burnt-offering

The Hebrew olah (עֹלָה) originally means “that which goes up (in smoke).” English Bibles often translates it as “burnt-offering” or “whole burnt-offering,” focusing on the aspect of the complete burning of the offering.

The Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate Bibles translate it as holokautōma / holocautōsis (ὁλοκαύτωμα / ὁλοκαύτωσις) and holocaustum, respectively, meaning “wholly burnt.” While a form of this term is widely used in many Romance languages (Spanish: holocaustos, French: holocaustes, Italian: olocausti, Portuguese: holocaustos) and originally also in the Catholic tradition of English Bible translations, it is largely not used in English anymore today (the preface of the revised edition of the Catholic New American Bible of 2011: “There have been changes in vocabulary; for example, the term ‘holocaust’ is now normally reserved for the sacrilegious attempt to destroy the Jewish people by the Third Reich.”)

Since translation into Georgian was traditionally done on the basis of the Greek Septuagint, a transliteration of holokautōma was used as well, which was changed to a translation with the meaning of “burnt offering” when the Old Testament was retranslated in the 1980’s on the basis of the Hebrew text.

In the Koongo (Ki-manianga) translation by the Alliance Biblique de la R.D. Congo (publ. in 2015) olah is translated as “kill and offer sacrifice.” (Source: Anicet Bassilua)

The English translation of Everett Fox uses offering-up (similarly, the German translation by Buber-Rosenzweig has Darhöhung and the French translation by Chouraqui montée).

See also offering (qorban).

Translation commentary on Psalm 50:7 - 50:8

God starts the accusation against his people, who are on trial; in solemn terms he reminds them that the one who speaks is none other than God, your God (verse 7c). My people in line a is the same as Israel in line b. In verse 7 line b steps up the intensity by focusing on the kind of speaking God will do, and may be rendered, for example, “I will go so far as to testify against you, Israel” or “I will go even further, Israel; I will testify against you.” In some languages the expression I will testify against you may be rendered “I will stand and say that you have done wrong.”

The expression I am God, your God must be adjusted in some languages because one cannot speak of God being possessed. Therefore in those languages it is often possible to say “I am God, the God you worship.”

What matters is not the sacrifices that they offer to him nor the burnt offerings that are continually presented to him (verse 8). The meaning of verse 8 can be better expressed by “When I rebuke you, it is not on account of your sacrifices….” God is rebuking his people, not because of what they do (offer sacrifices) but because of what they don’t do, namely, offer him their thanksgiving (verse 14). The expression I do not reprove you for your sacrifices may be rendered in some languages as “I do not say you do wrong when you burn animals as gifts for me.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .