grain

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “corn”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).

Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 36:29

Verses 29-30 assure God’s people that they will be able to live safely and securely in the land.

And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses: God will purify them from anything that makes them unfit to worship him. Deliver may be rendered “save” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New International Reader’s Version, New Century Version, King James Version, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible) or “free” (Christian Community Bible). For your uncleannesses, see verse 25. This phrase may be translated “anything that makes you unclean” (Contemporary English Version) or “anything that makes you unfit to worship me.”

And I will summon the grain and make it abundant: God will make the seeds grow so that there will be very good crops and plenty of food. Summon carries the picture of God calling to the seeds to make them sprout and grow. New Century Version and Revised English Bible have “command.” The Hebrew word for grain refers to cereal crops, such as “wheat” (Christian Community Bible) and barley. Some translations use the term “corn” (Good News Translation British edition, King James Version, New English Bible); this reflects British usage of the term, which in American English means maize. Others have used “rice,” but translators may also use a generic term such as “crops.” Make it abundant may be rendered “make it grow abundantly.”

And lay no famine upon you is literally “and I not give upon you famine.” Since there will be plenty of food, the people will not starve. Good News Translation renders this clause as “so that you will not have any more famines,” Contemporary English Version says “and no one will starve,” and New International Reader’s Version has “So you will never be hungry again.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .