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:
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).
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. )
- Cherokee: “musical instrument made of suspended wires” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 16)
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 14:3)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 14:3:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“They all have turned aside,
all together have become wicked;
no one does good (things),
there is absolutely no one.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“They have already gone down the wrong road.
Their character has already been ruined.
There isn’t a single one who does good.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“All have parted-ways/strayed from the true way/road and (all-the)-same their lives have-become-bad.
(There-is)-no-(one) at-all even one who does good.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Eastern Bru:
“Every person has sin, they are all the same. Not one person at all does straight good works.” (Source: Bru Back Translation) - Laarim:
“All people went astray
and they sinned,
there is nobody who does good matters,
there is no just even one.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Watu wote wameacha kumcha Mungu,
wameharibika tabia yao.
Hakuna yeyote ambaye anafanya mema,
hakuna hata mmoja.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“But they are all corrupt/evil;
no one does what is good/right.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 17:12)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 17:12:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“They are like a lion looking for prey;
like a great lion lying in hiding.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“Being hungry, they are like a lion awaiting its victim.
Like a young lion hiding to ambush them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“They (are) like/the-same-as a lion which is-hiding-behind-something/is-concealed,
which-is ready to-devour/tear-to-pieces its victim.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Eastern Bru:
“They are like tigers wanting to take cover and pounce and bite in order to kill.” (Source: Bru Back Translation) - Laarim:
“They are waiting for me like a lion who is hungry,
they stay like lion who is young that is crouching on the way.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Wanataka kunirarua kama simba,
kama simba kijana ambaye ananivizia mimi.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“They are like lions that are ready to tear apart the animals that they capture;
they are like young lions that are hiding, waiting to pounce on their prey.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 18:29)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 18:29:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“With your help I can fight against a group of war (people);
with my God I can do what is not possible with a human being.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“O LORD! With Your help I can even attack a group of the enemy
And with God’s help I am even able to scale any kind of wall.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“With your (sing.) help I will-be-able to-attack the group/troop of soldiers
and I will-be-able to-climb-up the stone-wall that surrounds the city.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Eastern Bru:
“You allow me to be strong in order to fight against those who want to kill me. Because of your help I am able to overcome the secure place that protects them.” (Source: Bru Back Translation) - Laarim:
“You gave me power to fight with my enemies
my God gave me strength for jumping over the fence.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Kwa msaada wako nawashinda maadui wengi,
unanipa nguvu ya kuruka wigo.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“You enable me to be strong,
with the result that I can run and attack a line of enemy soldiers;
with your help I can scale/climb up the walls that surround my enemies’ cities.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 19:11)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 19:11:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Your servant is warned by them;
in keeping them there is a great reward.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“O LORD! These give me, your servant, insight.
By obeying them I have received great reward.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“These also give warning to me your (sing.) servant, O LORD.
And if I obey/follow these I can-receive great reward.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Eastern Bru:
“All of those things teach those who do the work of God to know clearly, and the one who obeys those things, surely he has great blessing.” (Source: Bru Back Translation) - Laarim:
“Your servant is warned by them,
the person who keeps them, gets great gift.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Kwa hayo, mtumishi wako anaonywa,
ambaye anayashika, anafaidika sana.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“Furthermore, by reading them I learn what things are good to do and what things are evil,
and they promise a great reward
to us who obey them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 22:7)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 22:7:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“All who see me laugh at me;
they speak insulting words while shaking their heads saying that” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“All who see me mock [me],
screwing up their mouths, and shaking their heads they talk like this–” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“The one who sees me mocks/ridicules and insults me,
and they shake-(their)-heads-to-the-right-and-left saying,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Eastern Bru:
“And everyone who sees me, they make fun of me, they say this and that, they shake their heads and mock me.” (Source: Bru Back Translation) - Laarim:
“All people who see me laughed at me,
they insult me, then shake their heads and say that,” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Wote ambao wananiona, wananidhihaki.
Wananifyonya, wakitikisa vichwa vyao.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“Everyone who sees me makes fun of me. They sneer at me and insult me by shaking their heads at me as though I were an evil man.
They say,” (Source: Translation for Translators)