The Greek that is translated as “the greatest of all shrubs” or similar in English is translated in Chuj as “larger than all the plants we plant each year,” and in Shuar as “larger than all weeds” (Some “weeds” grow to over ten feet.) (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Language-specific Insights
cast lots
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “casting” or “drawing lots” in English is often translated with a specific idiom, such as “to take out bamboo slips” — 掣 籤 chè qiān (in most Mandarin Chinese Bibles), “each to pick-up which is-written (i.e. small sticks inscribed with characters and used as slots)” (Batak Toba), a term for divination by means of reed stalks (Toraja-Sa’dan).
In some cases a cultural equivalent is not available, or it is felt to be unsuitable in this situation, e.g. in Ekari where “to spin acorns” has the connotation of gambling, one may have to state the fact without mentioning the means, e.g. “it came to him,” (source for this and all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel). In Shipibo-Conibo there was no equivalent for “casting lots” so the translation for Mark 15:24 is descriptive: “they shook little things to decide what each one should take” (source: Nida 1952, p. 47).
Other solutions include:
- Purari: “throw shells” (source: David Clark)
- Kwara’ae (in Acts 1:26) “they played something like dice to find out who of the two God chose (God revealed his will that way)” (source: Carl Gross)
- Navajo (Dinė): “draw straws”
- Yatzachi Zapotec “raffle”
- Chol “choose by a game” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)
- Chichimeca-Jonaz: “threw one or two little hard things that had a sign…to see which person it would be”
- Kekchí: “try with luck”
- Lalana Chinantec: “there were little things they played with that made evident who it would be who would be lucky”
- Chuj: “enter luck upon them”
- Ayutla Mixtec: “put out luck” (Source for this and five above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- Lacandon: “play with small stones in order to see who was going to win” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
- Matumbi: mpumbe a game of chance, typically done with a stone hidden in one hand while you present two fists to a guesser (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In North Alaskan Inupiatun a term for “gambling” is used. The same Inupiatun term is also used in Esther 3:7, “though there winning and losing is not in view, but rather choosing by chance” (source: Robert Bascom)
The stand-alone term that is translated “lots” in English is translated as “two pieces of potsherd” in Highland Totonac. (Source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
amazed and astonished
The Greek in Acts 2:7 that is translated as “amazed and astonished” or similar in English is translated as “remained speechless and marveled” in Morelos Nahuatl, “their thinking went round and round” in Coatlán Mixe, “They lost their abdomens. They stared very much” in Chuj, and “it startled them and they were thinking it over inside their hearts” in Chichimeca-Jonaz. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
See also amazed / astonished / marvel.
fellowship
The Greek that is translated in English as “fellowship” or “communion” is translated in Huba as daɓǝkǝr: “joining heads.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )
Other translations include:
- Lalana Chinantec: “they were very happy since they were with their brothers”
- Chichimeca-Jonaz “always well they talk together”
- Chuj: “were at peace with each other”
- San Mateo del Mar Huave: “they accompanied the other believers”
- Ayutla Mixtec: “they were united together”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “their hearts were happy because they all thought alike” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- Uma: “harmony” (source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “become one” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “have an intimate relationship” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “companionship” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “be friends” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “head-hearts are one”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “be of the same mind” (source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 1964, p. 1ff.)
whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all
The Greek in Mark 9:35 that is translated as “whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” or similar in English is translated in Tzotzil as “If anyone wants to be thought of as the most important, let him humble himself, let him help all people,” in Chuj as “If there is one man wants to lift up himself among you, he must make himself lowly before you. He must enter as the servant of you all, he said,” and in Choapan Zapotec as “If a person wants to command his fellow-men, he must consider himself to be as a person who has no authority, let him work without pay for anyone.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
See also complete verse (Mark 9:35).
filled with the Holy Spirit / full with the Holy Spirit
The Greek that is rendered in English as “filled with the Holy Spirit” or “full with the Holy Spirit” is translated in various ways:
- Tboli: “the Holy Spirit is with / lives with one”
- Shipibo-Conibo: “the Holy Spirit permeates one” (using a term used for medicines)
- Cuyonon: “one is under the control of the Holy Spirit” (esp. Luke 4:1, Acts 7:55, Acts 11:24)
- Ngäbere: “the full strength of the Holy Spirit stays in one”
- Tae’ (translation of 1933): “one carries the Holy Spirit in his inner being” (source for this and all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- Yamba and Bulu: “the Holy Spirit filled one’s heart” (source: W. Reyburn in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 1ff. )
- Rincón Zapotec: “the Holy Spirit comes to be completely with one”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “one walks with the Holy Spirit of God”
- Chuj: “God’s Spirit enters into one”
- Morelos Nahuatl: “the Holy Spirit enters one’s heart to rule”
- Teutila Cuicatec: “God’s Spirit possesses one” / “in all the authority of the Holy Spirit”
- Isthmus Mixe: “have the Holy Spirit (in one’s head and heart) very much” or “Holy Spirit enter one completely”
- Lalana Chinantec: “one’s heart really obeyed what the Holy Spirit wanted”
- Chichimeca-Jonaz: “one’s heart full of God’s Holy Spirit” (source for this and seven above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- Yawa: “God’s Spirit gives one power” (source: Larry Jones)
- Yakan: “ruled by the Holy Spirit” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “thoroughly controlled by the Holy Spirit” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “the Holy Spirit had-entered-to-indwell one” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
The following story is relayed by Martha Duff Tripp as she led the translation of the New Testament into Yanesha’ (p. 310): “I continue to work with Casper Mountain [an Yanesha’ translator] on translation. As we start the book of Luke, we run into another problem. In Chapter 1, verse 15, the text reads (speaking of John the Baptist), ‘and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ The Amueshas [Yanesha’s] have never associated their word for ‘fill’ with anything except pots and baskets. How can a person be ‘filled’? Even their word for a full stomach is not the word for ‘fill.’ We talk together about what ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ means (obsessed with or possessed by). The thought comes to me of what the Amueshas [Yanesha’s] say about the shaman. They say that he can ‘wear’ the spirit of the tiger, that they can tell when he is wearing the tiger spirit because he then will act like a tiger. Their word for ‘wear’ is the same word as to ‘wear or put on a garment.’ Can this possibly be the way to say ‘filled with God’s Spirit’? As I cautiously question Casper about this, his face lights up immediately. ‘Yes, that is the way we would say it, he is ’wearing’ God’s Holy Spirit.’”
Note that Cheyenne also uses the term for “wear” in these instances. (Source: Wayne Leman)
See also Holy Spirit and this devotion in Christianity Today .
proselyte
The Greek that is often translated as “proselyte” in English is translated in various ways:
- Isthmus Mixe: “those that entered the mind of the Israelites”
- Desano: “people who are of the same religion as the Jews”
- San Mateo del Mar Huave: “people who were not Jews but have come to believe as the Jewish people believe”
- Isthmus Mixe: “those who entered the mind of the Israelites”
- Mayo: “those who live according to Jewish custom”
- Teutila Cuicatec: “people from other nations who believe the same as those of the nation of Israel”
- Chuj: “those who have received the religion of the Israel people”
- Morelos Nahuatl: “those who entered the religion of the Jews”
- Lalana Chinantec: “those who worship God as the Israel people do”
- Chichimeca-Jonaz: “those who joined with the Jews because they went to believing like them”
- Falam Chin: “those who entered/joined the Jews’ religious party from other tribes” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
praise (God)
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “praise (God)” in English is translated in a nuymber of ways:
- Tae’: “make-great” / “make-great the name”
- Western Highland Purepecha / Morelos Nahuatl: “speak well of”
- San Blas Kuna / Kpelle: “lift up the name”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “sing the name”
- Highland Totonac: “make good”
- Tzeltal: “say good about”
- Navajo (Dinė): “make known something good about” (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- Isthmus Mixe: “place (God) big”
- Chuj: “say good words about (God)”
- San Mateo del Mar Huave: “honor (Father God)” (source for this and three above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In Dan a figurative expression for praising God is used: “push God’s horse.” “In the distant past people closely followed the horses ridden by chiefs, so ‘pushing’ them.” (Source: Don Slager)