There are no lions in Bawm country, so the Bawm Chin translation uses “a tiger with a mane” where the Greek term for “lion” is used and in Sranan Tongo the “roaring lion” in 1 Peter 5:8 is a krasi tigri, an “aggressive tiger.”
In the Kahua culture, lions are not known either so the Kahua translation used “fierce animal.”
In 1 Peter 5:8, the Uripiv translation uses “a hungry shark” instead of a roaring lion.
Sources: David Clark for Bawm Chin and Kahua, Japini 2015, p. 33, for Sranan Tongo, and Ross McKerras for Uripiv)
the Hebrew and Greek that is translated with “sword” in English is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “machete that is sharp on two sides,” in Lalana Chinantec as “machete” and in San Mateo del Mar Huave as “knife.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
The verb translated smitten may mean either “hit” (that is, “punish”) or “strike down” (that is, “kill”). Thus smitten your children may mean either “punished you [but you refused to be corrected]” or “killed some of your people [but the rest of you refused to learn anything from it].” Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and New International Version (“I punished your people”) follow the first alternative, while Jerusalem Bible (“I have struck down your sons”) and New English Bible (“I struck down your sons”) seem to prefer the second alternative. Either interpretation is possible, though that represented by Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and New International Version seems more satisfactory in the context; that is, the pronouns your … they in this first half of the verse are best understood to refer to the same people referred to by your … your in the second half of the verse.
Good News Translation renders In vain as “but it did no good.” “To no effect” and “With no results” are other ways to express the meaning.
Notice that children does not mean just the children or youngsters, but stands for “the people.” Whether translators express smitten as “punished” or “killed,” the verse should not give the impression that the LORD did something only to the children; he did something to the people.
They took no correction is expressed clearly by Good News Translation as “you would not let me correct you.” It is also possible to say “you would not accept the warning” (Bible en français courant) or “you did not learn anything from it.”
Your own sword devoured your prophets is correctly interpreted by Good News Translation to mean “you have murdered your prophets.” It may be best to translate your prophets as “the prophets I sent to you” or “the men I sent to speak my message to you.” It is quite likely that Jeremiah has in mind such events as described in 2Kgs 21.16; according to Jewish tradition Isaiah is said to have been murdered during this persecution. If sword is not known, translators can use some other knife-like war instrument such as “battle machete” or “big fighting knife.” But, as seen in Good News Translation, in this verse sword represents killing.
Like a ravening lion: See verse 15 for lion. Ravening could be “ferocious,” “raging,” or “rapacious.” The image is of a lion looking for something to kill and eat. Translators who are working in areas where lions are not known at all should consider substituting some animal that readers would be familiar with which attacks and kills its food, and preferably which is also in the cat family, such as a puma or panther. But since this is only a figure or illustration here, the exact animal is not important.
Although Good News Translation has expressed the meaning of the verse quite clearly, many translators want to keep the image of the sword if possible. The problem is that it often seems odd to have a sword devour or eat. Possible translations include “Like attacking lions you put the prophets I sent you to the sword,” “With your swords you killed my prophets with the ferocity of a hungry lion,” and “With the speed of an attacking lion your swords killed the prophets I sent you.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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