The Hebrew in Genesis 12:14 that is translated as “the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful” or similar in English is translated in Low German as “the Egyptians made big eyes about the very pretty woman” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1937, republ. 2006).
Language-specific Insights
worthy of full acceptance
The Greek in 1 Timothy 4:9 that is translated as “worthy of full acceptance” or similar in English is translated in Low German idiomatically as sla dat nich in den Wind or “don’t set it at nought” (verbatim: “throw to the winds”) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).
thief
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “thief” in English is translated in Low German as Spitzboov or “naughty boy” / “scoundrel” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1937, republ. 2006).
See also thief (parable of the wise householder) and thief (like a thief in the night).
breathing threats and murder
The Greek in Acts 9:1 that is translated as “breathing threats and murder” in English is translated in Low German with the alliteration and idiom Gift un Gall seen or “be poison and bile” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).
See also fury / furious.
live in pleasure
The Greek that is translated as “live in pleasure” or similar in English is translated in Low German idiomatically with the reduplicative in Suus un Bruus lewen, literally “live speedily and noisily” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).
The same phrase is also used for akratés (ἀκρατής) in 2 Timothy 3:3, often translated into English as “without self-control.”
See also dissolute living / wild living.
parable
The Greek that is usually translated as “parable” in English is translated in other languages in a number of ways:
- Piro: “picture with words”
- Pamona: “message in the manner of a comparison”
- Highland Totonac and South Bolivian Quechua: “comparison word”
- Tzeltal: “picture story”
- Yucateco and Central Tarahumara: “likeness word”
- Cashibo-Cacataibo: “story which says like that”
- Chicahuaxtla Triqui and Wayuu: “story told for teaching”
- Navajo (Dinė): “story from which understanding comes”
- Western Kanjobal: “notice from which comes teaching” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
- North Alaskan Inupiatun: “story with a meaning”
- Kekchí: “changed, or, turned-about word” (source for this and one above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- Palantla Chinantec: “double talk” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
- Mairasi: “example” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Toposa: “instrument that causes to touch (= attach) [s.th.],” i.e. “instrument for attaching another meaning” (source: Schröder 2026, p. 101)
- Low German: “picture” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).
- Mandarin Chinese: bǐyù (比喻), lit. “comparison explanation” (source: Zetzsche)
In British Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “tell-a-story” and “compare.” (Source: Anna Smith)
“Parable” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as analogy because “the Greek word has the sense of tossing down something alongside something else. Hence an analogy.”
See also image and figures of speech.
complete verse (Matthew 6:19)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 6:19:
- Uma: “‘Don’t collect/gather goods in the world. Because goods in the world can be damaged by insects or become rusted. The storing-place of our (incl.) goods can be opened and our goods stolen.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “‘Do not gather wealth here in the world because it gets easily destroyed. The rats can eat it or it gets rusty or it can be stolen when the house is broken into.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t store up wealth here on the earth, because here it will be eaten by cockroaches and it will rust. And it can be stolen because your house can be broken into by a thief.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “‘Don’t store-away your wealth on this earth, because your possessions here, termites and rust easily destroy, and there are also thieves who force locks to enter and steal it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “‘Something else that I will say to you (pl.) is, don’t collect wealth here in the world, because here in the world there are many which destroy, like cloth-chewing-bugs, rust and sometimes being stolen.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Do not want that there be huge piles of what you gather here on earth. Because what you gather here on earth will be eaten by insects, or spoiled, or thieves will steal it.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Mairasi: “You guys should not store your wealth here in this world, here where insects live, and where things get rusty with the result that they turn bad, where people who steal will dismantle houses and then steal things taking them away.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “Don’t scrape together wealth here on earth! That is only going to be eaten up by moths and rust and the scoundrels will rummage through it and take it with them.”
complete verse (Romans 12:2)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 12:2:
- Uma: “Don’t follow the character of people who don’t know God. Allow God to change your character by making your thoughts new. For if it is like that, you will really know God’s purpose in your life. You will know that his purpose is good, that which pleases his heart and that which has no lack/deficiency.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Don’t do like most (people)/the masses here in the world do. But let God renew your thinking/mind in order that your livers be changed. So-then you really know what God wants/wishes. His will/wish is what is good and what pleases him and what has no fault.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t you imitate the behavior of those people who are enemies of God, but rather, you allow God to change you by means of making your minds new; and then you will understand at last the will of God, which is to say, you will understand what is righteous behavior which God likes and He will not rebuke.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Don’t take-after the behavior/customs of non believers but rather continue to let-God -make-your minds -new so that your way-of-life will be made-new. Because if you do that, you will come-to-know and agree-with what God wants you to do which is what is good and what pleases-him and is exactly right.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “And now change your thinking. Do not do like the sinners do here on earth. Do that you live in a new way. Therefore you can know well what the will of God is. Concerning the good God wants you to live in, that is what you will do.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Kuwaataay: “Do not imitate the ways of those on this earth; let God give you new thinking, so that you may be new people. If you do so, you may understand what he wants. It’s what’s good, what’s pleasing to him, and what’s very pure.” (Source: Kuwaataay Back Translation)
- Bariai: “You can’t be following the practices of the people of the earth and so become like them. But you must yield yourselves to God, in order that he cause your heads and your interiors to become new. And so by this way, your actions also will change and become new. When it’s like that, you will be able to evaluate well what thing(s) God likes/wants, and know well what thing(s) are very upright and cause him to be happy.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
- Mairasi: “Then do not live like ordinary people here in this world! But change your throats [minds] with the result that you have new throats. By doing this you will definitely come to know: ‘This is definitely what is Above-One’s throat’ you will say. That throat of His is good, in Above-One’s vision, and definitely straight. ” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “And then don’t do as they in the world do! No, you shall become a different kind of people. You shall look at everything with different eyes, so that you know exactly what is God’s will, what is truly good and what he likes and what is perfect.”