wise as serpents

The Greek that is translated in English as “wise as serpents” is translated in Bambam as “take-guard like a langkasi (= a small animal similar to a squirrel).”

Phil Campbell explains: “The Bambam people just could not connect with the snakes as being shrewd, but they have a lot of traditional folk tales of a shrewd squirrel-like-animal. We did add a footnote to explain the literal meaning in the original.”

In Komba, the extended phrase that is translated in English as “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” was translated as “live without falsity and with wisdom and straightness” since “the picture was too strange.” (Source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1076f.)

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.

dove, pigeon

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “dove” or “pigeon” in English is translated in Pijin with the onomatopoeia kurrukurru. (Source: Bob Carter)

complete verse (Matthew 10:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 10:16:

  • Uma: “Be careful, because I command you to go in the midst/between evil people. You will be like sheep among serigalas [jackals]. You must be scheming/crafty like a tarsier, but your hearts must be gentle/smooth with no evil intentions.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘Be careful because I send you to bad people. You are figuratively like offspring of sheep going among masses of fierce dogs. Therefore your thinking/reasoning must be deep (being wise) and you must be only good in your livers.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Listen, you all. I am sending you to harmful people. But as for you, you, by contrast, are not harmful. You are like sheep, and they are like lions. It is necessary that you be on your guard, but don’t you do anything harmful to anyone.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus continued saying, ‘Think-about this. I send you to cruel people, as-if you are sheep who go to the location of vicious dogs. It is thus necessary that you be wise/intelligent and prudent/careful with nothing also that can be blamed on you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus said further, ‘Well now/today, I am sending you out like you are sheep among a large-gathering of wild-dogs. Therefore you must use-your-heads(fig.) like snakes and be tame like doves.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now I am sending you to where evil people live, it will be fearful like when sheep arrive where dangerous animals live. But be wise, being careful like snakes are. Yet do not fight anyone, be like doves who do not want to fight.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on Matthew 10:16

Behold: see comments on 1.20; most recently this particle of emphasis and transition was used in 9.20, 32. Here it may be “Look” or “Listen” (Good News Translation), or some similar word that Jesus might use to emphasize what he is about to say.

Send … out translates the same verb used in verse 5, and it derives from the same stem as the word “apostle” (see Matthew 10.2).

As sheep in the midst of wolves: Good News Translation uses the marker “pack” before wolves since it is the proper designation in English for a group of wolves that run together. Some languages may require such a marker. The metaphor sheep … wolves is a common one in both Jewish and Greek sources. Sheep are used as a symbol of defenseless animals, while wolves are ravenous and wild, attacking the sheep.

Many translators will have to make clear to readers the basis of the comparisons in the phrase as sheep in the midst of wolves. An example is “When I send you out into the world, it is like sending defenseless sheep out among ravenous wolves.” If wolves are not known, then translators may have to substitute “jackals” or “attacking dogs,” or some similar animals.

The adjectives wise and innocent are translated in numerous ways: “cautious” and “gentle” (Good News Translation), “wise” and “guileless” (An American Translation, Moffatt), “wise” and “harmless” (Phillips), “wise” and “pure” (Barclay), “cunning” and “harmless” (Jerusalem Bible), “wary” and “innocent” (New English Bible), “clever” and “innocent” (New American Bible). Depending upon the context the first of these adjectives may mean “wise,” “sensible,” or “thoughtful.” If the analogy is to the characteristic of the snake as portrayed in Genesis, for example, then “shrewd” or “cunning” may be intended. This does not, however, seem to be the meaning which Matthew intends. The disciple is not encouraged to play the role of a clever diplomat, but rather to be aware of and alert to the ever present danger that he faces because of his calling. If this analysis of the text is correct, then both New English Bible (“wary”) and Good News Translation: (“cautious”) are on target. Other words translators can use are then “prudent” and “careful.”

The meaning intended for the next adjective is even more difficult. Either Jesus is instructing his disciples to be “innocent” or “pure” (that is, to live lives that are genuine and that do not try to deceive) or else he is telling them to be “harmless” or “gentle” (that is, not to strike back at the people who come like wolves to destroy them). No final decision can be made. But if the meaning “cautious, wary, careful” is chosen for the meaning of the first adjective, then “harmless” or “gentle” provides a better balance. Care must be taken that the significance of serpents and doves in the receptor culture does not destroy or distort their emotional image in the Jewish setting. If this danger is felt to exist, then it is better to translate without using the comparison between the two animals: “I am sending you out among people who will attack you like wild animals. So be on your guard against them, but be gentle (or, pure) in the way that you live.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .