The Greek that is translated as “kissing his feet” and “kiss my feet” in these verses in English is translated in Medumba as “massaged his feet,” as people do to show reverence to a chief, especially when imploring his protection or forgiveness. (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
In Luke 7:38, the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) translates as küßte sie zärtlich or “kissed them tenderly.”
See also kiss and kiss his feet.
The Hebrew in Psalm 9:16 that is translated as something like “the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands” in English is rendered in Medumba as “the works of the hands of the wicked man throw him into the pit” (“‘To throw into the pit’ is a figure of speech for ‘betraying’, ‘condemning’, and the pit symbolizes a difficult situation from which there appears to be no way out.”)
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 143ff.
The Hebrew in Psalm 30:11 that is translated as “you have loosed my sackcloth” in English is rendered in the Bamileke language Medumba with the existing expression “you have taken the bag of mourning from my hand” (“because Bamileke women in mourning normally carry a raffia bag slung over the arm.”) (Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 107ff. and Nida / Reyburn, p. 56)
See also sackcloth.
The Hebrew in Psalm 10:5 that is translated as “he puffs (or: snorts) at all his foes” in some English versions is rendered in Medumba with the existing expression “he spits on all his adversaries.”
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 107ff.
The Hebrew in Psalm 9:13 that is translated as “the gates of death” in English is rendered in Medumba with the existing expression “the mouth of death.”
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 107ff.
The Hebrew in Psalm 16:5 that is translated as “you hold my lot” or “you support my lot” in English is rendered in Medumba as “you guard the back of me,” “that is to say my posterior from my head to my heels. The predominant idea in this expression is one of protection, while continuing action is indicated by the verb ‘to keep.'”
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 143ff.
The Hebrew that is translated as “I will throw filth on you” in English (referring to the treatment of a prostitute) is rendered in Medumba with the existing expression “throw filth (ashes) at one’s back.” (“This is the way in which ‘children’ — but there is of course no age limit! — are punished by parents for having violated the existing order or some particular — sexual or non-sexual — taboo. However, at the same time, the expression ‘throw ashes at one’s back’ has entered the language in a figurative way, having the extended meaning of ‘making someone ridiculous.’ In fact, both components of punishment and making ridiculous are present here.”)
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 146ff.
The Hebrew proverb in Ezekiel 16:44 that is translated as “like mother, like daughter” in English is rendered in Medumba with the existing expression tshu’ fu ngùt: “the character (nature) resembles the lineage.”
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 146ff.
Just like in English, “like mother, like daughter” has turned into a well-known idiom in other languages as well:
All of these languages also have a parallel idiom that says “like father, like son.”