The Greek in Acts 13:1 that is translated as “(Manean, a) member of the court (of Herod)” or similar in English is translated as “who grew up with Herod as a child” in Sierra de Juárez Zapotec, as “was brought up together with Herod” in Morelos Nahuatl, or “used to live with Herod” Eastern Highland Otomi. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Language-specific Insights
serve tables, wait at tables
The Greek in Acts 6:2 that is often translated as “serve tables” or “wait at tables is translated in the following ways:
- Desano: “feed the people”
- Lalana Chinantec: “distribute what (the widows) will eat”
- San Mateo del Mar Huave: “distribute food”
- Ayutla Mixtec: “arrange that which we eat”
- Morelos Nahuatl: “feed our brothers”
- Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “give that they eat”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “give what to eat to the people”
- Chichimeca-Jonaz: “watch over the tables”
- Garifuna: “attend to these things” (Source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Cyprus
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Cyprus” in English is translated more specifically as “the island of Cyprus” in some languages. Eastern Highland Otomi for instance has “the land of Cyprus, the little land it sits in the water,” Morelos Nahuatl has “the land-rise of Cyprus,” or Lalana Chinantec has “land in the middle of the water which is called Cyprus.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign that depicts the shape of the island and “blossoming flower” (a possible meaning of the name). (Source: Missão Kophós )
“Cyprus” in Libras (source )
See also complete verse (Acts 13:4) and Samothrace.
For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see this article in Christianity Today .
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 .
grain
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “wheat”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).
Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “millet” (Lambya) (source: project-specific notes in Paratext), “food” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext) or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
the nation that they serve
The Greek in Acts 7:7 that is translated as “the nation that they serve” is translated as “that nation which treats your children as though they were animals” in Morelos Nahuatl. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
praise (God)
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “praise (God)” in English is translated in a nuymber of ways:
- Tae’: “make-great” / “make-great the name”
- Western Highland Purepecha / Morelos Nahuatl: “speak well of”
- San Blas Kuna / Kpelle: “lift up the name”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “sing the name”
- Highland Totonac: “make good”
- Tzeltal: “say good about”
- Navajo (Dinė): “make known something good about” (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- Isthmus Mixe: “place (God) big”
- Chuj: “say good words about (God)”
- San Mateo del Mar Huave: “honor (Father God)” (source for this and three above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In Dan a figurative expression for praising God is used: “push God’s horse.” “In the distant past people closely followed the horses ridden by chiefs, so ‘pushing’ them.” (Source: Don Slager)
Satan
The Greek, Hebrew and Ge’ez that is often transliterated in English as “Satan” is transliterated in Kipsigis as “Setani.” This is interesting because it is not only a transliteration that approximates the Greek sound but it is also an existing Kipsigis word with the meaning of “ugly” and “sneaking.” (Source: Earl Anderson in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 85ff. )
In Morelos Nahuatl it is translated as “envious one” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.) and in Tibetan: bdud (བདུད།), lit. “chief devil” (except in Rev. 20:2, where it is transliterated) (source: gSungrab website ).
See also devil.
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Satan .