amharic: ግሪካውያንና አረመኔዎች (Girikawiyanna arämänewoč). Risk: Low — historical-cultural pairing, not theologically load-bearing beyond illustrating universal scope.

Verse 15

Greek: οὕτω τὸ κατ᾽ ἐμὲ πρόθυμον εὐαγγελίσασθαι ὑμῖν

εὐαγγελίζομαι (euangelizomai), verbal form of εὐαγγέλιον — “to proclaim good news/preach the gospel.” Amharic: ወንጌልን ማወጅ / መስበክ (wängelən mawwäǧ / mäsbäk). Risk: Low — built transparently on the fixed ወንጌል root.

Verse 16

Greek: οὐ γὰρ ἐπαισχύνομαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, δύναμις γὰρ θεοῦ ἐστὶν εἰς σωτηρίαν παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι, Ἰουδαίῳ τε πρῶτον καὶ Ἕλληνι

ἐπαισχύνομαι (epaischynomai) — “to be ashamed of.” Amharic: አፍርባቸውም / አላፍርበትም (alafərbätəmm). Risk: Low.
σωτηρία (sōtēria) — Lit. “deliverance, rescue, preservation.” Semantic range: physical rescue from danger; ultimate eschatological deliverance from sin, death, and wrath. English variants: salvation, deliverance, rescue. Contextual meaning: the comprehensive, climactic goal of the gospel’s power — anchors “Gospel as Power of God for Salvation” doctrine. Amharic: ድኅነት (dəḫnät). Risk: Low — long-established, doctrinally stable term across all Ethiopian Christian traditions; no significant competing usage.
πιστεύω (pisteuō), verbal form of πίστις — “to believe, trust.” Amharic: አመነ / ማመን (amänä / mamän). Risk: Critical (tied to πίστις above) — same collision risk (belief-as-assent vs. relational trust); must track πίστις rendering exactly.
Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios) — “Jew.” Amharic: አይሁድ (ayhud). Risk: High — Ethiopia has its own ancient Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jewish) community and a national origin-legend (Kebra Nagast) claiming Solomonic/Israelite lineage for the Ethiopian monarchy and, by extension, a sense of Ethiopian Christian self-identification as spiritually continuous with “Israel.” This creates a live risk when Paul’s Jew/Gentile categories in Romans (esp. chs. 2–4, 9–11) are read — Ethiopian readers may over-identify with “Israel” in ways that blur Paul’s ethnic-Israel/Gentile distinction, affecting the “Future of Israel” doctrine’s clarity. Must be flagged in every occurrence chs. 2–11.

Verse 17

Greek: δικαιοσύνη γὰρ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτεται ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν, καθὼς γέγραπται, Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται

δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ (dikaiosynē theou) — Lit. “righteousness of God.” Semantic range: (a) God’s own moral/covenantal righteousness/character; (b) a righteous status God grants/imputes to believers (forensic); (c) God’s righteous saving activity. English variants: righteousness of God, God’s righteousness, the righteousness from God. Contextual meaning: the epistle’s central theological pivot term — the ground of “Justification by Faith.” Amharic: የእግዚአብሔር ጽድቅ (yä-Igziabiher ṣədq). Risk: Critical — this is the single highest-stakes rendering in the entire book. ጽድቅ in ordinary and Ethiopian Orthodox religious Amharic usage strongly connotes ethical righteousness achieved through right conduct, fasting, almsgiving, and sacramental participation (a synergistic, character/merit-based category), whereas Paul’s δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ in 1:17 (unpacked fully in ch. 3–5) is a forensic, imputed, faith-received status granted apart from works. Without sustained doctrinal glossing, ጽድቅ will be heard by Amharic readers as “becoming a good/righteous person,” collapsing Paul’s forensic doctrine into moralism — the precise opposite of “Grace and Salvation by Faith Alone.” This term anchors the entire “Justification by Faith” doctrine and must carry a standing translator/teacher note at every occurrence (esp. chs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10).
δίκαιος (dikaios) — “righteous one, just one” (adjective/substantive, same root). Amharic: ጻድቅ (ṣadəq). Risk: Critical — same collision as above; ጻድቅ in Ethiopian Orthodox usage is a title applied to venerated ascetic/monastic holy figures (“Abba So-and-so, ጻድቁ”), risking the Habakkuk 2:4 citation (“the righteous shall live by faith”) being heard as referring to an elite class of especially holy persons rather than every believer justified by faith.
ἀποκαλύπτω (apokalyptō) — “to reveal, unveil.” Amharic: ተገለጠ / ይገለጣል (yəgäläṭal). Risk: Low.
ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν (ek pisteōs eis pistin) — “from faith to faith” / “by faith from first to last.” Semantic range ambiguous: progression in the believer’s faith; from God’s faithfulness to human faith; from OT faith to NT faith. Amharic: ከእምነት ወደ እምነት (kä-əmnät wädä əmnät) — literal rendering retained to preserve the productive ambiguity for exposition rather than resolving it prematurely. Risk: Medium.
γέγραπται (gegraptai) — “it is written” (citation formula). Amharic: እንደተጻፈው (əndä-täṣafäw). Risk: Low — fixed formula, recurs throughout Romans (esp. chs. 3, 4, 9-11).
ζήσεται (zēsetai), from ζάω “to live” — Amharic: በሕይወት ይኖራል (bä-ḥəywät yənoral). Risk: Low.

