Nebuchadnezzar

The term that is transliterated as “Nebuchadnezzar” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the signs for “king” and one signifying a wavy beard, referring to the common way of wearing a beard in Mesopotamia (see here ). (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Nebuchadnezzar” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting “idol in my image,” referring to Daniel 3:1. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Nebuchadnezzar” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

sin

The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated as “sin” in English has a wide variety of translations.

The Greek ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) carries the original verbatim meaning of “miss the mark.” Likewise, many translations contain the “connotation of moral responsibility.” Loma has (for certain types of sin) “leaving the road” (which “implies a definite standard, the transgression of which is sin”) or Navajo uses “that which is off to the side.” (Source: Bratcher / Nida). In Toraja-Sa’dan the translation is kasalan, which originally meant “transgression of a religious or moral rule” and has shifted its meaning in the context of the Bible to “transgression of God’s commandments.” (Source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21ff. ).

In Shipibo-Conibo the term is hocha. Nida (1952, p. 149) tells the story of its choosing: “In some instances a native expression for sin includes many connotations, and its full meaning must be completely understood before one ever attempts to use it. This was true, for example, of the term hocha first proposed by Shipibo-Conibo natives as an equivalent for ‘sin.’ The term seemed quite all right until one day the translator heard a girl say after having broken a little pottery jar that she was guilty of ‘hocha.’ Breaking such a little jar scarcely seemed to be sin. However, the Shipibos insisted that hocha was really sin, and they explained more fully the meaning of the word. It could be used of breaking a jar, but only if the jar belonged to someone else. Hocha was nothing more nor less than destroying the possessions of another, but the meaning did not stop with purely material possessions. In their belief God owns the world and all that is in it. Anyone who destroys the work and plan of God is guilty of hocha. Hence the murderer is of all men most guilty of hocha, for he has destroyed God’s most important possession in the world, namely, man. Any destructive and malevolent spirit is hocha, for it is antagonistic and harmful to God’s creation. Rather than being a feeble word for some accidental event, this word for sin turned out to be exceedingly rich in meaning and laid a foundation for the full presentation of the redemptive act of God.”

In Kaingang, the translation is “break God’s word” and in Sandawe the original meaning of the Greek term (see above) is perfectly reflected with “miss the mark.” (Source: Ursula Wiesemann in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 36ff., 43)

In Warao it is translated as “bad obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ). See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the Danish Bibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “We would explain terms, such that e.g. sin often became ‘doing what God does not want’ or ‘breaking God’s law’, ‘letting God down’, ‘disrespecting God’, ‘doing evil’, ‘acting stupidly’, ‘becoming guilty’. Now why couldn’t we just use the word sin? Well, sin in contemporary Danish, outside of the church, is mostly used about things such as delicious but unhealthy foods. Exquisite cakes and chocolates are what a sin is today.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

See also sinner.

Translation commentary on Letter of Jeremiah 1:1

A copy of a letter which Jeremiah sent …: This verse is a preface to the book, describing the rest of the contents. As the literal translation by Revised Standard Version indicates, this is not a complete sentence in Greek, but the addition of “This is” in Good News Translation helps the reader by creating a straightforward sentence. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version translate “the letter,” which is potentially confusing since Jer 29 refers to a letter written by Jeremiah (but after the people were already in Babylon) and quotes it. People who are familiar with the book of Jeremiah could misinterpret this.

To those who were to be taken to Babylon as captives by the king of the Babylonians: Good News Translation identifies those the letter was addressed to as “the people of Jerusalem.” The author assumes this information, but the modern reader needs this to be spelled out. Limiting the message to the people only of Jerusalem may be a mistake, however. It is better to refer to them as “the people of Judah and Jerusalem” (Contemporary English Version), “the Judeans,” or even “the Jews” since this would allow the letter to be addressed to all the exiles, not just those from Jerusalem.

Babylon was the capital city of Babylonia. It may be helpful to identify Babylon as “the capital [or, chief] city Babylon” (see the comments on Bar 1.9).

For as captives, Good News Translation has “just before they were captured,” but this may misrepresent the Greek. The people addressed had probably already been captured; the Greek describes them as captives, but captives who were about to be taken away. The Good News Translation interpretation may be correct, but a safer rendering would be “to the Jews who had been captured by the Babylonian king and who were about to be taken off to Babylon” or “to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, just before the king of Babylonia took them as captives to the city of Babylon” (Contemporary English Version). The Greek structure here is really the same as in verse 2, where Good News Translation more aptly translates “you are about to be taken away as prisoners.” The captivity here is described more fully in 2 Kgs 24.10-17.

For a comment on the translation of king, see Bar 1.3.

To give them the message which God had commanded him: This final clause gives the purpose of Jeremiah’s writing the letter. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version make the meaning clearer by making this a separate statement describing the letter.

Because of the sins which you have committed before God: Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version begin the verse with the separate sentence “You have sinned against God.” The phrase before God will be difficult to translate in a number of languages. In this context it means “doing something contrary to God’s will,” so a translation like “make a mistake” or “commit an error” will not be strong enough. When God is expressly mentioned, as in this case, the sense of disobeying God’s command is primarily in focus. So translators may say something like “You have disobeyed God” (see the comments on Bar 1.15-18).

You will be taken to Babylon as captives by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians: Good News Translation shortens the identification of Nebuchadnezzar by omitting king of the Babylonians, but this information is readily evident from the previous verse. However, in some languages it will be more natural style to include this information; for example, “that is why Nebuchadnezzar, who rules over Babylonia, is taking you as captives to his capital city Babylon.”

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.”

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.