bottomless pit

The now commonly-used English idiom “bottomless pit” (for something that holds a very large amount of something) was first coined in 1526 in the English New Testament translation of William Tyndale (spelled as bottomlesse pytt) for the Greek abussos. (Source: Crystal 2010, p. 289)

For other idioms in English that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

abyss, bottomless pit

The Greek that is transliterated as “abyss” or translated as “bottomless pit” in English is translated as “unfathomably deep place” or “land below” in Indonesian, “land below” in Batak Toba, or “the deep where the earth opens its mouth” in Sranan Tongo (a term well-known from folk tales).

complete verse (Revelation 20:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 20:3:

  • Uma: “He grabbed the dragon — the one named Snake of Old, King of Evil-ones and Seta [seta means ‘demon’ in Uma] — he tied it up and threw it into the sinkhole whose depth cannot be measured, he locked the door and he sealed it so that it would not be opened for a thousand years. So, the King of Evil-ones is not able to deceive man for a thousand years. After that, he still must be released again for a short time.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And then the angel threw him into the bottomless hole and locked the door and made a sign so that it could not be opened. The leader of demons was imprisoned so that he could no longer deceive the tribes until the one thousand years are up. When those one thousand years are over he will be let loose for a short while.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he threw Satan in the pit whose depth has no end, and he locked it up and marked it so that it could not be opened. The reason he did this was so that Satan might not be able to deceive the people of the kingdom on the earth before the thousand years are finished. When the thousand years are finished, Satan will be freed for a very short time.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He caught the dragon who was none other than the one who appeared as a snake long ago who is the Devil who is also named Satanas. He chained him and threw him into the prison below. After-that he padlocked it and marked the entrance so he had no way of deceiving the collective-people in the collective-towns/countries until a thousand years were finished. When that is finished, he must be-set-free again, but only for a little-while.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Without anything further, that angel threw him into the ravine and then shut him in. After closing, it was fastened by the angel so that Satanas couldn’t get out, to be able to again deceive the nations as long as the end of those thousand years hadn’t yet been reached. But when it is now reached, he will be released for a short time.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He was thrown into the hole which had no end to its depth. There the devil was kept. And there was put a seal over the hole in order that no longer would the devil deceive the people who lived on earth until one thousand years had passed. When the one thousand years would have passed, then he would be let loose for a little while.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

large numbers in Angguruk Yali

Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Angguruk Yali which uses a system that ends at the number 27. To circumvent this limitation, the Angguruk Yali translators adopted a strategy where a large number is first indicated with an approximation via the traditional system, followed by the exact number according to Arabic numerals. For example, where in 2 Samuel 6:1 it says “thirty thousand” in the English translation, the Angguruk Yali says teng-teng angge 30.000 or “so many rounds [following the body part tally system] 30,000,” likewise, in Acts 27:37 where the number “two hundred seventy-six” is used, the Angguruk Yali translation says teng-teng angge 276 or “so many rounds 276,” or in John 6:10 teng-teng angge 5.000 for “five thousand.”

This strategy is used in all the verses referenced here.

Source: Lourens de Vries in The Bible Translator 1998, p. 409ff.

See also numbers in Ngalum and numbers in Kombai.

Translation commentary on Revelation 20:2 – 20:3

Seized: this verb is better translated “overcame” (New Jerusalem Bible), “subdued” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), “overpowered,” or “captured.” It’s not that the angel just grabbed him, but that he overpowered him.

The dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan: see 12.9.

Bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit: the reader should not understand the text to say that the angel tied the Devil up with the chain for a thousand years and then threw him into the abyss. What is meant, of course, is that the angel overcame the Devil, bound him with the chain, and threw him into the abyss, where he stayed, bound, for a thousand years.

The pit: this is the abyss (see 9.1 and verse 1, above).

Shut it and sealed it over him: this assumes that there is an entrance, a door, to the pit, and it may be necessary for a translation to say so explicitly. With the key that he was carrying, the angel locked the door and then sealed it. So instead of translating shut (the door), as Revised Standard Version does, it is better to say “locked (the door),” as Good News Translation does. As in Matt 27.66, the sealing would be the use of some device to show that the door was not to be opened. The seal shows that the pit has been closed by God’s command. For seal one may also say “put a device on the door to make sure it stayed closed.”

He should deceive the nations no more: see in 12.9 “the deceiver of the whole world.”

Were ended: the same verb that is used in 15.1, 8.

He must be loosed: this is part of God’s plan, as the verb translated must shows (see 1.1). The Devil must be set free for a short period of time before his destruction. It is probable that the one who frees Satan is the angel who tied him up in the pit, so in languages that do not use the passive, one may say “After that, the angel will set him free for a short time.” However, if translators feel that the subject here is ambiguous, one may say “After that, they will set….”

Alternative translation models for verses 2-3 are:

• The angel overpowered the dragon, that ancient serpent also known as the Devil, or Satan, and bound him with the chain. Then he threw him into the abyss, and locked and sealed the door of the abyss. The Devil must stay there for a thousand years, and during that time he will not be able to deceive the nations of the world. After the one thousand years are over, he must be set loose for a little while.

Or:

• The angel captured the dragon, that serpent (or, snake) from ancient times whom they also call the Devil or Satan. He took the chain and tied the Devil up. Then he threw him into the deep pit. With the key that he was holding he locked the door of the pit and sealed it. The Devil must stay there for a thousand years, and during that time he will not be able to deceive the people on the earth. After the one thousand years are over, the angel will free him for a short time.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .