The Hebrew in Song of Songs 1:3 that is translated as “(perfume) poured out” in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically as “(perfume) sprinkled.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In the SwedishBibel 2000 it is translated as Turak-balsam är ditt namn or “Turaq balm is your name.” Bertil Albrektson (in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 109ff.) explains: “Fox in his excellent study of Egyptian love songs and the Song of Songs is inclined to accept this solution: he translates ‘Oil of Turaq’ and explains it as ‘apparently a type of oil, perhaps named after a place.’ But even if one should arrive at this decision (which we have done, though not without hesitation), it remains to be determined whether the literal translation ‘Turak-balsam’ is sufficiently exotic and suggestive for an ordinary Swedish reader, or whether we should attempt to express the supposed connotations of the Hebrew term by writing something like den finaste balsam (‘finest ointment’).” (See also Translation commentary on Song of Songs 1:3)
The Hebrew in Song of Songs 1:10 that is translated as “strings of jewels” or similar in English is translated in the SwedishBibel 2000 as pärlor or “pearls.” Bertil Albrektson (in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 109ff.) explains: “The most recent dictionary of biblical Hebrew, the 3rd edition of Koehler-Baumgartner, suggests Muschelkette, ‘a string of shells.’ There is a later Hebrew verb of this root which means ‘string together, especially jewels or pearls’ (BOB), and the Arabic equivalent means ‘beads strung together,’ so when we choose pärlor, ‘pearls,’ we cannot be far wrong, and it carries the right overtones of elegance and luxury.”
The Hebrew in Genesis 4:7 that is translated as “If you do well, will you not be accepted” or similar in English is translated in the SwedishBible 2000 as “if you do the right thing, you dare to lift up your gaze” (Om du handlar rätt vågar du lyfta blicken) and in the Dutch NBV21 as “if you act rightly, then you can look everyone straight in the eye, can’t you?” (Handel je goed, dan kun je toch iedereen recht in de ogen kijken?). (Source: Seppo Sipilä and Roelof van der Spuy in The Bible Translator 2012, p. 192ff. )
The name of “Onan” and the spilling of his semen has come to refer to “masturbation” in many modern languages, including Hebrew (אוננות / onanút), German (Onanie), Greek (αυνανισμός, avnanismós), Japanese (オナニー, onanī), French (onanisme), and Swedish (onani).
The SwedishBibel 2000 declared the 69 Old Testament verses referenced herein as “untranslatable.” Typically, other Bible translations translate those verses and mention in footnotes that the translation is uncertain or give alternate readings. Christer Åsberg, the Translation Secretary with the Swedish Bible Society at that time, explains why the Swedish Bible Society decided to not translate these verses at all (in The Bible Translator 2007, p. 1ff. ):
“In the new Swedish translation (SB) of 2000, [some verses are] not translated at all; [they are] indicated with three hyphens inside square brackets [- - -] [with a] reference to the appendix, where in the article ‘Text’ one will find a paragraph with roughly the following content:
In some cases the text is unintelligible and the variant readings differing to such an extent, that it is quite impossible to attain a reasonable certainty of what is meant, although some isolated word may occur, whose meaning it is possible to understand.
“If Bible translators find the Hebrew text untranslatable, what kind of text is it that they have produced in the translation into their own language? When a footnote says ‘The Hebrew is not understandable,’ what then is the printed text a translation of? And if the translators prefer to do without footnotes, are they then really released from the responsibility of informing their readers that the text they read is just mere guesswork?
“To leave a blank space in a Bible text seems to be an offensive act for many. (. . . ) To admit that a piece of Holy Scripture makes no sense at all may have been unimaginable in times past. In our enlightened era, an overprotective concern for the readers’ trust in the word of God is apparently a decisive factor when a translator tries to translate against all odds. The verdict ‘untranslatable’ is much more frequent in scholarly commentaries on different Bible books written by and for experts than in the translations or footnotes of the same books designed for common readers.
“Another reason (. . .) is a professional, and very human, reluctance to admit a failure. Also, many Bible translators lack translational experience of other literary genres and other classical texts where this kind of capitulation is a part of the daily run of things. They may have an innate or subconscious feeling that the Bible has unique qualities not only as a religious document but also as a linguistic and literary artifact. Completeness is felt to be proof of perfection. Some translators, and not so few of their clients, are unfamiliar with a scholarly approach to philological and exegetical matters. In some cases their background have made them immune to a kind of interpretative approximation common in older translations, confessional commentaries, and sermons. Therefore, their tolerance towards lexical, grammatical, and syntactical anomalies tends to be comparatively great.
“It is very hard to discern and to define the boundary between something that is extremely difficult and something that is quite impossible. I am convinced that all Bible translators in their heart of hearts will admit that there actually are some definitely untranslatable passages in the Bible, but are there a dozen of them or a score? Are there fifty or a hundred? Not even a group of recognized experts would probably pick out the same ten most obvious cases. (. . .)
“Conclusions:
There are untranslatable passages in the Bible.
How many they are is impossible to say—except for the translation team that decides which passages are untranslatable.
An untranslatable passage cannot and should therefore not be translated.
The lacuna should be marked in a consistent way.
The translating team should stipulate their criteria for untranslatability as early as possible.
It is an ethical imperative that the readers be comprehensively informed.
Untranslatability has been and can be displayed in many different ways.
An explanatory note should not confuse linguistic untranslatability with other kinds of textual or translational difficulties.
The information given should make it clear that the translators’ recognition of untranslatability is a token of respect for the Bible, not a proof of depreciation.
You shall not fear the void, but the fear of the void.”
With thanks to Mikael Winninge, Director of Translation, Swedish Bible Society
The Old Testament quote from Joel in Acts 2:17-21 is amended by what is translated in English as “In the last days, God declares.” Many translations don’t show this as an addition by Peter or Luke to the original quote but the SwedishBibel 2000 manages to distinguish the different sources by a differentiation in italics vs. regular script: Det skall ske i de sista dagarna, säger Gud, att jag utgjuter min ande över alla människor. (…)” (Source: Christer Åsberg in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 71ff. )
The Hebrew that is translated as “Lord of hosts” in English (or: “Yahweh of Armies” [translation by John Goldingay, 2018], “Hashem, Master of Legions” [ArtScroll Tanach translation, 2011]) is translated in various ways:
Kankanaey: “God the Highest Ruler” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: Lord Almighty” (source: Newari Back Translation)
Kutu: Mndewa Imulungu or “Lord with all power” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Mandarin Chinese: Wànjūnzhī Yēhéhuá / Shàngzhǔ (万军之耶和华 / 上主) or “Jehovah / Lord of 10,000 [=all] armies”
Mandinka: “Yawe God of the universe” (source: Rob Koops)
German (Luther) Bible the second part of the name is transliterated: Herr Zebaoth or “Lord Zebaoth” (Swedish, Finnish and Latvian use the same translation strategy). The Russian Orthodox Synod translation uses a transliteration of the second part of the designation as well: Господь Саваоф / Gospod’ Savaof.
The traditional French translation of l’Eternel/Yahve/le Seigneur/Seigneur des armées (“Lord of the armies”) presents a problem when listened to, as Jean-Marc Babut explains (in The Bible Translator 1985, p. 411ff. ):
“For the hearer, the traditional translation l’Eternel/Yahvé/le Seigneur des armées can easily be taken in a bad sense: there is nothing, in fact, to prevent the listener from hearing l’Eternel désarmé, ‘the Eternal One disarmed’ or ‘stripped of his power’! (…). Thus the Bible en français courant [publ. 1997] has decided to use the expression Seigneur/Dieu de l’univers, “Lord/God of the Universe”. This formula, which has an undeniably liturgical ring, seems to have been favorably received by users.”
Other, later French Bibles who have chosen a similar strategy, include Parole de Vie (publ. 2017) with Seigneur de l’univers or Bible Segond 21 (publ. 2007) with l’Eternel, le maître de l’univers.
The Hebrew in Psalm 121:1 that is translated as “I lift up my eyes to the hills” or similar in English was judged as too archaic an expression in a direct translation in Swedish and was instead translated as Jag ser upp emot bergen or “I look up at the mountains” from the 1970’s on. (See Bertil Albrektson in The Bible Translator 1978, p. 101ff. )
