sheep

“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).

See also lamb.

complete verse (John 10:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 10:3:

  • Uma: “The guardian of the door opens the door for him, and his sheep recognize his voice when he calls each one by name, and he leads/takes them outside.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The watchman at the door opens to him. The sheep listen to/obey his voice when he calls his sheep each one by his name and he takes/brings them out of the enclosure.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “When he enters in, the watcher at the gate opens the door for him, and his sheep who are inside, they recognize his voice and he calls them by means of their name, and he causes them to go out.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He is the one whom the guard admits (lit. causes-to-enter), and he calls the sheep that belong to him. When then he calls-them -by-name, they recognize his voice and they follow him when they go-out.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “He is admitted by the guard at the gateway, and the sheep are always listening for his voice. He calls his own sheep by what he uses for names for them, and brings them out of the enclosure.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When he arrives, the door-keeper will open it so he can enter inside. And the sheep know his voice. He calls the sheep by name and brings them outside.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 10:3

In the Greek of this verse the verb opens does not have an expressed object, and the phrase for him is emphatic in the sentence structure. Revised Standard Version translates literally “To him the gatekeeper opens.” Good News Translation supplies an object (the gate), since this information is implicit in the Greek text. Jerusalem Bible (“the gatekeeper lets him in”) and New English Bible (“The door-keeper admits him”) so restructure that no object is necessary.

It is necessary to make a clear distinction between the person who guarded the gate leading into the sheep pen and the shepherd. The gatekeeper was responsible for protecting the sheep during the night. The shepherd was one who came in the early morning and called his sheep, and then followed him out of the pen to pasture. The gatekeeper can always be described as “one who guarded the entrance to the sheep pen.”

There may be serious complications in shifting from gate to “door.” In some languages such a term as “door” refers only to the entrance to an enclosed building, such as a house, while gate indicates an entrance to an open area. In most languages it is better to use only one term, and preferably one that means gate, since a sheep pen was normally an open enclosure.

Evidently Palestinian shepherds often had pet names for their sheep, and that custom is referred to in the second part of the verse 3; he calls his own sheep by name. In Greek this whole verse is one sentence connected by the conjunction “and” at three points. The first of these “ands” is replaced in Good News Translation by a semicolon, the second is translated as, while the last does appear as and.

The verb translated leads them out is also used in the Septuagint of Numbers 27.17 and Ezekiel 34.13, both passages referring to shepherds.

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 .