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. NRSVue 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” (NRSVue) 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 NRSVue). 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 109:20)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 109:20:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“There should be the payments from Jehovah on those opposing me,
to those who speak evils about me.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“May the LORD reward in this way
those who accuse me and speak evil of me.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“LORD, may-it-be that that is what you punish to those (who) accuse and speak-evil of me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“Would the LORD strike my enemies in this way,
who talked badly about me.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Ee BWANA, uwalipe hayo ambao wananishitaki,
ambao wananisemea mabaya mimi.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“Yahweh, I want you to punish all my enemies that way, those who say evil things about me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 112:4)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 112:4:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Even in darkness light comes out for the righteous hearted;
kind hearted, merciful and straight hearted.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“For good people
and for people who merciful, compassionate and righteous,
light shines in the darkness.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“Even in darkness there-is still light for the people who live rightly, (are) merciful, take-an-interest-in-the-welfare-(of others), and (are) fair/righteous.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“The light shines in the darkness of a good person,
he is merciful and kind person.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Mnyofu, wa huruma, wa neema na safi,
anamulikiwa na nuru katika giza.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“Godly/Righteous people are like lights that shine in the darkness
on those who are kind, merciful and righteous.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 115:9)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 115:9:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“You Israelites, rely on Jehovah;
He is your help and your shield.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“O people of Israel, put your trust in the LORD,
He will help and protect you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“You (plur.) people of Israel, including you (plur.) the descendants of Aaron, [you (plur.)] trust in the LORD.
He (is) your (plur.) helper and protector.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“People of Israel, you (plur.) put your hearts on the LORD,
he helps you, and keeps you (plur.).” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Enyi Waisraeli, mumtumaini BWANA,
ni msaada wenu, tena ni ngao yenu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“You, my fellow Israeli people, trust in Yahweh! He is the one who helps you and protects you like a shield.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 118:2)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 118:2:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Let Israel say that:
‘His love is endless.’” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“May Israel say,
"His faithful love exists forever."” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“Let- the people of Israel -say, ‘His love (is) without end.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“You (plur.) give the people of Israel to say,
‘His love remains forever.’” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Waisraeli waseme kuwa,
‘Neema yake ni ya milele na milele.’” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“You Israeli people should repeatedly shout, ‘He faithfully loves us, his people, forever!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
complete verse (Psalm 119:5)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 119:5:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Ah! I would have loved if my paths were settled
on obeying your teachings!” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“How good it would be if my behavior
might be firm to obey Your laws.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“Very/[emphasis marker] great (is) my desire that my way-of-living always be faithful in obeying/following your (sing.) decrees/[lit. what-is-to-be-followed].” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Laarim:
“You make me to walk well by your power,
in way that I obey your words!” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Laiti iwapo mwenendo wangu ungekuwa mzuri,
katika kuzifuata sheria zako.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“I desire that I will faithfully/ always obey all your statutes/that you have said that we should do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)