PART B — WHOLE-BOOK CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER SURVEY

Chapter 1 (remainder, vv. 18–32)

New load-bearing terms beyond vv.1–17:

ὀργὴ θεοῦ (orgē theou) — “wrath of God.” Lit. settled, righteous anger/judicial response to sin (not capricious rage). Amharic: የእግዚአብሔር ቁጣ (yä-Igziabiher quṭa). Risk: High — ቁጣ colloquially connotes emotional/impulsive anger; must be taught as God’s just, judicial response, not a mood, to avoid pagan-deity-style caprice associations from pre-Christian Ethiopian religious concepts of appeasing volatile spirits.
ἀλήθεια (alētheia) — “truth.” Amharic: እውነት (əwnät). Risk: Low.
ἀσέβεια / ἀδικία (asebeia/adikia) — “ungodliness/unrighteousness.” Amharic: አምላክ የለሽነት (godlessness) / ዓመፃ (unrighteousness). Risk: Medium.
φύσις (physis) — “nature.” Used of “natural” vs. “unnatural” (1:26). Amharic: ተፈጥሮ (täfäṭro). Risk: Medium — must be handled with pastoral and doctrinal precision; not further elaborated here beyond terminology.
ἀκαθαρσία (akatharsia) — “impurity.” Amharic: ርኩሰት (rəkusät). Risk: Low.
νοῦς ἀδόκιμος (nous adokimos) — “debased/disqualified mind.” Amharic: የተጣለ አእምሮ (yä-täṭalä a’əmro). Risk: Low-Medium.

Chapter 2

νόμος (nomos) — Lit. “law.” Semantic range: the Mosaic Torah; law in general; a principle/pattern. English variants: law, the Law, principle. Contextual meaning: standard by which both Jew and Gentile are measured; central to “The Law and Its Purpose” doctrine. Amharic: ሕግ (ḥəgg). Risk: High — ሕግ is also the standard Amharic word for civil/state law and for Islamic Sharia (ሸሪዓ ሕግ) in interfaith contexts; Paul’s nuanced usage (law as revealer of sin, law vs. grace, law fulfilled in Christ, chs. 2–8) requires the term to carry multiple senses that must be disambiguated by teaching notes at each major shift.
περιτομή (peritomē) — “circumcision.” Amharic: ግዝረት (gəzrät). Risk: Critical — circumcision is a nearly universal cultural-religious practice in Ethiopia across Christian, Muslim, and traditional communities, often performed as a marker of ethnic/religious identity and even salvific/purity significance in folk piety. Paul’s argument that circumcision “of the heart” (2:29) matters, not physical circumvision, risks direct collision with deeply held Ethiopian cultural assumptions that physical circumcision itself carries religious/covenantal value. Requires sustained doctrinal framing wherever it recurs (chs. 2, 3, 4, 15).
συνείδησις (syneidēsis) — “conscience.” Amharic: ሕሊና (ḥəllina). Risk: Low, recurs ch. 9, 13, 14.
κρίμα/κρίσις (krima/krisis) — “judgment.” Amharic: ፍርድ (fərd). Risk: Low.
γράμμα / πνεῦμα contrast (letter/Spirit, 2:29) — Amharic: ጽሑፍ / መንፈስ. Risk: Medium (see πνεῦμα general note, v.9 above).

