The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “justice” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that describes the quality or principle of fairness, righteousness, and impartiality in treating other people. A literal back-translation of the signs are “FOLLOW(God is implied) ACTIONS, DECISIONS JUST-RIGHT”. A more idiomatic back-translation would be: “actions and decisions are right/fitting/just in accordance to God’s will.” The movement in the signs itself helps to indicate that this is a noun, not a verb. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Justice” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “widow” in English is translated in West Kewa as ona wasa or “woman shadow.” (Source: Karl J. Franklin in Notes on Translation 70/1978, pp. 13ff.)
The etymological meaning of the Hebrewalmanah (אַלְמָנָה) is likely “pain, ache,” the Greekchéra (χήρα) is likely “to leave behind,” “abandon,” and the Englishwidow (as well as related terms in languages such as Dutch, German, Sanskrit, Welsh, or Persian) is “to separate,” “divide” (source: Wiktionary).
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 18:3:
Noongar: “A widow was also living in that place. She always went to the judge. She begged the judge to help her to get what she should get, saying, ‘You help me fight this bad man!'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “In that town also, there was a widow. She had gone many times before that judge bringing her case, she said: ‘Please help me confront my enemy.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “In that place there was also a widow woman who had a problem/a case. This woman always went to the judge asking for help and begged that he would show her truth/that she was in the right. She said, ‘Do help me so that my opponent will not win.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And in that town, there was also a widow-woman who always went to the judge because she begged his help. She said to the judge, ‘Help me so that my enemy will not take away my possessions.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “There was also a widow in that town who kept-going to him to beg for her legal-rights saying, ‘Please help-me so that my enemy doesn’t defeat-me.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Also in that city there was a woman who was a widow who kept going to that judge, for she was asking for straightness/justice because of someone who was causing her hardship/suffering.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Vindicate me against my adversary, i.e. take a just decision in the law-suit I have with my opponent, implying that the decision would be in the favour of the speaker. Various idiomatic or descriptive renderings are used, e.g. ‘arrange the matter between my adversary and me’ (Tzeltal), ‘please make-straight for us this affair’ (Toraja-Sa’dan); or, making more explicit the favourable connotation, ‘make-me-true before my enemy’ (Fulah), ‘cause-to-win(-out) me against my enemy’ (Kituba), ‘take my case and make justice against my legal opponent’ (Marathi), ‘judge for me, let me get my right against my enemy’ (Sranan Tongo), and, distributing direct and indirect discourse differently, “pleading for her rights: ‘Help me against my opponent’ ” (Good News Translation).
Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.
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