Jeremiah

The name that is transliterated as “Jeremiah” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign signifying “prophet (seeing into the future)” and “crying.” (Source: Phil King in Journal of Translation 16/2 2020, p. 33ff.)


“Jeremiah” in American Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts to lament often.


“Jeremiah” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

Following is a Russian Orthodox icon of Jeremiah from the 18th century (found in the Transfiguration Church, Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia).

 
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 38:15

If I tell you, will you not be sure to put me to death?: This is a difficult construction, because it is both rhetorical and negative. Good News Translation shifts away from both the rhetorical and negative forms, to translate “If I tell you the truth, you will put me to death.” In many languages, as in English, the use of such an emphatic statement may be effective. But a question is sometimes effective, too. Translators can say, for example, “If I tell you the truth, you’ll have me put to death, won’t you?” or “If I tell you the truth, what will you do? You’ll kill me [won’t you?].”

Give you counsel is rendered “give you advice” by Good News Translation, but an even simpler expression would be “tell you what to do” or “… what you should do.”

As seen in Good News Translation, listen to me means “pay attention.” Or translators can even say “do what I advise.”

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 .