demon

The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated/transliterated in English as “demon” is translated in Central Mazahua as “the evil spirit(s) of the devil” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).

In Sissala it is translated with kaŋtɔŋ, which traditionally referred to “either a spirit of natural phenomena such as trees, rivers, stones, etc., or the spirit of a deceased person that has not been taken into the realm of the dead. Kaŋtɔŋ can be good or evil. Evil kaŋtɔŋ can bring much harm to people and are feared accordingly. A kaŋtɔŋ can also dwell in a person living on this earth. A person possessed by kaŋtɔŋ does not behave normally.” (Source: Regina Blass in Holzhausen 1991, p. 48f.)

In Umiray Dumaget Agta it is translated as hayup or “creature, animal, general term for any non-human creature, whether natural or supernatural.” Thomas Headland (in: Notes on Translation, September 1971, p. 17ff.) explains some more: “There are several types of supernatural creatures, or spirit beings which are designated by the generic term hayup. Just as we have several terms in English for various spirit beings (elves, fairies, goblins, demons, imps, pixies) so have the Dumagats. And just as you will find vast disagreement and vagueness among English informants as to the differences between pixies and imps, etc., so you will find that no two Dumagats will agree as to the form and function of their different spirit beings.” This term can also be used in a verb form: hayupen: “creatured” or “to be killed, made sick, or crazy by a spirit.

In Yala it is translated as yapri̍ija ɔdwɔ̄bi̍ or “bad Yaprija.” Yaprijas are traditional spirits that have a range presumed activities including giving or withholding gifts, giving and protecting children, causing death and disease and rewarding good behavior. (Source: Eugene Bunkowske in Notes on Translation 78/1980, p. 36ff.)

In Lamnso’ it is translated as aànyùyi jívirì: “lesser gods who disturb, bother, pester, or confuse a person.” (Source: Fanwong 2013, p. 93)

In Paasaal it is translated as gyɩŋbɔmɔ, “beings that are in the wild and can only be seen when they choose to reveal themselves to certain people. They can ‘capture’ humans and keep them in hiding while they train the person in herbalism and divination. After the training period, which can range from a week to many years, the ‘captured’ individual is released to go back into society as a healer and a diviner. The gyɩŋbɔmɔ can also be evil, striking humans with mental diseases and causing individuals to get lost in the wild. The Pasaale worldview about demons is like that of others of the language groups in the area, including the Northern Dagara [who use kɔ̃tɔmɛ with a similar meaning].” (Source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)

See also devil and formal pronoun: demons or Satan addressing Jesus.

spirit/demon comes (out)

The Greek that is translatede as “spirit/demon comes (out)” in various forms in English is translated in
Izii as “spirit/demon pour (out),” because “ephe (‘come’), sounds as if the demons are human beings. We use only ephe for human beings.” (Source: Samuel Iyoku in The Bible Translator 1977, p. 404ff. )

He gave freedom to those in bondage of evil (image)

“In Thai society, those who are possessed by evil spirits are usually the weak or mentally unstable. This man is shown as freed from his spiritual and physical chains. Even though he is naked Jesus is not ashamed to be close to him.”

Drawing by Sawai Chinnawong who employs northern and central Thailand’s popular distinctive artistic style originally used to depict Buddhist moral principles and other religious themes; explanation by Paul DeNeui. From That Man Who Came to Save Us by Sawai Chinnawong and Paul H. DeNeui, William Carey Library, 2010.

For more images by Sawai Chinnatong in TIPs see here.

complete verse (Luke 8:33)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 8:33:

  • Noongar: “They left the man and they went into the pigs. All the pigs ran together down the cliff into the lake and they drowned.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “The demons really did go-out from inside that person, immediately entered the pigs. When they entered those pigs, the pigs stampeded going to plunge into the lake, they drowned [lit., died swollen] in the water.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then the demons came out of the person and entered the bodies of the pigs. Immediately the great herd of pigs rushed down the hill to the cliff and into the lake and they all drowned.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And that was all there was to it — they left the man and they transferred there to the pigs. And then those pigs ran, and they arrived there to a cliff, and they jumped over and they were all drowned in the lake that they had jumped into.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So they then left the man and went and possessed the pigs. Then the pigs ran-as-a-group going-downhill and then they fell into the lake and drowned.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Without anything further, those evil spirits then left that person and moved to that large herd of pigs. Well, what else but those pigs ran directly to the steep edge of that lake. Those pigs numbering about two thousand fell off and all drowned.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 8:33

Exegesis:

exelthonta de ta daimonia apo tou anthrōpou eisēlthon eis tous choirous ‘and after coming out of the man the demons went into the pigs.’ For exelthonta … apo tou anthrōpou cf. on 4.35.

kai hōrmēsen hē agelē ‘and the herd rushed.’

hormaō ‘to rush (headlong).’

kata tou krēmnou ‘down the steep slope.’ The article tou has the same function as that in en tō orei in v. 32.

krēmnos (only here and parallels in the N.T.) ‘(steep) slope,’ ‘bank,’ ‘cliff.’

apepnigē ‘and was drowned,’ from apopnigō ‘to choke,’ cf. on v. 7.

Translation:

Were drowned. Corresponding terms may require a reference to death, e.g. ‘died sinking/choking’ (Balinese, Bahasa Indonesia), or simply, ‘died’ (Sranan Tongo).

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.