bear (animal)

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “bear” in English is translated in Mungaka and Berom as “leopard” since bears are not known in that culture (see also wolf) (source: Nama 1990 and Andy Warren-Rothlin).

In Vidunda and Kutu it is translated as “lion,” in Kwere as “cheetah” (in Proverbs 17:12) (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Idakho-Isukha-Tiriki as “jackal” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).

Michel Kenmogne comments on this and comparable translations (in Noss 2007, p. 378 ff.): “Some exegetical solutions adopted by missionary translations may have been acceptable during that time frame, but weighed against today’s translation theory and procedures, they appear quite outdated and even questionable. For example, Atangana Nama approvingly mentions the translation into Mungaka of terms like ‘deer’ as ‘leopard’, ‘camel’ as ‘elephant’, and ‘wheat’ as ‘maize,’ where the target language has no direct equivalent to the source text. These pre-Nida translation options, now known as adaptations, would be declared unacceptable in modern practice, since they misrepresent the historico-zoological and agricultural realities in the Bible. Nowadays it is considered better to give a generalized term, like ‘grain,’ and where necessary specify ‘a grain called wheat,’ than to give an incorrect equivalence. Unknown animals such as bears, can be called ‘fierce animals,’ especially if the reference is a non-historical context.”

Translation commentary on Proverbs 17:12

This saying holds that it is better to encounter a ferocious bear than a fool in his foolishness. The comparison of a fool to a fierce bear is probably considered as humor, based as it is on overstatement.

“Let a man meet a she-bear robbed of her cubs”: The “Let” statement may need to be expressed as a “better . . . than” statement, as in Good News Translation. “Robbed of her cubs” is literally “bereaved,” with the loss of the cubs or young bears understood. Experience shows that mother bears in this condition are terribly dangerous. In areas where bears are not known, another animal of similar fierceness may be used. If there is nothing equivalent, we may speak, for example, of “a fierce animal that has lost its young.”

“Rather than a fool in his folly”: In the first line the person encounters the bear’s ferocious anger and in the second he or she encounters the fool’s intellectual and moral stupidity. For “fool” and “folly” see 12.23 and 13.16.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .