covenant

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The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin that are translated as “covenant” in English are translated in a variety of ways. Here are some (back-) translations:

  • Mossi: “helping promise”
  • Vai: “a thing-time-bind” (i.e. “an arrangement agreed upon for a period of time”)
  • Loma (Liberia): “agreement”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “agreement which is tied up” (i.e. “secure and binding”)
  • Chol: “a word which is left”
  • Huastec: “a broken-off word” (“based on the concept of ‘breaking off a word’ and leaving it with the person with whom an agreement has been reached”)
  • Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “a death command” (i.e. “a special term for testament”)
  • Piro: “a promised word”
  • Eastern Krahn: “a word between”
  • Yaka: “promise that brings together” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Nabak: alakŋaŋ or “tying the knot” (source: Fabian 2013, p. 156)
  • Nyamwezi: ilagano: “agreement, contract, covenant, promise” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Q’anjob’al: “put mouths equal” (representing agreement) (source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. )
  • Manikion, Indonesian: “God’s promise” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Natügu: nzesz’tikr drtwr: “oneness of mind” (source: Brenda Boerger in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 164)
  • Tagalog: tipan: mutual promising on the part of two persons agreeing to do something (also has a romantic touch and denotes something secretive) (source: G. Henry Waterman in The Bible Translator 1960, p. 24ff. )
  • Tagbanwa: “initiated-agreement” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Guhu-Samane: “The concept [in Mark 14:24 and Matthew 16:28] is not easy, but the ritual freeing of a fruit and nut preserve does afford some reference. Thus, ‘As they were drinking he said to them, ‘On behalf of many this poro provision [poro is the traditional religion] of my blood is released.’ (…) God is here seen as the great benefactor and man the grateful recipient.” (Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. )
Law (2013, p. 95) writes about how the Ancient Greek Septuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew berith was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):

“Right from the start we witness the influence of the Septuagint on the earliest expressions of the Christian faith. In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of his blood being a kaine diatheke, a ‘new covenant.’ The covenant is elucidated in Hebrews 8:8-12 and other texts, but it was preserved in the words of Jesus with this language in Luke 22:20 when at the Last Supper Jesus said, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Jesus’s blood was to provide the grounds for the ‘new covenant,’ in contrast to the old one his disciples knew from the Jewish scriptures (e.g., Jeremiah 31:31-34). Thus, the earliest Christians accepted the Jewish Scriptures as prophecies about Jesus and in time began to call the collection the ‘Old Testament’ and the writings about Jesus and early Christianity the ‘New Testament,’ since ‘testament’ was another word for ‘covenant.’ The covenant promises of God (berith in Hebrew) were translated in the Septuagint with the word diatheke. In classical Greek diatheke had meant ‘last will, testament,’ but in the Septuagint it is the chosen equivalent for God’s covenant with his people. The author of Hebrews plays on the double meaning, and when Luke records Jesus’ announcement at the Last Supper that his blood was instituting a ‘new covenant,’ or a ‘new testament,’ he is using the language in an explicit contrast with the old covenant, found in the Jewish scriptures. Soon, the writings that would eventually be chosen to make up the texts about the life and teachings of Jesus and the earliest expression of the Christian faith would be called the New Testament. This very distinction between the Old and New Testaments is based on the Septuagint’s language.”

See also establish (covenant) and covenant (book).

Translation commentary on Daniel 11:30

Ships of Kittim: the word ships is used figuratively to represent the people who used them as a means of transport. And this should be made clear in many languages. The word Kittim originally referred to people from the island of Cyprus, but in Jer 2.10 it probably refers to Mediterranean peoples in general. These peoples were “westerners” to those living in Judea. Although this word may have served as a general term for people from the west in Daniel (compare New International Version “ships of the western coastlands” and New English Bible “ships from the west”), it is more likely that this was intended as a reference to the Romans. The Qumran writers used the term Kittim consistently to refer to the Romans. And the ancient Greek translation of Daniel renders it thus. This is followed by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, An American Translation, and Moffatt, as well as Good News Translation, and is also recommended to modern translators. Those versions that transliterate the Hebrew term are forced to add a footnote to help the reader understand the meaning.

Withdraw … turn back … turn back: the text pictures the Syrian king as retreating in fear when first attacked by the Romans. But what is meant by “turning back” and why does it occur twice in this verse? Evidently it does not mean that he turned back to attack the Romans after first retreating, but rather that he went back toward Jerusalem, where he expressed his anger against an easier enemy. In most languages it is unnecessary and probably unwise to translate both occurrences of the verb turn back.

Take action: as in verse 28 (and 39), Anchor Bible proposes “as he passes through.” But most other scholars retain the idea of taking action.

The holy covenant: see verse 28.

Give heed to those who forsake the holy covenant: the text speaks of giving attention to those who have abandoned the Jewish religion to follow the pagan practices of Antiochus IV. But what kind of attention is meant? It may indicate that he “will follow their advice” (Good News Translation) or that he will “favour” them (New Jerusalem Bible), that is, give them preferential treatment. The same verb is used with the negative in verse 37. Commentators give very little help on this question, and most translations leave it neutral, “pay attention to” or “have regard for.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .