The Hebrew that is translated as “sprinkle it with his finger” is translated in Tibetan with a culturally equivalent. David Clark (in: Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 24) explains: “The verb used in Tibetan for ‘sprinkle’ is very specific, and means ‘to flick with the third finger of the right hand.’ This is the verb used to describe what monks do when they make offerings involving liquids. The translator felt that the ad- vantages of using a word that fits precisely in the context of religious sacrifices outweighed any risk that the nature of Aaron’s ritual action might be misunderstood. The Hebrew text does not specify exactly how Aaron was to perform the sprinkling, so the implication that it was done with the third finger of the right hand was not considered significant enough to cause a problem.”
Language-specific Insights
logical placement of Nahum 3:2
In Tibetan, “well-formed individual sentences are important, but unless they are linked correctly according to the conventions of the receptor language, the chain of events or the logic of an argument can remain difficult or even impossible for the reader or hearer to follow. In Nahum 3:2, the problem is rather different: this is the middle one of three verses which are deliberately abrupt and disjointed in Hebrew. They are describing the scene of chaos and panic as Nineveh is captured by its enemies, and the challenge to the translator is to reflect this as the Hebrew does. In Tibetan, repetition is normally regarded as poor style and boring, but in this verse the translator chose to violate the norm by repeating the phrase ‘the sound of’ before the four sounds described, thus producing a cohesive and climactic effect by means of stylistic surprise.” (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 21)
hypocrite
The Greek and Hebrew terms that are translated as “hypocrite” in English typically have a counterpart in most languages. According to Bratcher / Nida (1961, p. 225), they can be categorized into the following categories:
- those which employ some concept of “two” or “double”
- those which make use of some expression of “mouth” or “speaking”
- those which are based upon some special cultural feature
- those which employ a non-metaphorical phrase
Following is a list of (back-) translations from some languages:
- Highland Totonac, Huautla Mazatec, Lacandon, Cuicatec, Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “two-faced”
- Obolo: ebi isi iba: “double-faced person” (source: Enene Enene)
- Tzeltal, Chol: “two hearts”
- Pame: “two mouths”
- San Miguel El Grande Mixtec: “two heads”
- Kekchí: “two sides”
- Shipibo-Conibo: “double (or “forked”) tongue”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “double talk”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “talk false”
- Copainalá Zoque: “lie-act”
- Kituba, Amganad Ifugao, Chuukese: “lie”
- Toraja-Sa’dan: “someone whose lips are fair” (i.e. “gracious”)
- Mossi: “have a sweet mouth”
- Mazahua: “have a swollen mouth” (from too much speaking)
- Tai Dam: “have a straight mouth and a crooked heart”
- Kongo: “the bitterness of white” (an idiom based on the fact that white-wash looks nice but tastes bitter)
- Merina Malagasy: “spread a clean carpet” (an expression used in Madagascar to describe one who covers up the dirt of an unswept floor just before the arrival of guests)
- Zanaki: “those who make themselves out to be good”
- Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “those who deceive” (this and all examples above acc. to Bratcher / Nida 1961, p. 225)
- Kafa: “one who makes as if his belly is clean” (source: Loren Bliese)
- Agatu: ɔcɛ gigbefu — “disguised person acting a part” (source: Mackay in The Bible Translator 1962, 211f. )
- Mairasi: “deceiver person” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Bauzi: “good on top person” (source: David Briley in Kroneman (2004), p. 502)
- Tibetan: kha chos pa (ཁ་ཆོས་པ།), lit. “mouth + religion + person” (used for instance in Matt. 7:5) or sgyu zog can (སྒྱུ་ཟོག་ཅན།), lit. “deception + fraud + person” (used for instance in Matt. 24:51) (source: gSungrab website )
- Low German: “actor in a comedy” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006)
- Kölsch (Boch 2017): falscher Fuffzijer, literally “counterfeit 50-pfennig coin” (source: Jost Zetzsche)
- German: “pretender” (Heuchler) (most versions), “wanna-be saint” (Scheinheiliger) (Gute Nachricht), “dazzler” (Blender) (translation by Fridolin Stier [1989])
- Lélé: ne kub so or “make mouth two” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
The Latvian term liekulis was likely coined by the Bible translation of Ernst Glück (1654–1705) in the late 17th century and is still being used today (source ).
The English version of Sarah Ruden (2021) uses “play-actor.” She explains (p. li): “A hupokrites is fundamentally an actor. The word has deep negativity in the Gospels on two counts: professional actors were not respectable people in the ancient world, and traditional Judaism did not countenance any kind of playacting. I write ‘play-actor’ throughout.”
See also hypocrisy.
with blight and mildew and hail
The Hebrew that is translated as “with blight and mildew and hail” is translated in Tibetan as “hot and strong and black.” David Clark (in: Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 22) explains: “In Haggai 2:17, there is mention of ‘blight and mildew and hail.’ Blight and mildew in the Holy Land are the results of opposite extremes of humidity, produced respectively by dry winds from the desert and moist winds from the Mediterranean. For Tibetan readers unfamiliar with the weather patterns of that area, the cumulative effect is expressed in a partially figurative manner by saying the winds were ‘hot and strong and black’ (meaning very severe).”
the early rain and the later rain
The Hebrew that is translated as “the early rain and the later rain” is translated in Tibetan as “rain at the appropriate time.” David Clark (in: Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 22) explains: “In Deuteronomy 11:14 there is mention of ‘the early rain and the later rain,’ referring to the autumn rain and the spring rain in the Holy Land. A literal translation in Tibetan would have been meaningless, and ‘summer rain and winter rain’ would have been ecologically misleading, so the translator used a set expression in Tibetan meaning ‘[rain] at the appropriate time.’ This captures the focus of the Hebrew without distorting the weather patterns of the eastern Mediterranean.”
See also early rain.
metal
In Babatana there is no generic equivalent for “metal,” so silver and gold, the only metals known, were made explicit. (Source: David Clark)
Likewise, in Tibetan, there is also no generic equivalent, so there the translation is “gold, silver, copper, iron etc.” (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 21).
Hail, Long live / live forever
The Hebrew and Aramaic that is translated in English as “long live” or “live forever” and the Greek that is translated as “Hail” in English is translated in Mandarin Chinese as wànsuì (万岁 / 萬歲) or “(may you live) 10,000 years” which was used to hail Chinese emperors and, more recently, the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong (Máo Zhǔxí Wànsuì [毛主席万岁] or “May Chairman Mao live for ten thousand years!”).
Likewise it is also used in these verses in other East Asian languages, including Japanese with ban zai (ばんざい / 万歳), Korean with man se (만세), Vietnamese with vạn tuế or muôn tuổi, or Mongolian with mandtugai (мандтугай). (Note that Mongolian does not use that term for the New Testament renderings.) (Source: Zetzsche)
For more information on this phrase, see 10,000 years .
In Tibetan, “live forever” is reserved for the Dalai Lama and cannot be used. (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 23)
See also greetings (Japanese honorifics) and LORD of hosts.
touch scepter
Where English versions tend to translate “touched the top of the scepter” in Esther 5:2 (and the reader assumes that Esther touched the scepter with her hand), Tibetan says she touched it with her head, which is more respectful in that culture.