bishop, overseer

The Greek that is translated as “overseer” or “bishop” is kalayi in Chokwe. “This is the word for a watchman set in time of danger or war, who is responsible for the welfare of all under his care and will be held accountable for his faithfulness or otherwise.” (Source: D. B. Long in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 87ff. )

In Bacama the translation is adɨ nidə ji-kottə: “person who looks after the followers.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )

soul

The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin that is translated as “soul” in English is translated in Chol with a term that refers to the invisible aspects of human beings (source: Robert Bascom).

The Mandarin Chinese línghún (靈魂 / 灵魂), literally “spirit-soul,” is often used for “soul” (along with xīn [心] or “heart”). This is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32, see also Clara Ho-yan Chan in this article )

See also heart, soul, mind.

sheep

“Sheep are known throughout most of the world, even though, as in Central Africa, they are a far cry from the fleecy wool-producing animals of colder climates. Where such animals are known, even by seemingly strange names, e.g. ‘cotton deer’ (Yucateco) or ‘woolly goat’ (Inupiaq), such names should be used. In some instances, one may wish to borrow a name and use a classifier, e.g. ‘an animal called sheep’. In still other instances translators have used ‘animal which produces wool’, for though people are not acquainted with the animals they are familiar with wool.” (Source: Bratcher / Nida)

In Dëne Súline, it is usually translated as “an evil little caribou.” To avoid the negative connotation, a loan word from the neighboring South Slavey was used. (Source: NCAM, p. 70)

Note that the often-alleged Inuktitut translation of “sheep” with “seal” is an urban myth (source Nida 1947, p. 136).

See also lamb.

shepherd

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “shepherd” in English is translated in Kouya as Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ — ” tender of sheep.”

Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains:

“Then one day they tackled the thorny problem of ‘shepherd’. It was problematic because Kouyas don’t have herdsmen who stay with the sheep all the time. Sheep wander freely round the village and its outskirts, and often a young lad will be detailed to drive sheep to another feeding spot. So the usual Kouya expression meant a ‘driver of sheep’, which would miss the idea of a ‘nurturing’ shepherd. ‘A sheep nurturer’ was possible to say, but it was unnatural in most contexts. The group came up with Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ which meant ‘a tender of sheep’, that is one who keeps an eye on the sheep to make sure they are all right. All, including the translators, agreed that this was a most satisfactory solution.”

In Chuj, the translation is “carer” since there was no single word for “shepherd” (source: Ronald Ross), in Muna, it is dhagano dhumba: “sheep guard” since there was no immediate lexical equivalent (source: René van den Berg), in Mairasi it is translated with “people who took care of domesticated animals” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Noongar as kookendjeriyang-yakina or “sheep worker” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), and Kwakum as “those-who-monitor-the-livestock” (source: Stacey Hare in this post ).

See also I am the good shepherd.

complete verse (1 Peter 2:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 2:25:

  • Uma: “Long ago you were like lost sheep. But at this time you have returned to the Shepherd takes care of your souls.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Formerly you were like sheep separated from the one who cares for you. But now you have been-able-to-come-back to the-one-who-cares-for and the-one-who-watches-over you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Long ago we were like domestic animals called sheep that were lost. But now we have been brought home to God who is the Shepherd who knows how to care for us.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because previously, you went-astray like sheep who wander-around, but here-now you have returned to the one who cares-for and watches-over you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because an illustration of you is, you are like sheep which got-dispersed because they went astray. But now you have been gathered together again by the Shepherd who is Cristo, who takes care of you with perfect caring.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “You have left the road like sheep when they are scattered. But now you have returned to him who guards you, he who guards your souls.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Peter 2:25

You were like sheep that had lost their way quotes Isaiah 53.6, and reminds the readers of their former state before they became Christians (compare 2.10), while you have been brought back signifies their present state as believers in Christ. The verb here is an aorist passive, but with a perfect tense, so that while most translations translate it as active (New English Bible “you have turned”; Jerusalem Bible “you have come back”; Phillips “You have returned”), the Good News Translation has translated it accurately. The implicit actor here is God, and this could be indicated in an expression like “God has brought you back.”

It may be meaningless to speak of “sheep that have lost their way,” since in some languages one cannot speak of “losing a road” or “losing a path.” One can, however, almost always say “had gone on the wrong path” or “had traveled the wrong road.”

The Shepherd and Keeper of your souls refers to Christ. His description as Shepherd fits the metaphor of the lost sheep. Keeper translates a Greek word episkopos, from which is derived the English word “bishop.” It is used here, however, not in its technical, ecclesiastical sense, denoting a high official in church government, but in the sense of “guardian,” that is, one who watches over and protects. Taken this way, it is a further description of Shepherd (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “the shepherd under whose protection you stand”). Soul, as in 1.9, 22, stands for the whole person (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Brought back to follow is literally “you have been returned upon.” The meaning that is intended is not at all clear from the text, but two possibilities may be suggested: (1) “brought back to the care of,” and (2) as in the Good News Translation, brought back to follow.

There may be a kind of cultural problem involved in the expression to follow the Shepherd, since in so many parts of the world sheep do not follow the shepherd but are driven by the shepherd. However, in the Middle East sheep do follow shepherds, and it may therefore be relevant to have a note at this point indicating that fact.

The reference of the phrases the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls may not be entirely clear in some languages. It may therefore be important to translate to follow the Shepherd as “to follow the one who cares for you as a shepherd cares for his sheep,” and keeper of your souls may be rendered as “one who watches over you” or “one who watches to protect you.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The First Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .