high places

The Hebrew that is translated as “high places” in English is translated in Chitonga as malende. Ernst Wendland (1987, p. 57) explains: “The preceding expression [‘place for worship/sacrifice on top of hills’], though intelligible linguistically, sounds rather strange to the Tonga who live on the relatively flat plains of southern Zambia. There are ‘hills’ in their country, but normally no one would ever worship regularly there. For this reason the new translation will try out a cultural substitute (see below), malende, the ‘local shrine’ of Tonga traditional religion, where the ‘priest’ (clan head, who may be a chief as well) makes sacrifices to the spirits in time of corporate calamity, especially drought. This would seem to approximate quite closely the main elements of both form and function of the term ‘high places’ in the Old Testament, which were not always or even usually set upon hills, especially in the latter days of the monarchy (cp. 2 Kings 17:9, 29).”

In the Chichewa interconfessional translation (publ. 1999), it is translated as “shrines for worshiping images there.” (Source: Ernst Wendland in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 319ff.)

idol / idols

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “idol(s)” in English is translated in Central Subanen as ledawan or “images.” (Source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )

In German, typically the term Götze is used. Originally this was used as a term of endearment for Gott (“God” — see here ), later for “icon” and “image, likeness.” Luther started to use it in the 16th century in the meaning of “false god, idol.”

Other terms that are used in German include Götzenbild(er) (“image[s] of idols”) or Bildnis (“image” — Protestant) / Kultbild (“cultish image” — Catholic) (used for instance in Exodus 20:4 and Deuteronomy 5:8). The latest revision of the Catholic Einheitsübersetzung (publ. 2016) also uses the neologism Nichtse (“nothings”) in 1 Chron. 16:26 and Psalm 96:5. (Source: Zetzsche)

See also worthless idols.

Translation commentary on Leviticus 26:30

Your high places: this refers to the hill shrines in Canaan which were destroyed by King Josiah (2 Kgs 23.5-30). However, they were apparently once considered legitimate. In some cultures shrines and temples can still be found on hilltops. But in most cases it is probably best to make explicit that these were “places of worship,” as Good News Translation has done.

Incense altars: compare 2 Chronicles 34.4 and Ezekiel 6.4 and following. The meaning of the corresponding Hebrew word is not certain. It has to do with pagan ritual and possibly the worship of the sun (compare Moffatt‘s “sun-pillars”). In translation it is probably wise to distinguish it from the altar of incense in the Tent of the LORD’s presence. But this may be adequately done in most cases by the possessive pronoun your.

The dead bodies of your idols: the word translated idols has as its root the meaning “logs.” New English Bible brings this out by translating “the rotting logs that were your idols.” The idolatrous nature of these objects should also be brought out in translation. And the emphasis of this expression as a whole is on the fact that these idols have no life and are therefore worthless.

My soul: or “I myself.” Compare verses 11 and 15.

Abhor you: see verse 11. Some versions seem to take this last phrase in verse 30 as the conclusion of the thought of that verse, but Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible make it the beginning of a new sentence that continues in verse 31.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .