The Hebrew that is translated as “they gathered together against me” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with the metaphor “pouring war against me,” used in Chichewa to refer to an act of waging war against someone. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Language-specific Insights
maidens without number
The interconfessional Chichewa translation (publ. 1999) uses the ideophone tayetaye in Song of Songs 6:8 to describe a “teeming multitude” (“the king also has young women beyond counting”. (Source: Ernst Wendland)
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
curse you to your face
the poor
The Hebrew that is translated as “the poor” in English is translated in Chichewa as “people without power.” In Chichewa context this refers to those who are in the lower class in terms of both social status and political influence in a community. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
In Cherokee it is translated as “those who are not doing well.” “The concept of poverty was unknown to Cherokee prior to European arrival due to the sharing of resources among clan members and the shared and welfare tradition known as gadugi (ᎦᏚᎩ). In contrast, the concepts of rich and poor play a large role in the world and message or the New Testament (…) This phrase (‘those who are not doing well’), still used today for ‘poor,’ speaks to a more general understanding of well-being than the presence of monetary resources.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 45)
See also poor (Ps. 41:1).
do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth
The Hebrew in Psalm 119:43 that is translated as “do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) as “do not remove the words of truth in my mouth.” The word that has been translated as “remove” is “kwatula“. In Chichewa, this word has the sense of removing something by force and at an unexpected time. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
why should I be like one who is veiled
The interconfessional Chichewa translation (publ. 1999) translates this phrase as “why should I be left wandering all around” and uses the ideophone zunguliruzunguliru in Song of Songs 1:7. Zunguliruzunguliru is a reduplication of zungulira (“go around in circles”) and is used for the notion of aimless circling or restlessly drifting. It conveys embarrassment and vulnerability (“left roaming about like a stray girl”) as well as confusion. (Source: Ernst Wendland)
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
devout
The Greek that is often translated in English as “devout” (or “pious”) is translated in various ways:
- Lalana Chinantec: “[people who] revere God”
- Chichimeca-Jonaz: “[people who] obey and worship God”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “[people who] remember God”
- San Mateo del Mar Huave: “worshipers of God”
- Tzotzil: “[people who] are zealously doing what they think is God’s word”
- Mezquital Otomi: “[people who] very much believe what they have been taught about God” (source for this and five above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- Chichewa interconfessional translation, publ. 1999: “[people who] love God” (source: Wendland 1998, p. 90)
- Uma: “[people who] submit to Lord God” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “very religious” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “[people who] are faithful in carrying out the commands of God” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “[people who] are serving God” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “[people who] are indeed devout-worshipers of God” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Bariai: “[people who] respect God” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
- Kupsabiny: “[people who] have dedicated themselves to God” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- German: “God-fearing” (gottesfürchtig) or “pious” (fromm)
- Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “[people who] take their faith very seriously” (source for this and above: Zetzsche)
- Hausa Common Language Bible: “owners of worshiping God” (source: Hausa Common Language Bible Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “godly” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
See also righteous / righteousness.
in your anger
The Hebrew in Psalm 38:1 that is translated as “in your anger” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with the idiom mutapsa mtima, lit. “when your heart has burnt.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)