The Hebrew that is translated as “It is enough” or similar in English is translated in Chitonga with the existing idiom mbubo ono cabonwa or “alright, now, the end has been seen” and in Chichewa (interconfessional translation) as Zandikola or “They (i.e., problems) have choked me (to death).” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 104)
high places
The Hebrew that is translated as “high places” in English is translated in Chitonga as malende. Ernst Wendland (1987, p. 57) explains: “The preceding expression [‘place for worship/sacrifice on top of hills’], though intelligible linguistically, sounds rather strange to the Tonga who live on the relatively flat plains of southern Zambia. There are ‘hills’ in their country, but normally no one would ever worship regularly there. For this reason the new translation will try out a cultural substitute (see below), malende, the ‘local shrine’ of Tonga traditional religion, where the ‘priest’ (clan head, who may be a chief as well) makes sacrifices to the spirits in time of corporate calamity, especially drought. This would seem to approximate quite closely the main elements of both form and function of the term ‘high places’ in the Old Testament, which were not always or even usually set upon hills, especially in the latter days of the monarchy (cp. 2 Kings 17:9, 29).”
In the Chichewa interconfessional translation (publ. 1999), it is translated as “shrines for worshiping images there.” (Source: Ernst Wendland in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 319ff.)
we played the flute for you
The Greek that is translated in English as “we played the flute for you” is translated in Chichewa (interconfessional translation, 1999) as tidaakuimbirani ng’oma yaukwati or “we played the wedding drum for you” to match the culturally relevant meaning. (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 74)
For the same reason, in Yakan and Kankanaey the musical instrument is translated as “gongs” (source: Yakan and Kankanaey Back Translations), in Western Bukidnon Manobo as “drumming” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation), and in Tagbanwa as “stringed-instruments” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).
See also flute and flute players.
sycamore, sycomore
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “sycamore” in English is translated in Chichewa as mkuyu or “fig tree.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 72)
Note that the tree referred to in these instances is the “Sycomore Fig (Ficus sycomorus), also called the “Mulberry Fig” (compare German Maulbeerfeigenbaum), is a type of fig that is found especially in low-land areas in the Mediterranean region. It was known in Egypt as early as 3000 B.C. but also in the Indus Valley in India. (…) The sycomore fig is not a tall tree (up to 10 meters [33 feet]) but has large low, spreading branches.” (Source: Koops 2012, p. 67)
disciplinarian, guardian, schoolmaster
The Greek that is rendered in English versions as “disciplinarian,” “guardian,” “schoolmaster” or similar is translated in a number of Chichewa translations as namkungwi, the “female supervisor who oversees girls’ initiation ceremonies. The form of the figure has obviously been changed, particularly in the gender shift from male to female, but the function remains essentially that of the biblical figure.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 121)
Translation commentary on Ruth 2:18: A Cultural Commentary for Central Africa
It would have been extremely impolite for Ruth, had she been an African, to take back home with her the food which was left over from the meal which she had eaten at Boaz’ farm. That would certainly give the impression that she had a greedy nature. The custom is rather that she leave a little food on her plate to show that she had been satisfied by her host (even if she was really still hungry). This is, in fact, what was suggested by v. 14, “and she had some [food] left over.”—only to be apparently contradicted now in v. 18. Further aspersions on Ruth’s character result from a literal reproduction of the final clause of this verse: “(Ruth) gave (Naomi) what food she had left over after being satisfied” (cp. old Chichewa Bible: mkute ‘food remaining from the night before’). A woman would be considered most selfish if it were discovered that she had filled herself with food first and then had given the left-overs to her mother-in-law. In a traditional African society, greed, or gluttony, is one of the most abhorrent of characteristics, as attested to by many proverbs and folktales.
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 176.
Translation commentary on Ruth 2:20: A Cultural Commentary for Central Africa
Naomi’s statement that God (Yahweh) cares for both “the living and the dead” corresponds to the Bantu world view, not so much due to the agency of God as mentioned, but because the dead are seemingly put on an equal plane with the living—they comprise but one social community.
It is difficult to render the Hebrew term go’el adequately in Chichewa/Chitonga due to the cultural differences involved. In general, the function of this person in society was to protect the interests of the family and clan: their land, property, freedom, and posterity. Thus he had the obligation to “redeem” (through personal purchase) what had been lost, to avenge the death of kinsmen, and should he happen to be the closest relative to a deceased male of child-bearing age, to marry the widow. The problem is that, not unexpectedly, there is no single term which would cover all of these functions in any Central African language. There would be a “clan representative” (Chichewa: nkhoswe), usually the senior woman’s eldest brother, who does conduct negotiations with his counterparts in matters such as marriage and legal disputes (customary law). But he would never personally be responsible for carrying out acts of revenge or to act as husband in a levirate marriage (not as nkhoswe, that is). The best, then, that can be done in translation is to employ a descriptive phrase which focuses upon the most relevant components of the term’s meaning in this particular context; e.g., Chichewa: “(he is) one of our relatives, the one who has the responsibility of nourishing us” (or: bringing us up, i.e., caring for us).
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 176f.
Translation commentary on Ruth 4:18: A Cultural Commentary for Central Africa
The importance of one’s ancestors notwithstanding, the elaborate genealogies of the Hebrews are rather overwhelming for receptors in Central Africa. This is especially true among those peoples, like the Tonga, who do not have a strong royal institution, and hence have no associated tradition of “remembering” departed chiefs. Only outstanding individuals, usually with regard to their magical-supernatural powers, find a place in formal recitations, such as in a prayer for rain.
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 185.