“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 10:2:
Uma: “As for the shepherd, he enters through the door.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The person who enters by the door, he is the caretaker of the sheep.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But the person who passes through the doorway, he is the one who cares for the sheep.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because the one who cares-for the sheep, he enters by the correct entrance.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But that one who doesn’t take shortcuts, because wherever the gateway is, there is where he enters, he is the one who is the shepherd of the sheep.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “But he who enters through the gate of the fence is the shepherd.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The imagery of this verse is somewhat mixed, since later Jesus is pictured both as the gate (verse 7) and as the good shepherd (verse 11). The Greek text does not have the definite article before “shepherd,” and so New American Bible renders “is shepherd of the sheep”; all other translations seem to prefer is the shepherd of the sheep.
A shepherd may be described as “one who takes care of the sheep.” In some instances an expression for “takes care of” will focus upon the protection given to the sheep. In others a language may focus upon the provision made for the sheep in the sense of taking them out to pasture. There is no doubt that in some parts of the world it is anomalous to speak of a shepherd, since in certain tropical areas (for example, certain parts of Africa) sheep are primarily scavengers. However, the concept of protecting and providing for sheep is not an impossible one, though the translator may find it useful in some instances to provide a supplementary note telling something about the care and concern which ancient Semitic peoples had for their 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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