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.
The Hebrew in Job 26:10 that is translated as “circle on the face of the waters” in English is translated in Elhomwe with “bow on the face of the waters.” Bow “is understood as the curved horizon.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “firstborn” in English is translated in a number of ways:
- “he/she that opens the gown” in Batak Toba (because formerly a woman stopped wearing a gown and started using a bodice after the birth of her first child)
- “he/she that damages the stalk (i.e. the body)” in Uab Meto (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- “the oldest son of all” in Mezquital Otomi
- “oldest child” in Isthmus Zapotec (source for this and one above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
- “firstborn child, who was a boy” in Elhomwe (to make clear, without ambiguity, that Mary did not have daughters before) (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In Bawm Chin, the term can imply the existence of younger siblings, so a translation is needed that brings out the fact that Jesus is superior to all else, not just the first of a series. (Source: David Clark)
See also only begotten son / (one and) only son and firstborn.
The Greek that is translated as “perplexed” or similar in English is translated in Noongar is translated as dwangka-birgi or “ear-sore” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
In Elhomwe it is idiomatically translated as “to be silent.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
See also perplexed / puzzled, troubled / perplexed, or perplexed.
The Hebrew in Song of Songs 5:10 that is translated as “radiant” in English is translated in Elhomwe as “pleasing to the eye” because the term for “radiance” (or: “white”) also can mean “holy” and caused confusion. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
The Greek that is translated as “power” in English is translated in Elhomwe as “to be worthy.” “This word should have the connotation “right” or “authority,” but not “power.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
The Hebrew in Ruth 1:12 that is translated as “even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons” in English has an addition in Elhomwe that says “what use are you going to have” to make the sentence more complete. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
The Greek in Luke 1:79 that is translated as “guide our feet” in English is translated in Elhomwe as “lead,” to ensure understanding. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
