Language-specific Insights

lots of gold

The Hebrew that is translated in English as “have gold,” with the implied meaning of “lots of gold” is translated in Newari as “have gold and gold.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)

protected

The Hebrew that is translated in English as “(you will be) protected” or “(you will) look around you is translated in Newari as “you see all four sides.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)

forgers of lies

The Hebrew that is translated in English as “forgers of lies” or similar is translated in Newari as “cover truth with lies.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)

condemned

The Hebrew that is translated in English as “condemned” is translated in Newari as “judged guilty.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)

LORD of hosts

The Hebrew that is translated as “Lord of hosts” in English (or: “Yahweh of Armies” [translation by John Goldingay, 2018], “Hashem, Master of Legions” [ArtScroll Tanakh translation, 2011]) is translated in various ways: It’s translated as “God the Highest Ruler” in Kankanaey, as “Lord Almighty” in Newari, as Mndewa Imulungu or “Lord with all power” in Kutu (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext), as Wànjūnzhī Yēhéhuá (万军之耶和华) or “Jehovah of 10,000 [=all] armies” in Mandarin Chinese, as “Yawe God of the universe” in Mandinka, and in the German (Luther) Bible the second part of the name is transliterated: Herr Zebaoth or “Lord Zebaoth” (Swedish, Finnish and Latvian use the same translation strategy). The Russian Orthodox Synod translation uses a transliteration of the second part of the designation as well: Господь Саваоф / Gospod’ Savaof.

The traditional French translation of l’Eternel/Yahve/le Seigneur/Seigneur des armées (“Lord of the armies”) presents a problem when listened to, as Jean-Marc Babut explains (in The Bible Translator 1985, p. 411ff. ):

“For the hearer, the traditional translation l’Eternel/Yahve/le Seigneur des armées can easily be taken in a bad sense: there is nothing, in fact, to prevent the listener from hearing l’Eternel désarmé, ‘the Eternal One disarmed’ or ‘stripped of his power’! (…). Thus the Bible en français courant [publ. 1997] has decided to use the expression Seigneur/Dieu de l’univers, “Lord/God of the Universe”. This formula, which has an undeniably liturgical ring, seems to have been favorably received by users.”

Other, later French Bibles who have chosen a similar strategy, include Parole de Vie (publ. 2017) with Seigneur de l’univers or Bible Segond 21 (publ. 2007) with l’Eternel, le maître de l’univers.

See also Lord of hosts, host / powers, Pantokrator, and Lord Almighty.

circumcise, circumcision

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The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “circumcise” or “circumcision” in English (originally meaning of English term: “to cut around”) are (back-) translated in various ways:

  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “cut the flesh”
  • San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, Navajo: “cut around”
  • Javanese: “clip-away”
  • Uab Meto: “pinch and cut” (usually shortened to “cut”)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun, Western Highland Purepecha: “put the mark”
  • Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “put the mark in the body showing that they belong to God” (or: “that they have a covenant with God”)
  • Indonesian: disunat — “undergo sunat” (sunat is derived from Arabic “sunnah (سنة)” — “(religious) way (of life)”)
  • Ekari: “cut the end of the member for which one fears shame” (in Gen. 17:10) (but typically: “the cutting custom”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Hiri Motu: “cut the skin” (source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1079)
  • Garifuna: “cut off part of that which covers where one urinates”
  • Bribri: “cut the soft” (source for this and the one above: Ronald Ross)
  • Amele: deweg cagu qoc — “cut the body” (source: John Roberts)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “cut the flesh of the sons like Moses taught” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Newari: “put the sign in one’s body” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Central Mazahua: “sign in his flesh”
  • Hopi: “being cut in a circle in his body” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Mandarin Chinese: gēlǐ (割礼 / 割禮) or “rite of cutting” (Protestant); gēsǔn (割损 / 割損) or “cut + loss” (Catholic) (Source: Zetzsche)
  • Tibetan: mdun lpags gcod (མདུན་​ལྤགས་​གཅོད།), lit. “fore + skin + cut” (source: gSungrab website )
  • Kutu: “enter the cloth (=undergarments)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Ruth 1:4 - 1:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 1:4-1:5:

  • Noongar: “Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, he died, and Naomi stayed with her two sons. Her two sons married two wives from Moab, named Orpah and Ruth. When they had lived there ten years, Mahlon and Chilion died; so Naomi was widowed, without sons and without a husband.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “The two sons took wives from the people of Moab. The names of the women were Orpha and Ruth. So they lived in that place about ten years. But in that place, Mahlon and Chilion also died. So Naomi still lived, but she no longer had husband or children.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Newari: “” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Some-time-later her children married [plural] Moabnon (women). The name of one was Orpah and the (other)-one was Ruth. After- ten years -had-passed, Mahlon and Kilion also died, so only Noemi was left.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They married women from Moab. One of them was named Orpah, and the other one was named Ruth. But after they had lived in that area for about ten years, Mahlon and Chilion died. So then Naomi had no husband and no sons.” (Source: Translation for Translators)