The Greek in Hebrews 7:22 that is translated as “guarantee” (or “guarantor”) in English is translated in Maan as “bone (of the new covenant).” (Source: Don Slager)
See also abolish (the law) and strengthen your weak knees.
Language-specific Insights
birds of the air, fish of the sea
One translation problem involved the Hebrew expressions that are translated into English as “birds of the air” and “fish of the sea” in Genesis 1:26. The Maan translators decided to say simply “birds” and “fish” to include all these animals, not just the birds that fly and the fish in the ocean. So now ostriches and fresh water fish are included.
See also birds of the air and birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.
clean animals, unclean animals
The phrases that are translated as “clean animals” and “unclean animals” in English: The first draft into Maan had “animals not cursed” and “cursed animals,” which did not express correctly the idea of ritually pure and impure animals. So it was changed to “animals accepted by God for sacrifices” and “animals not accepted by God for sacrifices.”
In Kwere it is translated as animals “which are eaten” vs. “which are not eaten.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In Makonde is is translated as halali and halamu, derived from the Arabic halal (حلال) and haram (حرام), used for permitted and and forbidden animals in Islam. The Makonde speakers are 90% Muslim and this was chosen because these are widely understood terms and because many of the permitted (clean) foods of Judaism and Islam match. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
abolish (the law)
The Greek that is translated as “abolish (the law)” in English is translated in Maan as “put bone on (the law).” (Source: Don Slager)
See also guarantee and strengthen your weak knees.
The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge
The Hebrew proverb that is translated as “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” in English is rendered in Medumba with the existing proverb “They, the others, have eaten caterpillars; And we have got a stomach ache.” (Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 146ff. )
In Maan, the translation is “Parents ate green grapes, but their children’s teeth were sour.” (Source: Don Slager)
See also like vinegar to the teeth.
tempted by God
The Greek in James 1:13 that is translated as “tempted by God” in English is translated in Maan as “God does not test/tempt anyone to sin.” Since there is only one Maan word for the concepts of “test” and “tempt” and since the translators felt that God could well test but not tempt, the further specification was felt to be necessary. (Source: Don Slager)
take note
The Greek in 2 Thessalonians 3:14 that is translated as “take note (of those . . .)” in English is translated in Maan as “they put a rock in our hands.” (Source: Don Slager)
blue as the sky
In English translations, Exodus 24:10 is translated as “God stood on a platform of sapphire as blue as the sky.” The translator transliterated “sapphire,” and said the platform was “as black as the sky” since the Maan word for “blue” includes the color black also. We decided to say that the platform was the color of the sky, without specifying the color. That way a light blue color will be in view.