The Greek that is translated as “Wretched man that I am!” or similar in English is translated in Chitonga as Maawe! Nde mucaangu! or “Mercy me, I am my own younger brother [i.e., I have no one to look to for help in this situation].” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 153)
stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears
The phrase that is translated into English as “you stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears” is translated into Afar as “You dry stones that nothing enters, and people who have hearts that refuse God, and ears closed saying we didn’t hear God’s message.” (stiff-necked > dry stones, uncircumcised in heart > hearts that refuse God, uncircumcised ears > ears closed to hearing God’s message) (Source: Loren Bliese)
Other translations for “uncircumcised in heart and ears” include:
- Rincón Zapotec: “it doesn’t enter your hearts or your ears. You are like those who don’t even believe”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “hard are your hearts and not a little bit open are your ears”
- Morelos Nahuatl: “you have your heart as unbelievers, you do not want to hear God’s word”
- Highland Popoluca: “you never wanted to do God’s will, never truly believed”
- Teutila Cuicatec: “you are just the same as those who do not believe God’s word because you do not obey”
- Huichol: “you have not been marked with God’s sign in your hearts or in your ears (you are unruly and unsubmissive like an untamed, unbranded bronco)”
- Ojitlán Chinantec: “you do not have the word-sign in your hearts. Your ears are clogged”
- Copainalá Zoque: “you just don’t understand”
- Isthmus Mixe: “your hearts and minds are not open” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- Kaqchikel: “with your hearts unprepared” (Source: Nida 1964, p. 220)
In Chichewa (interconfessional translation) “stiff-necked” is translated as “hard-headed.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 130)
See also uncircumcised and stiff-necked.
Translation commentary on Ruth 1:18: A Cultural Commentary for Central Africa
Translation commentary on Ruth 3:17: A Cultural Commentary for Central Africa
The use of metric units in Ruth’s report of what Boaz did for her sounds particularly inappropriate here; e.g., Chichewa (draft): “He gave me twenty kilograms of barley . . . .” It’s as if she greedily watched the scale as he measured out for her his gift of grain. Since the Hebrew does not really specify the exact amount of grain involved (i.e., simply “six [measures]”), one can be equally vague in the receptor language, e.g., “all this barley” (Good News Bible), or employ the nearest cultural equivalent, e.g., “six winnowing baskets full” (Chichewa).
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 181.
Translation commentary on Ruth 3:13: A Cultural Commentary for Central Africa
The Chichewa equivalent for the strong Hebrew oath, “as the Lord lives,” is pali Chauta ‘it is on God’, the implication being that if the speaker proves to be lying, he will be punished by some extraordinary punishment sent by God, e.g., lightning.
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 180.
Translation commentary on Ruth 3:7: A Cultural Commentary for Central Africa
The report of the carrying out of Naomi’s plan occasions the same problems for the C/T receptor that her preceding words did (v. 3). In fact, the clash in customs is reinforced. One must be careful in this account not to employ an expression for the original “his heart was merry” (after drinking) which would suggest that Boaz was in a drunken condition. Furthermore, it is necessary in both Chichewa/Chitonga to add the words, “While he (Boaz) was asleep . . . ,” in order to reduce the likelihood of overtones of illegitimacy being mistakenly attached by receptors to Ruth’s actions here.
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 178.
Translation commentary on Ruth 2:8: A Cultural Commentary for Central Africa
In a Chewa/Tonga setting Boaz could not address Ruth as “My daughter” (which turns out to be “my child” in Chichewa/Chitonga) unless he happened to be very much older than she was. He would rather say “mother” (mai, i.e., moderate respect, versus the ultimate honorific, “mothers”). Neither could he refer to his laborers as “my maidens,” for in Chitonga this could be interpreted as meaning his girlfriends. Instead he would use “female workers” and omit the “my.”
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 174.
Translation commentary on Ruth 3:1: A Cultural Commentary for Central Africa
A section heading such as that proposed by Good News Bible is culturally very inappropriate. Unless she is someone of loose morals, a woman does not go out to “find a husband” (or “man,” the word is the same in both Chichewa/Chitonga). Rather, it is his task to find her. It would be contrary to custom for a woman to arrange a marriage for her daughter. That is the job of the clan representative, as pointed out above, a male in any case, and the initiative in the proceedings must be taken by the suitor. However, where a remarriage is concerned, especially in the case of a son who has died, a woman’s involvement would not be uncommon, since the person to “succeed” to the place of the deceased would have to come from her family line. In such a situation she would not actually go out herself to “find” a husband (RSV, Good News Bible), but she would be in charge of the formal arrangements aimed at establishing the widow once again “in a family” (Chichewa). Furthermore, a woman would never suggest that her daughter-in-law herself take steps to “engage” a man, as Naomi now advised Ruth to do. Under such circumstances among the Chewa and certain other Central African peoples, a wife would be justified in taking her mother-in-law to (the traditional) court for meddling in her marital affairs.
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 177.