The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “hardness of heart” in English is translated as “large heart” has been translated in many ways:
- San Mateo Del Mar Huave: “large heart”
- Shilluk: “tightness of heart”
- Copainalá Zoque: “blind in thoughts”
- Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “hard heads”
- Shipibo-Conibo: “ears without holes”
- Tzotzil and Tzeltal: “no pain in heart” (source for this and above: Bratcher /Nida 1961)
- Pwo Karen: “with thick ears and horns” (source: David Clark)
- Enlhet: “innermosts are deaf”
- Woun Meu: “stiff thinking” (source for last two: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. )
- Thai: “black-hearted” (source: Bratcher / Hatton, p. 272)
- Anuak: “make liver strong” (source: Loren Bliese)
- Elhomwe: “dried heart” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
- Welsh Beibl Cymraeg Newydd Diwygiedig 2004: “darken(ed) understanding” (source: Iwan Rhys Jones in The Bible Translator 2003, p. 240ff. )
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated colloquially as wie vernagelt or “obtuse” (in Mark 6:52 and 8:17).
While Moba has a rich metaphorical library using the concept of “heart” (pal) it follows very different paradigms compared to Greek, Hebrew and English concepts. The parallel expression of “hardened heart” means “courageous” or “encouraged” (see hearts burning) so in the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation various constructs are used to translate “hardness of heart,” including “not willing to change one’s mind” (in Mark 3:5) or “make temptation into the heart” (John 12:40). (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )
See also stubborn / hardness of heart.