Chapter 3

δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ, πίστις — reused (see core passage v.17, v.8) — Critical, now developed doctrinally (universal sinfulness, justification apart from law).
ἁμαρτία (hamartia) — Lit. “sin, missing the mark.” Semantic range: individual transgression; the pervasive power/condition of sin (personified, esp. chs. 5–7). English variants: sin, sinfulness. Contextual meaning: here (3:9, 23) universal guilt — “all have sinned” — core to “Original Sin and Universal Guilt” doctrine. Amharic: ኃጢአት (ḫaṭi’at). Risk: Medium — well-established term, but Ethiopian folk religion’s parallel concept of inherited curses/spiritual defilement (through ancestral fault or zar affliction) can either usefully illustrate or wrongly conflate with Paul’s forensic/representative doctrine of Adamic sin (ch. 5); requires careful distinction when Original Sin doctrine is taught.
ἔργα (νόμου) (erga nomou) — “works (of the law).” Amharic: (የሕግ) ሥራዎች. Risk: Medium — must be distinguished from good works generally (ch. 2, 6) to avoid implying Paul condemns good deeds as such.
δωρεάν (dōrean) — “freely, as a gift, without payment.” Amharic: በስጦታ / በከንቱ (bä-sətota). Risk: Low-Medium — anchors “Grace…Alone” doctrine; must not be confused with ከንቱ’s secondary sense “in vain/worthless.”
ἱλαστήριον (hilastērion) — Lit. “place/means of propitiation”; in LXX, the Ark’s mercy-seat/atonement-cover. Semantic range: (a) the physical mercy-seat (Lev 16); (b) a means/instrument of propitiatory atonement (Paul’s usage of Christ). English variants: propitiation, mercy seat, atoning sacrifice, expiation. Contextual meaning: Christ as the God-provided means of atonement satisfying divine justice — central to Grace/Justification doctrines. Amharic: ማስተስረያ (mastäsräya), “means/place of atonement.” Risk: Critical — must NOT be rendered or associated with ታቦት (tabot), the physical Ark-replica tablet central to Ethiopian Orthodox liturgical worship (each church possesses a consecrated tabot; it is one of the most venerated objects in Ethiopian Christianity). Using ታቦት here would create profound confusion, conflating Paul’s Christological atonement metaphor with an object of high liturgical veneration. ማስተስረያ is selected specifically to denote the function (means of atonement) without invoking the sacred object.
αἷμα (haima) — “blood.” Amharic: ደም (däm). Risk: Low.
καύχησις (kauchēsis) — “boasting.” Amharic: ትምክሕት (təmkəḫt). Risk: Low.

Chapter 4

λογίζομαι (logizomai) — Lit. “to reckon, calculate, count, credit to one’s account.” Semantic range: accounting/commercial metaphor; to impute or credit a status. English variants: reckon, count, credit, impute. Contextual meaning: Abraham’s faith “counted/credited” as righteousness — the technical basis for forensic imputation, essential to “Justification by Faith.” Amharic: ተቆጠረ / ቆጠረ (qoṭṭärä). Risk: Critical — Ethiopian Orthodox soteriology (theosis-oriented, synergistic) does not typically operate with a forensic-accounting model of imputed righteousness; ቆጠረ (a normal accounting verb) will sound unusually “transactional” to hearers accustomed to a participatory/infused-righteousness framework. This term must be explicitly taught as a deliberate legal/accounting metaphor Paul is using, not softened into a vaguer “considered him righteous” that loses the imputation doctrine.
ἐπαγγελία (epangelia) — “promise.” Amharic: ተስፋ / ቃል (täsfa/qal) — established as ተስፋ ቃል (täsfa qal). Risk: Low, recurs chs. 9, 15.
σπέρμα (sperma) — “seed/offspring,” of Abraham. Amharic: ዘር (zär). Risk: Medium — theological “seed of Abraham” (spiritual descendants by faith, not only ethnic) intersects again with the Israel-identity sensitivity noted at ch. 2 (Ἰουδαῖος) and developed fully in chs. 9–11.

