The Hebrew in Genesis 49:3 that is translated into English as something like “my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength” is translated into Western Lawa as “my first born, born when I was young and strong — like the first fruit of a tree.”
Language-specific Insights
men of renown
The Hebrew in Genesis 6:4 that is often translated as “men of renown” in English is translated in Western Lawa as “men who are like horns of a barking deer” (= famous men).
the hand of the Lord
The Greek in Acts 13:11 that is translated as “the hand of the Lord” in English is translated in Kalmyk as “the Lord will punish you” to differentiate the “hand” from the hand of blessing in Acts 13:3. In Western Lawa its is translated as “feel the hand of God,” using a vernacular idiom for punishment. (Source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2013, p. 54ff. )
See also hand (of God) (Japanese honorifics).
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)
- Western Lawa: “the Holy Spirit is in one in a full way” (source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2013, p. 54ff. )
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 .
your eyes will be opened
The Hebrew in Genesis 3:5 that is translated in English as “your eyes will be opened” is translated into Western Lawa as “your eyes will become light.”
See also open eyes and open heart / heart opened.
fugitive, vagabond, wanderer
The Hebrew that is translated as “vagabond,” “fugitive,” or “wanderer” in English is translated in Western Lawa as one who has “no house to live in and no granary to eat out of.”
go to your fathers (ancestors) in peace
The Hebrew in Genesis 15:15 that is translated as “go to your fathers (or: ancestors) in peace” in English is translated in Western Lawa as “die a delicious death.”
heal (from infertility)
The Hebrew in Genesis 20:17 that is translated as “heal” (from infertility) in English could not be translated directly in Western Lawa. “Barrenness and impotency are not understood as sickness in the Western Lawa culture. Thus the verb ‘heal’ could not be used. Therefore the last part of the verse was translated: ‘Abimelech was saved from what God had planned to do to him. God caused his wife and women slaves to be able to have children like before.'”
See also barren and healed (of spirits).
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Barrenness .