The Greek that is translated in English typically as “I am the good shepherd” is difficult to translate into Lak.
Vitaly Voinov tells this story:
“In Lak culture, shepherds are considered low-class. On an emotional/connotational level, it’s somewhat akin to calling a person a swineherd or muckraker in English; these employments don’t earn much respect from the average person. In the original context in which Jesus made this statement, a Jewish person who heard Jesus would likely have made the association with the Old Testament use of “shepherd’ for the Lord God Himself (see Isa 40:11, Ezek 34:11) or for earthly kings and rulers of the people (see Isa 44:28, Ezek 34:23). Thus, there’s a fairly big disconnect between the conclusions which the original audience would have probably drawn from Jesus’ words and the conclusion that Lak readers are likely to draw from His words. What to do about this? The Lak team will try adding an interpretive footnote to fill in this knowledge gap. But many (most?) people don’t bother to read footnotes. And if a Lak person listens to an audio recording of this passage, they definitely won’t hear any footnote. Should this be left for preachers to interpret for the audience? But there are almost no Lak pastors, and no Lak church to speak of yet. So this rendering is currently a problem without a really great solution. We accept it and go on, but always have it in the back of our minds until a better solution arises.”
“Sheep are known throughout most of the world, even though, as in Central Africa, they are a far cry from the fleecy wool-producing animals of colder climates. Where such animals are known, even by seemingly strange names, e.g. ‘cotton deer’ (Yucateco) or ‘woolly goat’ (Inupiaq), such names should be used. In some instances, one may wish to borrow a name and use a classifier, e.g. ‘an animal called sheep’. In still other instances translators have used ‘animal which produces wool’, for though people are not acquainted with the animals they are familiar with wool.” (Source: Bratcher / Nida)
In Dëne Súline, it is usually translated as “an evil little caribou.” To avoid the negative connotation, a loan word from the neighboring South Slavey was used. (Source: NCAM, p. 70)
Note that the often-alleged Inuktitut translation of “sheep” with “seal” is an urban myth (source Nida 1947, p. 136).
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “shepherd” in English is translated in Kouya as Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ — ” tender of sheep.”
Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains:
“Then one day they tackled the thorny problem of ‘shepherd’. It was problematic because Kouyas don’t have herdsmen who stay with the sheep all the time. Sheep wander freely round the village and its outskirts, and often a young lad will be detailed to drive sheep to another feeding spot. So the usual Kouya expression meant a ‘driver of sheep’, which would miss the idea of a ‘nurturing’ shepherd. ‘A sheep nurturer’ was possible to say, but it was unnatural in most contexts. The group came up with Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ which meant ‘a tender of sheep’, that is one who keeps an eye on the sheep to make sure they are all right. All, including the translators, agreed that this was a most satisfactory solution.”
In Chuj, the translation is “carer” since there was no single word for “shepherd” (source: Ronald Ross), in Muna, it is dhagano dhumba: “sheep guard” since there was no immediate lexical equivalent (source: René van den Berg), in Mairasi it is translated with “people who took care of domesticated animals” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Noongar as kookendjeriyang-yakina or “sheep worker” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), and Kwakum as “those-who-monitor-the-livestock” (source: Stacey Hare in this post ).
Following are a number of back-translations of John 10:11:
Uma: “‘I am the good shepherd. I give my life so that my sheep may live.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘I,’ said Isa, ‘am figuratively the shepherd of the sheep, who takes good care of his sheep. The good shepherd surrenders to dying on behalf of his sheep.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I am the one who cares for the sheep, who is very good in caring. I lay my life crosswise so that the sheep may not be harmed.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Jesus also said by-illustration, ‘I am the good care-taker of the sheep and the one who saves them, even though that is my cause-of-death.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “‘I am the one who is an exceedingly good shepherd. The truth of being a good shepherd is that just because of the sheep he will give even his life/breath.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “I am like a good shepherd. The good shepherd gives up his life to save the sheep.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Jesus speaks of himself as the good shepherd. The meaning of the adjective translated good (Greek kalos) here and in verse 14 depends on the context more than on the etymology of the word itself. Jesus is the good shepherd, the one who is willing to die for the sheep, in contrast to thieves, robbers, and hired men, who either destroy the sheep themselves or allow them to be destroyed. In this context good may therefore be understood in the sense of “dedicated” or “devoted,” that is, “the shepherd who is devoted to his sheep” or “… gives himself for his sheep.”
Is willing to die for the sheep is more literally “lays down his life for the sheep” (Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, New American Bible). The expression “to lay down one’s life” is used also in 13.37 and in 15.13, as wells as in 1 John 3.16. In 13.37 the future form is used, and it is translated by Good News TranslationI am ready to die for you! In 15.13 Good News Translation translates to give his life. In the present passage Good News Translation and Phillips (“The good shepherd will give his life for the sake of his sheep”) takes Jesus’ words as a reference to a general truth, describing what a good shepherd is like, rather than as a specific reference to what Jesus as the good shepherd will eventually do for his sheep. Some commentators point out that, though this meaning is possible for the present verse, it is made difficult by the explicit reference to Jesus’ own death in verses 17-18. But this conclusion is not required. It is possible to take both passages (this verse and 17-18) as a statement of the good shepherd’s willingness to die for his sheep, as Good News Translation does. In some languages it is necessary to indicate specifically how or why the shepherd dies for the sheep, for example, “is willing to die in order to protect the sheep” or “… to keep the sheep from harm.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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