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Language: French
French (fra) is a(n) Indo-European language of Andorra, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, France, French Guiana, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, French Southern Territories, United States, marked as not endangered
The Greek that is translated as “the Alpha and the Omega” in English, referring to the first and the last letter of the Greek alphabet is translated in German as “das A und O.” Even though the German alphabet does not end with the letter O, “das A und O” has become an idiom, that — like the Greek — refers to the end and the beginning or the whole.
Languages that versions of “the Alpha and the Omega” have become an idiom with the same meaning include:
Some translations specifically reproduce the voice of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible.
English: This may God do to “the enemies of” David, and thus may he add,
if I leave from all that belongs to him, by daybreak [even] one pissing against the wall!
Translator’s notes:
“David’s enemies”: Later scribes have added the word “enemies” here, in order to avoid placing a verbal curse on David.
“One pissing against the wall”: Others, euphemistically, “a single male,” but the imagery is doglike. Unlike most modern translations, Tyndale and the King James Version got it right: “aught / one that pisseth by the wall.”
Source: Everett Fox 2014
German: so tue Gott Dawids Feinden, so füge er hinzu,
laß ich bis zum Morgenlicht von allem, was sein ist, einen Wandpisser übrig!
Source: Buber / Rosenzweig 1976
French: Ainsi fera Elohîms aux ennemis de David et ainsi il ajoutera si je laisse,
de tout ce qui est à lui, avant le matin, un pisseur contre un mur !
Source: Chouraqui 1985
For other verses or sections translated with a Hebraic voice, see here.
In Gbaya, the notion of the falling snow in Sirach 43:13 is emphasized with mbul-mbul, an ideophone that refers to something that falls very finely. Note that the Gbaya translators interpreted along the lines of the FrenchTraduction œcuménique de la Bible which has “causes snow to fall” (il précipite la neige).
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
Some translations specifically reproduce the voice of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible.
English: the Children of Israel would see Moshe’s face,
that the skin of Moshe’s face was radiating;
but then Moshe would put back the veil on his face,
until he came in to speak with him.
Source: Everett Fox 1995
German: sahen die Söhne Jissraels Mosches Antlitz,
daß die Haut des Antlitzes strahlte;
dann aber legte Mosche den Schleier wieder über sein Antlitz,
bis er kam, mit ihm zu reden.
Source: Buber / Rosenzweig 1976
French: Les Benéi Israël voient les faces de Moshè:
oui, la peau des faces de Moshè rayonnait.
Moshè retourne le voile sur ses faces,
jusqu’à sa venue pour parler avec lui.
Source: Chouraqui 1985
For other verses or sections translated with a Hebraic voice, see here.
The Greek that is translated as “our daily bread” or similar in most English versions was translated in the Catholic English Douay-Rheims version (publ. 1582) as “our supersubstantial bread.”
In the Kölsch translation (Boch 2017) it is translated as wat mer Minsche zum Levve bruche or “what us humans need for sustenance.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated as das Brot für den kommenenden Tag or “the breads for the day ahead.”
In French, the phrase pain quotidien (“daily bread”) is used as an idiom for daily necessities or daily-occurring events or experiences. (Source: Muller 1991, p. 18)
Image taken from the Wiedmann Bible. For more information about the images and ways to adopt them, see here .
For other images of Willy Wiedmann paintings in TIPs, see here.
In French, the phrase un temps pour tout is used as an idiom, comparable in meaning to “Everything comes to those who wait.” (Source: Muller 1991, p. 16)
The parallelism of the Greek text sofían tón sofón — sýnesin tón synetón can be maintained by a number of languages, including English with wisdom of the wise — discernment of the discerning or wisdom of the wise — intelligence of the intelligent, Spanish with sabiduría de sus sabios — entendimiento de sus entendidos, German with Weisheit der Weisen — Verstand der Verständigen, or French with sagesse des sages, intelligence des intelligents. (Source: Roy Ciampa)
In Russian, the phrase Пилат … умыл руки (Pilat … umyl ruki) or “Pilate . . . washed his hands” is widely-used as an idiom in a number of variations in every-day life. The wording of the quote originated in the Russian Synodal Bible (publ. 1876). (Source: Reznikov 2020, p. 64)
In French, the phrase “s’en laver les mains” or “wash hands” is likewise used as an idiom. (Source: Muller 1991, p. 78)