Chapter 5

δικαιωθέντες (dikaiōthentes), from δικαιόω — “having been justified.” Amharic: የጸደቅን (yä-ṣädäqən), from verb አጸደቀ / ጸደቀ (aṣṣädäqä/ṣädäqä), “to justify/declare righteous,” built on the ጽድቅ root established in 1:17. Risk: Critical (same collision as ጽድቅ/ጻድቅ above) — must be rendered with a verb form transparently derived from ጽድቅ to preserve the word-family link across the epistle (δικαιοσύνη/δικαιόω/δίκαιος all sharing one Amharic root).
καταλλαγή / καταλλάσσω (katallagē/katallassō) — “reconciliation/to reconcile.” Lit. “exchange, restoration of favorable relations.” Amharic: ማስታረቅ / ዕርቅ (mastaräk/ərq). Risk: Medium — clear term, but must be distinguished from mere human interpersonal peacemaking (ch. 12–14 ethical material) versus this specifically God-initiated, once-for-all reconciliation.
παράπτωμα (paraptōma) — “trespass, misstep.” Amharic: ጥፋት (ṭəfat). Risk: Low.
παράβασις (parabasis) — “transgression” (of a known law). Amharic: መተላለፍ (mätälaläf). Risk: Low.
Adam/Christ typology (ὁ εἷς / οἱ πολλοί, “the one/the many”) — foundational for Original Sin and Universal Guilt: humanity’s solidarity in Adam’s sin and, correspondingly, in Christ’s righteousness. Amharic rendering strategy: render literally (“በአንዱ ሰው…” / “በአንዱ ብዙዎች…”), no single technical term; risk High at the doctrinal (not lexical) level — the concept of federal/representative headship (one man’s act determining many’s status) has no ready cultural parallel in Ethiopian thought-categories and must be taught explicitly, not assumed from vocabulary alone.
χάρισμα — reused from 1:11, now contrasted with κατάκριμα.
κατάκριμα (katakrima) — “condemnation, condemning verdict.” Amharic: ኩነኔ (kunnene). Risk: Medium-High — ኩነኔ/ውግዘት overlaps in Ethiopian Orthodox usage with formal ecclesiastical excommunication (ውግዘት); ኩነኔ specifically must be understood as God’s judicial verdict on sin, not church discipline, to avoid conflation.

Chapter 6

βαπτίζω / βάπτισμα (baptizō/baptisma) — “to baptize/baptism.” Lit. “to immerse, dip.” Semantic range: ritual water immersion; here, Paul’s central metaphor of union with Christ’s death and resurrection. Amharic: አጠመቀ / ጥምቀት (aṭṭämäqä/ṭəmqät). Risk: High — ጥምቀት (Timket) is one of the most significant, elaborately celebrated feasts and sacraments in Ethiopian Orthodox practice, carrying strong sacramental-regenerative theology (baptismal water itself understood to effect cleansing) and deep cultural-festival associations (the annual Timket festival). Paul’s argument in Romans 6 (baptism as symbol/enactment of a change of lordship already accomplished by union with Christ, not as the effecting cause) risks being absorbed into, or read as confirming, a purely sacramentalist water-regeneration reading without careful doctrinal framing distinguishing sign from the reality signified (Union with Christ doctrine).
δοῦλος / δουλεία (doulos/douleia) — “slave/slavery” — reused from 1:1, now of slavery to sin vs. to righteousness. Amharic: ባርያ / ባርነት (barya/barnnät). Risk: Medium (consistent with 1:1 note).
ἐλευθερόω (eleutheroō) — “to set free, liberate.” Amharic: አላቀቀ / ነጻ አወጣ (näṣa awäṭṭa). Risk: Low.
ἁγιασμός (hagiasmos) — Lit. “sanctification, the process/state of being made holy,” from the ἅγιος root. Semantic range: consecration; progressive moral transformation. English variants: sanctification, holiness. Contextual meaning: the fruit/goal of union with Christ, central to “Sanctification and Life in the Spirit” doctrine. Amharic: ቅድስና (qədsənna), built on the ቅዱስ root (1:7). Risk: Medium — must be kept lexically distinct from δικαιοσύνη/ጽድቅ (justification) despite superficial similarity in English “righteousness/holiness,” since conflating the two collapses the doctrinal distinction between a one-time forensic verdict and an ongoing transformative process.

