Language-specific Insights

wherever the corpse is there the vultures will gather

The Greek that is translated as “wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather” or similar in English is translated in Mairasi a lot more specific as “if you see the mother of flocks of corpse-eating birds, Long-tailed Buzzard, Grey-faced Buzzard, White-breasted sea Eagle, or Brahminy Kite, then there is something dead and rotting, a dead person’s body, or a dead wilderness animal is over there.” (Aij ner nenem naa, tuao, iamba, sende fut namba in netomwan andani, orom umburu joet tan, nere neavo, sas warenar joetnyaa fovar atat.)

In Tangoa, a cultural substitute is used: “When you see the flying foxes flying to one location, you know that there is a ripe mango tree there” (Vara ko hite na karai la lo avu vano hin te jara, o pa levosahia vara te pahai mo mena atu.). A footnote explains in that translation that “when the last days come close, and people see all these things happening, they can be sure that it won’t be long before the Son of Man appears on the earth.” (Source: Ross McKerras)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated as “wherever there is carrion, the vultures will gather in the blink of an eye (blitzschnell).”

For Yakut neither eagles nor vultures are known, so the translation became “ravens,” which are known. In Chechen, the term chosen was “crows.” (Source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. )

See also eagle / vulture.

figs are not gathered from thorns𖺗 nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush

The Greek in Luke 6:44 that is translated in English as “figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush” or similar is translated in Upper Guinea Crioulo as “You wouldn’t pick guavas [very similar to figs] from a thorn bush, or cashews from a thorn tree.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )

In Chechen it becomes “thorns do not yield mulberries or dog roses grapes” and in Khakas the grapes become “cherries.” (Source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. )

See also complete verse (Luke 6:44).

den of robbers

The now commonly-used German idiom Mördergrube (literally “murderers’ pit”), which today is primarily used in the expression “aus seinem Herzen keine Mördergrube machen” or “to speak freely” (literally: “don’t turn your heart into a murderers pit”), was made popular in 1522 in the German New Testament translation by Martin Luther. Note that from the 1956 Luther Bible edition on forward, this was replaced with the more correct Räuberhöhle. (Source: Günther 2017, p. 90)

The common English idiom “den of thieves” (meaning a group of people engaged in or suspected of illegal, immoral, or underhanded activities or a place in which such activities take place) was first coined in 1382 in the English translation by John Wycliffe (in the spelling denne of theues). (Source: Crystal 2010, p. 290)

In Chechen it is translated idiomatically as “a nest of robbers” (Source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. )

little flock

Since the words for “flock” and “girl friend” are homonyms in Khakas, the translators decided to translate the occurrence in Luke 12:32 as “you little lambs” rather than “flock” to avoid misunderstandings.

In Chechen, “little flock” sounds scornful and insulting, so it needed to be restructured as, “though you are few and weak, above you is a shepherd,” “with the implication that the shepherd is the heavenly father already mentioned in the wider context.“ (Source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. )

See also flock.