The English translation “the word of God came to John” of the Greek original uses the verb “come.” Javanese translates “John was-commissioned with God’s word,” Kituba as “God made-known his message to him” (Kituba) and in Nyakyusa-Ngonde the verb for “found” is used and in Tzeltal “arrived in the heart of.” (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Language-specific Insights
lyre
The musical instrument that is most often translated as “lyre” or “lute” in English is translated in the following ways:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016: pangwe (a musical instrument that is made from a hollow tube filled with pellets or small stones to create a rain-like sound) or “five stringed instrument” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “guitar” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Newari: “sitar ” (source: Newari Back Translation)
- Adilabad Gondi: chondka (source: Adilabad Gondi Back-Translation)
- Nyakyusa-Ngonde: marimba (source: Nyakyusa-Ngonde back translation)
In the UBS Helps for Translators‘ Human-made Things in the Bible (original title: The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible) it says the following:
Description: The lyre consisted of a sound box out of the ends or sides of which projected two arms. The arms supported a crosspiece. Strings descended from the crosspiece over the sound box. As with the nevel, the number of strings could vary. Their varying thickness and tension gave the instrument a range of notes. The lyre was normally made of wood. The strings were made of animal intestines (perhaps from sheep).
Usage: The strings were normally plucked with the fingers. The kinor in particular is frequently depicted as an instrument that accompanied singing.
Job 21:12: For the stringed instrument (kinor in Hebrew) accompanying the tambourine, French Common Language Version has “guitar” and the French La Bible de Jérusalem has “zither,” which seems to be an instrument used in 1 Samuel 10:5. The first line of this verse may also be rendered “The children sing as people play the tambourine and the lyre.” In some languages these instruments will be a local drum and a stringed instrument; the latter may be a guitar. If no instruments can be found to render any of the instruments in this verse, the translator may have to express the whole verse differently; for example, “The children dance and sing and make joyful sounds/music.”
The identity of the instrument called sabka’ in Aramaic in Daniel (Hebrew) is uncertain. New Revised Standard Version, updated edition renders it “trigon,” which is a small triangular lyre-type instrument with four strings. Probably trigon is technically correct, but it is unknown to the average English reader. Good News Translation has attempted to find a better-known equivalent with “zither,” but the zither has far too many strings (over thirty). Some translations use “lyre” for sabka’ and render the Aramaic word qathros before it as “zither”. Revised English Bible has “triangle,” but most readers will wrongly identify that as a percussion instrument. Common English Version avoids the problem by rendering only the first three instruments in the list and grouping the last three together, including sabka’ as follows: “Trumpets, flutes, harps, and all other kinds of musical instruments.”
Lyre (source: Knowles, revised by Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)
Quoted with permission.
large lyre / harp
The musical instrument that is most often translated as “harp” or “large lyre” in English is translated in the following ways:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016: “two stringed instrument” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “instruments which have strings to praise you,” “beautiful to-be-listened-to instruments,” or kudyapi (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Newari: sarəngi (source: Newari Back Translation)
- Adilabad Gondi: karnaat (source: Adilabad Gondi Back-Translation)
- Nyakyusa-Ngonde: zeze (source: Nyakyusa-Ngonde back translation)
- Mairasi: kecapi (“like a ukulele”) (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Natügu: “ukulele” (source: Brenda Boerger in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. )
In the UBS Helps for Translators‘ Human-made Things in the Bible (original title: The Works of Their Hands: Man-made Things in the Bible) it says the following:
Description: The exact identification of the nevel is very problematic. Some take it to be a kind of harp. The harp consisted of a neck projecting out of a soundbox. Strings were stretched from the extremity of the neck down its length and into the sound box. The body of the harp was made of wood and its strings of animal intestines (perhaps from sheep). The number of strings varied.
Others place the nevel in the category of lyres, where the strings are stretched over top of and parallel to the soundbox. While this is the interpretation preferred here, we will discuss the harp-type of instrument, since the identification is problematic and many translations have preferred “harp” for nevel.
Usage: The strings were plucked either with the fingers or with a thin piece of ivory or metal to give a resonating sound, probably in a lower register than that made by the kinor.
Translation: In several Psalms (33.2; 92.3; 144.9), the nevel is linked to the Hebrew word ‘asor, which could indicate it was “ten-stringed.”
Some degree of cultural adaptation must be made in the translation of these stringed instruments since cultures differ from each other in the shape, the number of strings, and the function of their instruments. Translators will have to select an equivalent instrument in the receptor language. In most passages the most accurate translation for nevel will be “guitar” or some equivalent medium-sized stringed instrument on which the strings are stretched over a sound box and are plucked.
