consume, devour

The interconfessional Chichewa translation (publ. 1999) uses the ideophone psiti to emphasize the totality of the consuming or devouring of something. (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 105)

Philip Noss (in The Bible Translator 1976, p. 100ff. ) explains the function of an ideophone: “The ideophone may be identified with onomatopoeia and other sound words frequently seen in French and English comic strips, but in [many] African languages it comprises a class of words with a very wide range of meaning and usage. They may function verbally, substantively, or in a modifying role similar to adverbs and adjectives. They describe anything that may be experienced: action, sound, color, quality, smell, or emotion. In oral literature they are used not only with great frequency but also with great creativity.”

Translation commentary on Leviticus 26:38

And: in some languages it may be better to say “Finally” or “In the end…,” to get the right connection, since this is a kind of conclusion to the thought here.

Perish among the nations: that is, “die in exile” or “end your lives in a land that is not your own.”

The land of your enemies shall eat you up: this probably refers to the same essential event as perish above. It is possible, however, that this expression refers to burial in a foreign land. It may be possible simply to add “… and be buried there,” depending on how the preceding expression is handled. Another suggestion is that this expression may refer to the way in which the entire northern nation lost its identity and completely disappeared among its enemies.

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 .