Chapter 7

νόμος, ἁμαρτία, σάρξ — reused, now in intense internal conflict argument (“the law is holy, but I am sold to sin”).
ἐντολή (entolē) — “commandment.” Amharic: ትእዛዝ (tə’əzaz). Risk: Low.
ἐπιθυμία (epithymia) — “desire, covetousness, lust.” Amharic: ምቀኝነት/ስስት/ፍትወት (contextual) — general rendering ምቀኝነት (mə-qäññənnät) for covetous desire. Risk: Medium — must be distinguished from neutral “desire” (ፍላጎት) since Paul’s usage here is specifically disordered desire exposed by the Law.
ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος (ho esō anthrōpos) — “the inner man.” Amharic: የውስጥ ሰው (yä-wəsṭ säw). Risk: Low.
σῶμα τοῦ θανάτου (sōma tou thanatou) — “body of death.” Amharic: የሞት አካል/ሥጋ (yä-mot akal). Risk: Low-Medium.

Chapter 8

πνεῦμα — reused extensively (Spirit of life vs. flesh); apex chapter for this term (see High-risk note, v.9 above) — every occurrence must carry clear Trinitarian/Holy-Spirit signaling (e.g., consistent capitalization convention and “የእግዚአብሔር መንፈስ” qualifiers) distinct from generic/zar “spirit” usage.
υἱοθεσία (huiothesia) — Lit. “adoption as a son.” Semantic range: legal Roman/Greco-Roman adoption formula, conferring full inheritance rights. English variants: adoption. Contextual meaning: believers’ new legal-familial status in God’s family — central to Union with Christ / Sanctification doctrines. Amharic: ልጅነት (ləǧənnät). Risk: Medium — must be distinguished from Christ’s unique, eternal Sonship (υἱός, ch.1 v.3-4, rendered ልጅ without the -ənnät abstract suffix) to avoid implying believers become “sons” in the same unique sense as Christ.
κληρονόμος (klēronomos) — “heir.” Amharic: ወራሽ (wäraš). Risk: Low.
δόξα (doxa) — “glory.” Amharic: ክብር (kəbər). Risk: Low.
πρόγνωσις / προγινώσκω (prognōsis/proginōskō) — “foreknowledge/to foreknow.” Amharic: አስቀድሞ ማወቅ / ቀደም ብሎ ማወቅ. Risk: High — see Election doctrine note, ch. 9, since foreknowledge/predestination together form one interpretive unit; risk of reading foreknowledge as merely “God knowing in advance what humans will freely choose” (compatible with Orthodox synergism) versus a stronger effectual-foreordination sense — this exegetical tension must be flagged, not resolved, by the lexical choice.
προορίζω (proorizō) — Lit. “to mark out/determine beforehand.” Semantic range: predetermine, foreordain. English variants: predestine, foreordain, predetermine. Contextual meaning: God’s sovereign prior determination of the elect’s destiny — core to “Election and the Sovereignty of God” doctrine. Amharic: አስቀድሞ ወሰነ (asqädmo wässänä). Risk: Critical — Ethiopian Orthodox theology strongly emphasizes human free will and synergistic cooperation with grace, and generally resists strong double-predestination readings; additionally, traditional Ethiopian folk fatalism (concepts of ዕድል/fate, “የተጻፈ ነው” — “it is written/fated”) could cause hearers to either over-read Paul’s προορίζω as impersonal cosmic fatalism, or under-read it (rejecting it outright as foreign Calvinist doctrine). Requires the most careful doctrinal framing in the entire epistle for the “Election” theme.
δικαιόω, δοξάζω (justify, glorify) — chain in 8:29-30, reusing established roots.
κτίσις (ktisis) — “creation.” Amharic: ፍጥረት (fəṭrät). Risk: Low.
ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrōsis) — “redemption,” lit. “release by ransom-payment.” Amharic: ቤዛነት (bezannät), from ቤዛ (beza) “ransom.” Risk: Medium — well-established sacrificial/ransom term in Amharic hymnody and liturgy; low ambiguity but must be kept distinct from ማስተስረያ (propitiation, ch.3) as a related but separate atonement-family term.
ἀγάπη θεοῦ (agapē theou) — “love of God.” See general ἀγάπη note under ch. 12.

