16I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
“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 10:16:
Uma: “‘I also have other sheep, that are not in this corral. I must bring them also here. They will recognize my voice, so that all my sheep become just one group, and I the only one who shepherds them all.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “There are still others who belong to me besides these who belong to me, but they are not here in this area-for-taking-care/fold. I have to bring them also. They will hear/listen to my words. When I have made them one then there will be only one their shepherd.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there are still some of my sheep, which is to say, people who belong to me, who are not here inside the kingdom of the Jews. I will bring them also, and they will listen to me. And then there will be one corral and only one who cares for them because it will be me.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “There are also sheep-of-mine that haven’t belonged to this corral. I must also call them so that they will come and listen to my voice. Then they will become one accompanying-group and only-one will take-care of them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “There are still other sheep of mine apart from these ones belonging to this enclosure. It’s necessary that I cause them to be included also among the ones I tend. They will also listen to my voice, so that they and the original sheep will be one group, and also only-one will be their shepherd.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Also there are other sheep of mine who are not among those there. Also it is necessary that I go and bring them. They will hear my voice and then there will be just one group, and only one shepherd with them.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The sheep that are not in this sheep pen is taken by most commentators as a reference to Gentile believers. However, this is not the kind of information which a translator should introduce into the text.
As Good News Translation points out in footnote “v,” they will become one flock with one shepherd reads in some manuscripts “there will be one flock with one shepherd.” There is strong Greek manuscript evidence for each of these readings, but “they will be” has slightly stronger support. The UBS Committee on the Greek text judges that “there will be” was introduced as a stylistic correction. It should at least be pointed out that most modern English translators favor “there will be.” In fact, Good News Translation is definitely in the minority with its reading they will become. Fortunately, as far as ultimate meaning is concerned, there is no basic difference.
They will become one flock implies that the other sheep, as well as those of the sheep pen of which Jesus is speaking, will together become one flock. It may therefore be necessary to say in some languages “they all will become one flock,” since they must refer both to the sheep within the sheep pen and to the other sheep.
With one shepherd may be expressed as a separate clause, for example, “they will become one flock and they will have one shepherd” or “… and one shepherd will take care of them.”
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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