demon

The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated/transliterated in English as “demon” is translated in Central Mazahua as “the evil spirit(s) of the devil” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).

In Sissala it is translated with kaŋtɔŋ, which traditionally referred to “either a spirit of natural phenomena such as trees, rivers, stones, etc., or the spirit of a deceased person that has not been taken into the realm of the dead. Kaŋtɔŋ can be good or evil. Evil kaŋtɔŋ can bring much harm to people and are feared accordingly. A kaŋtɔŋ can also dwell in a person living on this earth. A person possessed by kaŋtɔŋ does not behave normally.” (Source: Regina Blass in Holzhausen 1991, p. 48f.)

In Umiray Dumaget Agta it is translated as hayup or “creature, animal, general term for any non-human creature, whether natural or supernatural.” Thomas Headland (in: Notes on Translation, September 1971, p. 17ff.) explains some more: “There are several types of supernatural creatures, or spirit beings which are designated by the generic term hayup. Just as we have several terms in English for various spirit beings (elves, fairies, goblins, demons, imps, pixies) so have the Dumagats. And just as you will find vast disagreement and vagueness among English informants as to the differences between pixies and imps, etc., so you will find that no two Dumagats will agree as to the form and function of their different spirit beings.” This term can also be used in a verb form: hayupen: “creatured” or “to be killed, made sick, or crazy by a spirit.

In Yala it is translated as yapri̍ija ɔdwɔ̄bi̍ or “bad Yaprija.” Yaprijas are traditional spirits that have a range presumed activities including giving or withholding gifts, giving and protecting children, causing death and disease and rewarding good behavior. (Source: Eugene Bunkowske in Notes on Translation 78/1980, p. 36ff.)

In Lamnso’ it is translated as aànyùyi jívirì: “lesser gods who disturb, bother, pester, or confuse a person.” (Source: Fanwong 2013, p. 93)

In Paasaal it is translated as gyɩŋbɔmɔ, “beings that are in the wild and can only be seen when they choose to reveal themselves to certain people. They can ‘capture’ humans and keep them in hiding while they train the person in herbalism and divination. After the training period, which can range from a week to many years, the ‘captured’ individual is released to go back into society as a healer and a diviner. The gyɩŋbɔmɔ can also be evil, striking humans with mental diseases and causing individuals to get lost in the wild. The Pasaale worldview about demons is like that of others of the language groups in the area, including the Northern Dagara [who use kɔ̃tɔmɛ with a similar meaning].” (Source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)

See also devil and formal pronoun: demons or Satan addressing Jesus.

Translation commentary on Baruch 4:35

Translators who are following the suggestion that verse 34 be restructured in the third person for God will want to take care that the third person is kept here, and not changed to the first person, as in Good News Translation.

For fire will come upon her from the Everlasting for many days: Translators can express this in a more direct way; for example, Good News Translation has “I, the Eternal God, will send down fire on her, and it will burn for many days,” and Contemporary English Version says “The eternal God will send down fire, and she will burn for days and days.” For the Everlasting, see the comments on verse 10.

This verse works in both lines with the imagery of Isa 13.19-22 and 34.9-14. The reference to fire recalls Isa 34.9-10, in which Edom suffers the fiery fate of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19.24). In Isa 13.19 it is said that Babylon will suffer the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. See also Jer 51.58.

For a long time she will be inhabited by demons: Good News Translation helpfully makes it clear that the city haunted by demons will be a city in ruins: “Her ruins will be haunted by demons for a long time to come.” The Greek says only that she will be inhabited by demons …, but in English “haunted” is an excellent choice of words. The idea can easily be expressed in the active voice: “Demons will haunt [or, live in/lurk within] her ruins for a long time to come.”

The word demons here does not have the same meaning as in verse 7, where demons are simply pagan gods (see the comments there). Here the Greek surely translates the Hebrew word translated “satyr[s]” by Revised Standard Version and the King James Version [King James Version] in Isa 13.21 and 34.14. The word is also used at Lev 17.7 and 2 Chr 11.15 (where Revised Standard Version translates “satyrs” and King James Version “devils”). New Revised Standard Version translates “goat-demon[s]” at each of those four places, but not here in Baruch, where it has “demons.” The Hebrew word simply means “hairy one,” which describes some kind of hideous, hairy creature, perhaps imaginary, that was thought to haunt deserted habitations. (The word “demon” is never used in King James Version because at the time of its translation the word had a favorable sense.) Other ways to express this here are “hideous spirits” and “filthy demons.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.