Chapter 9

ἐκλογή (eklogē) — Lit. “a choosing out, selection.” Semantic range: divine election/choice of individuals or peoples. English variants: election, choice, selection. Contextual meaning: God’s sovereign choice of Jacob over Esau etc., foundational to “Election and the Sovereignty of God” doctrine. Amharic: ምርጫ (mərča), verb መረጠ (märräṭä) “to choose/elect.” Risk: Critical — same collision cluster as προορίζω (ch. 8): synergistic Orthodox theology, folk fatalism, and modern democratic/electoral connotations of ምርጫ (the same word used for political “election/voting”) could cause confusion between divine sovereign choice and a human electoral process; must be qualified consistently (e.g., “የእግዚአብሔር ምርጫ”) and taught explicitly.
ἔλεος (eleos) — “mercy.” Amharic: ምሕረት (məḫrät). Risk: Low.
σκληρύνω (sklērynō) — “to harden.” Amharic: አደነደነ (adänäddänä). Risk: Low-Medium — tied to the election/hardening theme (Pharaoh, Israel’s hardening), same doctrinal sensitivity as above.
ὑπόλειμμα (hypoleimma) — “remnant.” Amharic: ትርፍ / ቅሬታ (qərreta). Risk: Low, recurs ch. 11.
λίθος προσκόμματος (lithos proskommatos) — “stumbling stone.” Amharic: የመሰናከል ድንጋይ. Risk: Low.
Ἰσραήλ (Israēl) — “Israel.” Amharic: እስራኤል (Isra’el). Risk: Critical (see full discussion at v.16 Ἰουδαῖος above, and expanded here) — the “Future of Israel” doctrine (Romans 9–11) requires distinguishing ethnic/national Israel, believing-remnant Israel, and “spiritual Israel”/the Church. Ethiopia’s national founding legend (Kebra Nagast: the Solomonic dynasty’s claimed descent from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, the belief that the Ark of the Covenant resides in Aksum, and the historic Beta Israel community) creates a uniquely strong Ethiopian cultural self-identification with “Israel” that is not present in most other mission contexts. This is flagged as the single highest doctrinal-cultural collision risk for chapters 9–11 and must be addressed with explicit historical/theological framing distinguishing Paul’s argument from Ethiopian national-religious identity claims.
τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας (tekna tēs epangelias) — “children of the promise.” Amharic: የተስፋ ልጆች. Risk: Low, reuses ἐπαγγελία (ch. 4).

Chapter 10

ὁμολογέω (homologeō) — “to confess, acknowledge openly.” Amharic: መመስከር / አመነ (amomologe → አመነ + መመስከር); selected rendering: መመስከር/አዋጅ ማወጅ, specifically at 10:9 አፍ ካመነ/መስክሮ ካመነ; simplified fixed rendering: አመነ (for confess with the mouth, coupled with አፍ). Risk: Low-Medium.
ῥῆμα (rhēma) — “word, spoken utterance.” Amharic: ቃል (qal). Risk: Low, distinguished contextually from λόγος (not heavily used in Romans) — both typically rendered ቃል; minor flattening risk noted.
ἀκοή (akoē) — “hearing, report.” Amharic: መስማት/ሰሚ. Risk: Low.
ζῆλος (zēlos) — “zeal.” Amharic: ቅናት/ትጋት — here “misguided zeal,” ቅናት (qənat). Risk: Low-Medium — ቅናት can also mean “jealousy/envy” in modern Amharic; context must disambiguate.
Ἰσραήλ, κηρύσσω — reused; κηρύσσω “to proclaim/preach” Amharic: ሰበከ/ማወጅ. Risk: Low.

Chapter 11

ῥίζα / κλάδος (rhiza/klados) — “root/branch,” the olive-tree metaphor. Amharic: ሥር / ቅርንጫፍ (śər/qərnəčaf). Risk: Low — the olive tree (ወይራ, Olea africana) is a native, well-known tree in the Ethiopian highlands, giving this metaphor unusually strong natural resonance; a positive, low-risk case where the source-culture agricultural image transfers cleanly.
ἀγριέλαιος / καλλιέλαιος (agrielaios/kallielaios) — “wild olive / cultivated olive.” Amharic: የበረሃ ወይራ / የሠለጠነ ወይራ. Risk: Low-Medium — horticultural precision required so the grafting metaphor (Gentile inclusion into Israel’s covenant tree) is not lost; ties directly into the Ἰσραήλ Critical-risk cluster above.
πλήρωμα (plērōma) — “fullness.” Amharic: ፍጻሜ / ብዛት (contextual), here specifically “ሙላት (mulat)” for “fullness [of the Gentiles/Israel].” Risk: Medium — eschatologically loaded term (Future of Israel doctrine); must be distinguished from πλήρωμα in 15:29 (“fullness of the blessing”).
μυστήριον (mystērion) — Lit. “mystery, secret.” Semantic range: a previously hidden divine plan now disclosed (not “puzzle” or “the mysterious/unknowable”). English variants: mystery, secret, revealed secret. Amharic: ምስጢር (məsṭir). Risk: Medium — colloquial Amharic ምስጢር often means “secret” in a mundane/unrevealed sense; must be taught as “a secret now revealed,” not something still hidden.
ἀποβολή / πώρωσις (apobolē/pōrōsis) — “rejection/hardening.” Amharic: መጣል / ድንዛዜ (mäṭal/dənzaze). Risk: High — tied to the Election/Israel Critical cluster; “rejection” (ἀποβολή) of ethnic Israel must be carefully qualified as partial and temporary per Paul’s own argument (11:1, “God has not rejected his people”), to prevent a supersessionist misreading.
ἀμεταμέλητα (ametamelēta) — “irrevocable” (of God’s gifts/calling). Amharic: የማይመለስ / የማይለወጥ (yämmayəmällas). Risk: Low-Medium.

