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.

Translation commentary on Tobit 8:3

The sequence of actions for the first half of the verse is:

(1) The odor of the smoke repelled the demon.
(2) The demon fled.

The idea of fled may be combined with the odor … repelled; for example, “The terrible [or, disgusting] smell made the demon run….”

The remotest parts of Egypt would be Upper Egypt (so New American Bible), a geographical term referring to the southernmost part of the country. From the point of view of the characters in Ecbatana, this was the other side of the world itself. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version omit this element of remoteness in their texts, but Good News Translation supplies it in an explanatory footnote. The New Revised Standard Version footnote, “fled through the air to the parts” offers an alternative way of understanding the same Greek text. There an adverb is used which can mean “upward,” that is, “in the air,” or it can refer to the “upmost” parts of Egypt. Actually, the Greek text as it stands favors this latter interpretation. The translation found in New Revised Standard Version is supported by a slight transposition of words found in a few manuscripts and reflected in the Old Latin, but it can be derived from our text without this textual variation. Egypt was associated in Jewish tradition with magic (Exo 7.11). Upper Egypt was largely desert, and desert areas were associated in the tradition with fearsome demonic creatures (compare Isa 13.21; 34.14; Matt 12.43).

At once: The placement of this adverb is a problem. Both New Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation take it, as is most natural, with the two Greek verbs used for binding. It can, however, be understood as referring to Raphael’s immediate pursuit of the demon. New American Bible follows the Old Latin by inserting a verb to create a new sentence, “Then Raphael returned immediately.” This solves a later problem, for Raphael appears again at 9.1 back in Ecbatana, with no narrative explanation of how or when he got there from Egypt. However, translators are urged to follow the interpretation of New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and Contemporary English Version.

Bound him there hand and foot: The idiom hand and foot means, as Contemporary English Version translates, “so tightly that he couldn’t move.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Tobit. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.