← All languages

Nigerian Pidgin · Naija

Father's Heart Bible™ key-term glossary — anchored to the historic Nigerian Pidgin Scriptures · Script: Latin

For the reviewer

These are the proposed renderings of FHB's key terms. The heart of the review: wherever English says our Father, the rendering must feel like a beloved child addressing their own father — warm, reverent, natural to your language's Bible — and never the distant generic word for "God." Mark anything that reads wrong, stiff, or irreverent. Tip: your browser's translate feature can back-translate this page as a second witness. Approvals or corrections go to Kevin White.

Register

Reverent-but-warm contemporary Naija, matching the wording family of the Bible Society of Nigeria Pidgin Scriptures (the Nigerian Pidgin New Testament) as the reference tradition, tuned to the intimate address register Nigerian Pentecostal/charismatic believers actually use in prayer and worship. It should read as heart-speech to a beloved Papa, not the formal/legal register of English-language public life.

Quotation marks

English-style curly double quotes for speech (“ ”), single quotes for nested speech (‘ ’); no guillemets.

Poetry lines

Poetry and psalm-lines set as broken lines with the second (and further) lines of each parallel couplet indented; verse numbering follows the English Bible.

#English termProposed renderingLiteral back-translationWhy
1 our Heavenly Father our Papa wey dey for heaven our Father who is in Heaven Anchored to Nigerian Pidgin Bible (Mt 6:9) — the established rendering this language's church already prays; FHB shifts only the person (our), never the construction. Was: "Our Papa wey dey Heaven". Sweep 2026-07-22 (Kevin: mine the existing translations, don't invent)
2 our Father our Papa our Father / our Daddy Anchored to Nigerian Pidgin Bible (Mt 6:9 / Rom 1:7) — the established rendering this language's church already prays; FHB shifts only the person (our), never the construction. Was: "Our Papa". Sweep 2026-07-22 (Kevin: mine the existing translations, don't invent)
3 the Father di Papa the Father Anchored to Nigerian Pidgin Bible (Jn 14:9ff) — the established rendering this language's church already prays; FHB shifts only the person (our), never the construction. Was: "Papa". Sweep 2026-07-22 (Kevin: mine the existing translations, don't invent)
4 Heavenly Father Papa for heaven Father who is in Heaven Anchored to Nigerian Pidgin Bible (Mt 6:14) — the established rendering this language's church already prays; FHB shifts only the person (our), never the construction. Was: "Papa wey dey Heaven". Sweep 2026-07-22 (Kevin: mine the existing translations, don't invent)
5 Abba, Father Abba, Papa Abba (Aramaic 'Daddy'), Father Aramaic address retained + Naija gloss 'Papa'. Both are the intimate daddy-cry, so the pairing lands as one warm breath.
6 God God God (the Deity) REVERSION TOKEN. Generic deity / God-as-God only; never a substitute for 'Papa'.
7 the LORD Oga the Master / Boss — the covenant Lord (Yahweh) REVERSION TOKEN, traditional non-filial covenant term (small-caps 'the LORD' may be kept per reference tradition — reviewer to confirm). 'Oga' as generic 'Lord/Master' title for Jesus is a distinct use. Never a substitute for 'Papa'.
8 the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit Borrowed form is the settled term across Naija worship and the Pidgin Scriptures.
9 the Spirit of our Father di Spirit of our Papa the Spirit belonging to our Father Anchored to Nigerian Pidgin Bible (Mt 10:20) — the established rendering this language's church already prays; FHB shifts only the person (our), never the construction. Was: "the Spirit of Our Papa". Sweep 2026-07-22 (Kevin: mine the existing translations, don't invent)
10 the Son of Man the Pikin of Man the Child / Son of Man 'Pikin' is the everyday native word for son/child; carries the messianic self-title without borrowing.
11 the Son the Pikin the Son (the Child) Jesus as the Father's own Pikin — deliberately mirrors 'Papa' so the family bond is heard.
12 the Son of God the Pikin of God the Son / Child of God Christological title. Reviewer to confirm vs 'Papa im Pikin' (the Father's Son).
13 one and only Son im only-one Pikin his one and only Son 'im' = his; 'only-one' = sole; the tender John 3:16 weight.
14 the kingdom of our Father di kingdom of our Papa our Father's kingdom Anchored to Nigerian Pidgin Bible (Mt 26:29) — the established rendering this language's church already prays; FHB shifts only the person (our), never the construction. Was: "Our Papa Kingdom". Sweep 2026-07-22 (Kevin: mine the existing translations, don't invent)
15 Jesus Jesus Jesus Standard form.
16 Christ Christ Christ (the Anointed One) Settled titular form.
17 Messiah Messiah Messiah (the Anointed One) Transliterated; semantic twin of Christ, used where English keeps 'Messiah'.
18 covenant Covenant covenant / binding agreement Sacred-register term; everyday 'agriment' is avoided to keep the weight of a bound promise.
19 steadfast love love wey no dey change love that never changes Renders Hebrew hesed (loyal covenant love); 'no dey change' voices the unwavering loyalty. Reviewer to confirm vs 'true-true love'.
20 compassion tender mercy wey dey pain belle tender mercy that aches in the belly (gut-deep pity) Renders racham / splanchnizomai; the Naija idiom 'belle dey pain (person)' is the exact gut-level sense — in narrative use the verbal 'im belle dey pain am'.
21 righteousness correct-and-holy way being right and upright before God Naija 'correct' = morally right/true; carries uprightness before Papa without a Latinate borrowing.
22 eternal life life wey no dey end life that does not end Plain durative negation; the promise of John 3:16.
23 born again born again born again / born afresh Already a native Naija Christian idiom — no adaptation needed; John 3:3,7.

Machine conformance stems (every filial rendering must contain one): Papa

Submit your review

Your review goes directly to Kevin White. Corrections can be written in Nigerian Pidgin or English.