Chapter 12

θυσία ζῶσα (thysia zōsa) — “living sacrifice.” Amharic: ሕያው መስዋዕት (ḥəyaw mäswaʾət). Risk: Medium — Ethiopian Orthodox liturgy retains a rich OT-style sacrificial vocabulary (መስዋዕት used of the Eucharistic offering and historically of literal animal sacrifice still practiced at some festivals); Paul’s metaphorical “living sacrifice” (a transformed life, not a ritual offering) risks being absorbed into a literal/liturgical sacrificial framework. Requires explicit metaphor-flagging.
λογικὴ λατρεία (logikē latreia) — “reasonable/rational service of worship” — reuses λατρεύω (1:9). Amharic: የልቦና አገልግሎት/አምልኮ (yä-ləbona agälgəlot). Risk: Medium.
μεταμορφόω (metamorphoō) — “to be transformed.” Amharic: ተለወጠ / ተመሰለ (täläwäṭä). Risk: Low.
σῶμα Χριστοῦ / μέλη (sōma Christou/melē) — “body of Christ / members.” Amharic: የክርስቶስ አካል / ብልቶች. Risk: Low, foundational for “Christian Living and Unity” doctrine.
χάρισμα — reused (1:11), now technical “spiritual gifts” for ministry (prophecy, service, teaching, etc.). Risk: Medium (see ch.1 note; must retain visible ጸጋ root).
ἀγάπη (agapē) — Lit. “love.” Semantic range: selfless, willed, covenantal love (distinct from ἔρως romantic love and φιλία friendship-love, though NT usage broadens). English variants: love, charity (older usage). Contextual meaning: the governing ethic of the Christian community (12:9, and the “law of love” in 13:8-10) — core to “Christian Living and Unity” doctrine. Amharic: ፍቅር (fəqər). Risk: Medium — Amharic ፍቅር is a single broad term covering all types of love (romantic, familial, agapic) without lexical distinctions Greek offers; risk of theological flattening (readers may import romantic-love connotations) unless doctrinal teaching consistently specifies the selfless/covenantal sense intended.

Chapter 13

ἐξουσία (exousia) — “authority.” Amharic: ሥልጣን (səlṭan). Risk: Low-Medium — political-authority theme (submission to governing authorities) is sensitive in any context with a history of contested state legitimacy; note for teaching context rather than lexical risk.
ὑποτάσσω (hypotassō) — “to submit, subordinate oneself.” Amharic: ተገዛ / ተከተለ (tägäzza). Risk: Medium — same root family as ὑπακοή (1:5, “obedience of faith”); consistent rendering strategy needed so readers see the conceptual link between submitting to God’s gospel-call and submitting to civil authority without conflating the two as equally absolute.
ὀφειλή (opheilē) — “debt,” reused from ὀφειλέτης (1:14). Amharic: ዕዳ (əda). Risk: Low.
νόμου πλήρωμα (nomou plērōma) — “fulfillment of the law” (love fulfills the law). Amharic: የሕግ ፍጻሜ (yä-ḥəgg fəṣame). Risk: Medium — ties into “Law and Its Purpose” doctrine; must not be read as reinstating law-keeping as the ground of righteousness (contra ch. 3-4), but as love’s ethical outworking after justification.

