Language-specific Insights

the anger of the LORD was kindled against them

The Hebrew that is translated as “the anger of the Lord was kindled against them” or similar in English is translated in Bura-Pabir as MTHLAKU ku ɓzi ka duna ata kəra ɗa or “the Lord did take heart on their head,” a Bura idiom that describes something similar to the Hebrew idiom used here. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

become like one of us, let us go down, let us make

The Hebrew that is translated as “let us make,” “become like one of us,” and “let us go down” or similar in English in Genesis 1:26, Genesis 3:22, and Genesis 11:7 had to be examined closely in Bura-Pabir.

Andy Warren-Rothlin explains: “God appears to refer to himself in the plural, and it seems important to retain this, even though we don’t know whether it is a reference to the Trinity (the Bura translation team’s view) or a hint at a polytheistic background or the ‘council of God’ (e.g. Ps 82:1). Bura has three words for ‘we’ — an exclusive one (referring to speaker and others, excluding the addressee), an inclusive ‘dual’ one (referring to the speaker and one other person), and an inclusive ‘plural’ one (referring to the speaker and more than one addressee). We agreed to use the latter, which allows for a Trinity, pantheon or divine council; the only interpretation it excludes is one which reads this as referring to just the Father and the Son (which some may think is the case).”

See also clusivity and Three Men visit Abraham / Trinity (icon).

our body

The Hebrew that is translated as “(he is) our body” in English is translated in Bura-Pabir with the existing idiom as “(he is) our blood.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In Elhomwe it is translated with the idiomatic mbalaaka, literally “of my knee.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also your bone and flesh.

hardened / stubborn

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The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated in English as “hardened” or “stubborn” is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible idiomatically as taurin kai or “tough head.”

Other languages spoken in Nigeria translate similarly: Abua uses oḅom ẹmhu or “strong head,” Bura-Pabir kəra ɓəɓal or “hard head,” Gokana agẹ̀ togó or “hard/strong head,” Igede egbeju-ọngịrị or “hard head,” Dera gɨddɨng koi or “strong head,” Reshe ɾiʃitə ɾigbaŋgba or “strong head,” and in Chadian Arabic raas gawi (رَاسْكُو قَوِي) or “hard head” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

Other translation approaches include Western Bukidnon Manobo with “breath is very hard” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation) or Ixil with “callous heart” (source: Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 40).

See also hardness of heart.

use the name

The Hebrew that is translated in English as “(wrongful) use the name (of the Lord)” or similar is translated in Bura-Pabir as ká thləma or “call name,” while at the same time also meaning “swear.” “This is a good translation, since it rightly implies the context of swearing oaths.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

fringe, tzitzvit

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “fringe” or “tzitzit” in many English translations is translated in Uma as “the decorations [lit.: “fruit”] of clothes” (source: Uma Back Translation), in Tenango Otomi as “clothing that reaches the ground” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation) and in Mairasi as “wings of the garments” (source: Enggavoter 2004).

In Bura-Pabir a term is used that is traditionally used for the tassels worn on clothes by hunters. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In Paasaal it is translated as “cloth mouth.” (Source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about tzitzvits (source: Bible Lands 2012)

a piece of wood

The Hebrew that is translated in English as “a piece of wood” or similar is translated in Bura-Pabir as udzim laga or “a certain stick” and in the Hausa Common Language Bible as wani itace or “a certain tree.” Andy Warren-Rothlin explains the Hausa translation: “This is doubtless a right interpretation of this as referring to a particular medicinal plant, not just a random tree, as is suggested by some English translations.”