In those passages where nevel and kinor appear together it is recommended that the translator use an instrument that can vary in size and then render the two words as “large and small X,” for example, “large and small guitars.” Alternately, it may be possible to select two stringed instruments that are similar in construction but different in size, for example, “guitar and lute.” It is also possible to say “large and small stringed instruments” or to combine the two, saying “stringed instruments.”
Psalms 33:2: “Praise the LORD with the lyre” (New Revised Standard Version, updated edition) contains two major translation problems. The first problem is that in many languages, the phrase “with the lyre” must be changed into a verb phrase or clause; for example, the whole line may be rendered “Praise the LORD by playing music on the lyre” or “Make music with the lyre, and praise the LORD.” The second problem, which applies also to the second line of this verse, is the terms to be used for the musical instruments here. In languages in which there are several stringed instruments, translators may use one of the smaller ones for kinor (“lyre”) and a larger one for nevel (“harp” in New Revised Standard Version, updated edition). In languages where there is little or no choice, they should use the known local stringed instrument for the kinor, and a more generic expression for the nevel. Where there are no known stringed instruments, it will often be necessary to say “small instruments with strings” for kinor and “large instruments with strings” for nevel.
Harp (source: Knowles, revised by Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)
Quoted with permission.
complete verse (Psalm 68:31)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 68:31:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Envoys will come from Egypt;
Cush will give himself to God.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“Emissaries will come from Egypt
Cush will pray, lifting hands to God” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“Those from-Egipto will-cause-(themselves)-to-be-subject under you (sing.).
Those from-Etiopia will-quickly give their gifts to you (sing.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“The officials will come who the king of Egypt sends.
The people of the land of Cush will bow their knees to God.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Ambao wametumwa watakuja kutoka katika Misri,
Kushi atamwinulia mikono Mungu.
Sifa kwa Mungu” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“Then people will bring gifts of bronze (OR, of cloth) to you from Egypt;
the people in Ethiopia will lift up their hands to praise you.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 69:28)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 69:28:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Let them be erased from the book of the living
and they should not be written together with the righteous.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“Erase their names from the book of life.
Don’t write their names in the list of the righteous.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“Erase their names from the book which lists the living ones;
do- not -list them with the righteous ones.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“Would you give their names to be removed from the book of life,
and do not give their names to be written together with the names of people who are good.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Waondoe katika kitabu cha uzima,
usiwandike pamoja na wanyofu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“Erase their names from the book containing the names of those who have eternal life;
do not include them in the list of righteous people.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 71:19)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 71:19:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Your power and your righteousness reach up to the heaven top.
Who is equal to you God,
(you) who has done great (things)?” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“O God, Your righteousness rises higher than the heavens.
You have done such amazing work,
O God, Is there anyone like You?” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“Your righteousness, O God, can- not -be-fathomed.
What you (sing.) have-done (is) awesome/amazing;
There-is no-one at-all/[emphasis marker] like you (sing.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“God, your kindness reached heaven,
you did powerful matters.
God, who stays like you?” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Ee Mungu, unyofu wako,
umepita akili zetu.
Wewe umefanya makuu sana.
Ee Mungu, ni nani ambaye yuko kama wewe?” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“God, you do many righteous deeds;
it is as though they extend up to the sky.
You have done great things;
there is no one like you.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 73:7)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 73:7:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“In their twisted hearts come transgressions;
evils from their thoughts do not know boundaries.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“From their hearts come only evil things,
From their hearts only evil, evil plans are plotted.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“Their hearts (are) full of wickedness,
and what they always think-about (is) just doing evil.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“Sin comes from their hearts,
and their thought is full only of bad matters.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Macho yao yamejaa wivu,
mawazo yao yamejaa upumbavu mtupu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“From their inner beings they pour out/do evil deeds,
and they are always thinking about more evil things to do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 74:11)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 74:11:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Why are you returning your right hand?
Release it from your chest and destroy them!” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“Why have you tied your hands?
Untie your hands and destroy them!” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“Why have- you (sing.) still not -punished them?
(It is) like you (sing.) just hid your (sing.) hands.
Destroy them now!” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“Why do you reject to help us with your right hand?
Why do you not beating them with your hand?” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Mbona hutusaidii?
Mbona huunyoshi mkono wako?
Wokovu wa Mungu upo kutoka zamani” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“Why do you refuse to help us?
Why do you keep your hand inside your cloak instead of using it to destroy our enemies?” (Source: Translation for Translators)