“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).
Following are a number of back-translations of John 10:13:
Uma: “That person who is salaried runs away, because he only works to be salaried. He does not care for / pay attention to his shepherded-things.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The reason he flees is because he is only hired. He has no love for the sheep.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason the hired person runs away is because he is not the true person who cares. He has no breath for the sheep.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “And this is the reason that salaried-one will run-away, because he is merely salaried and he doesn’t value the sheep.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The hired one runs away because the sheep aren’t his own, therefore he doesn’t value them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “That man runs away because he is just a hired hand. It doesn’t make him sad about what happens to the sheep.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
In Greek this verse is literally “because he is a hired man and does not care about the sheep.” If one puts a full stop at the end of verse 12, as most translations do, some information must be introduced at the beginning of verse 13. Revised Standard Version begins this verse by “He flees because…”; New English Bible “The man runs away because…”; Jerusalem Bible “this is because…”; and New American Bible “That is because….” The purpose of this information is to make it clear to the reader that the because clause refers back to the first half, not to the second half, of verse 12. Otherwise, the second half of verse 12 and the first part of verse 13 would read “so the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them, because he is a hired man and does not care for the sheep.” Good News Translation (also Jerusalem Bible) introduces the adverb only (because he is only a hired man), thus conveying more clearly the intent of the Greek.
Does not care about the sheep must be translated in some languages “has no love for the sheep.” More is intended than mere failure to provide for the sheep. The meaning may be expressed in some languages as “he is not concerned for the sheep” or “the sheep make no difference to him” or “it’s all the same to him, no matter what happens to the sheep.”
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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