Chapter 14

ὁ ἀσθενῶν τῇ πίστει (ho asthenōn tē pistei) — “the one weak in faith.” Amharic: በእምነት የደከመ (bä-əmnät yä-däkkämä). Risk: Low-Medium.
κρίνω (krinō) — “to judge.” Amharic: ፈረደ/ ኮነነ (färrädä/konänä). Risk: Low, reused from κρίμα (ch. 2).
σκάνδαλον (skandalon) — “stumbling block, cause of offense/sin.” Amharic: ማሰናከል/ መሰናከያ (mäsänakäya). Risk: Low, reused from ch. 9 (λίθος προσκόμματος).
βασιλεία θεοῦ (basileia theou) — “kingdom of God.” Amharic: የእግዚአብሔር መንግስት (yä-Igziabiher mängəst). Risk: Low — well-established phrase.
βρῶμα (brōma) — “food.” Amharic: ምግብ (məgəb). Risk: Low — but note doctrinal sensitivity: dietary regulation debates (14:2-3, 14-21) intersect with Ethiopian Orthodox fasting discipline (ጾም, extensive fast-day food restrictions still widely practiced), a live cultural parallel that should be flagged for teaching (not a lexical risk, a contextual-application risk) as this material could be read either to critique or to validate fasting traditions.

Chapter 15

ἀσθένημα (asthenēma) — “weakness,” reused from ch. 14. Risk: Low.
ὑπομονή / παράκλησις (hypomonē/paraklēsis) — “endurance/encouragement.” Amharic: ጽናት / ማጽናናት (ṣənat/maṣnanat). Risk: Low.
λειτουργός / ἱερουργέω (leitourgos/hierourgeō) — “minister / to perform priestly service” (15:16, Paul’s priestly language for his gospel ministry). Amharic: አገልጋይ / የካህን አገልግሎት አድርገ. Risk: Medium-High — hierourgeō’s priestly-sacrificial vocabulary, applied metaphorically to Paul’s preaching ministry, risks being read literally within the Ethiopian Orthodox context where “ካህን” (priest) and priestly sacrificial service (ቅዳሴ, liturgy) are a distinct, ordained sacramental office; must be flagged as metaphorical extension, not a claim to sacramental priesthood.
προσφορά (prosphora) — “offering.” Amharic: መባ / ቁርባን (contextual) — here rendered መባ (mäba) (offering, distinct from ቁርባን which specifically denotes the Eucharist). Risk: Medium — must avoid ቁርባን here to prevent conflating Paul’s metaphor of the Gentiles as an “offering” with the Eucharistic sacrament.
πλήρωμα εὐλογίας (plērōma eulogias) — “fullness of blessing,” reused πλήρωμα (ch. 11) + εὐλογία “blessing” Amharic: በረከት (bäräkät). Risk: Low.

Chapter 16

διάκονος (diakonos) — “servant, deacon, minister” (of Phoebe, 16:1). Amharic: ዲያቆን / አገልጋይ. Risk: Medium — ዲያቆን in Ethiopian church usage denotes a specific ordained (male) clerical office; applying it to Phoebe (widely understood by scholars as a woman deacon/minister) risks a translation choice that either obscures her role (rendering merely “servant,” ማገልገል) or imports unintended claims about ordained office structures. Flagged for careful, deliberate translator decision rather than default assumption; this baseline records the tension without prematurely resolving it, recommending አገልጋይ (broader “servant/minister”) with a translator’s footnote rather than the loaded ዲያቆን.
συνεργός (synergos) — “fellow worker.” Amharic: የሥራ ባልንጀራ / ተባባሪ (täbabari). Risk: Low.
ἀσπάζομαι (aspazomai) — “to greet.” Amharic: ሰላምታ አቀረበ (sälamta aqäräbä). Risk: Low.
Closing doxology reuses μυστήριον (ch. 11), εὐαγγέλιον (ch. 1), ὑπακοὴ πίστεως (1:5) verbatim at 16:26 — confirms the letter’s bracketing structure; the Amharic renderings established at 1:1-17 MUST recur identically here.

Chapters explicitly reviewed with no new theological vocabulary beyond what is cataloged above: none — every chapter of Romans (1–16) contributes at least one load-bearing term, as documented above. No chapter is silently omitted.

End of semantic analysis. See analysis/08_core_glossary.md for the consolidated, citable glossary table.