Language-specific Insights

fine leather

The Hebrew that is translated as “fine leather” or “badger/porpoise skin” in English is translated in Kutu as ng’hwembe ya mhala or “skins of bushbuck” (for bushbuck, see here ). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Yao, it is translated as “soft leather of a big sea animal.” (Source: UBS, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

The English Jewish Orthodox ArtScroll Tanach translation (publ. 2011) transliterates it as tachash-hide. (Source: Zetzsche)

See also fine leather and dugong.

your bone and your flesh

The Hebrew that is translated in English as “I am your bone and your flesh” (or: “my bone and my flesh”) is translated into Afar as anu sin qabalaay sin nabsi kinniyo: “I am your blood and body.” (Source: Loren Bliese)

It is translated likewise in Kutu and in Kwere. In Vidunda, it is translated as “family.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

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

See also become one flesh and our body.

hovering over the face of the waters

The Hebrew that is translated into English as “moving (or: hovering) over the (sur)face of the waters” is translated into Ebira as “(the spirit of God) stayed above the water doing NANANA [ideophone].” (Source: Rob Koops)

In Bari it is translated with bibirto, “which is used of a bird hovering over its nest or fluttering round a bunch of ripe bananas.” (Source: Source: P. Guillebaud in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 189ff. .)

In Kutu it is translated as “spreading over the water” and in Nyamwezi as ku’elela: “to circle around slowly over water, without touching it.” In Kwere it is translated with katanda, which carries the meaning of being ‘spread out’ over the water as one would spread a blanket out over a bed. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

circumcise heart

The Hebrew that is translated as “Circumcise one’s heart” in English is translated in Kutu as “cleanse one’s heart” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in the English translation by Goldingay (2018) as “remove the foreskin from your mind.”

See also circumcise.

vindicated

The Hebrew that is translated as “vindicated” or similar in English is translated in Kutu as “every person knows that you have not done any bad.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also vindicate.

sound of a windblown leaf

The Hebrew that is translated as “sound of a windblown leaf” or similar in English is translated in Kutu as “sound of a windblown reed,” because” if you hear leaves being blown that is something that people would be afraid of because the wind has to be strong in order for leaves to be heard. Also (…) the idea in the Hebrew is that it should be something that normally people would not be afraid of so they have chose grass reeds which make small sound even if the wind is gentle.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

touch

The Hebrew that is translated as “touch” or “strike” in English is translated in Kutu as imizeni or “sprinkle.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

casting an image of a calf

The Hebrew that is translated as “casting an image of a calf” or similar in English is translated in Kutu as “casting an image of a cow in gold,” since “metal and iron are the same (zuma) but gold is gold (zahabu),” so that the metal has to be specified if it’s not iron.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)