the Greek in Luke 15:5 that is translated as “lays it on his shoulders” in English is translated in Yakan as “take it in his arms” (source: Yakan Back Translation), in Western Bukidnon Manobo as “carries him in his arms” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation), and in Tagbanwa as “carries it round his neck” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).
Language-specific Insights
moth
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated into English as “moth(s)” was translated as “cockroach(es)” in Gola “since moths are not seen as destroying things but cockroaches are” (source: Don Slager). The same translation was chosen for Uripiv (source: Ross McKerras).
In Yakan it is translated as “termites” (source: Yakan Back Translation) and in Tagbanwa as “chewing-insects” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).
There is general consensus that ‘ash refers to a moth, and sas to its larva stage in the Hebrew Bible, and that sēs in the New Testament also refers to a moth. The moth referred to is always in contexts of destroyed or damaged clothing, so the reference is obviously to a moth that lays its eggs on human clothing. This limits the type of moth to one of the clothes moths of the Tineidae family, probably Tineola biselliella. Although the damage is blamed on the moth in the Bible, it is actually its larvae that cause the damage. It is possible that both moth and larva are meant when ‘ash is used.
Clothes moths are smallish brown or gray moths that lay eggs in clothing or other forms of cloth. The eggs hatch into very small caterpillars, which almost immediately begin to feed on the fibers. They make small silken cocoons from which only the heads protrude, and later finally emerge as moths.
Moths are symbols of decay, ruin, and slow destruction.
Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)
See also let them be overthrown before you.
take branches of palm trees
The Greek in John 12:13 that is translated as “take branches of palm trees” or similar is translated in
- Aguaruna: “cut palm leaves”
- Waffa: “break off and held leaves like coconut leaves”
- Alekano: “break off leafy decorative things” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “get some leafy branches” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa as “get fronds from a plant like a badangan (note: a local palm like coconut but smaller)” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi as “pick palm branches” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
See also cut branches.
savior
The Greek that is translated as “savior” in English in translated the following ways:
- Laka: “one who takes us by the hand” (source: Nida 1952, p. 140)
- Teutila Cuicatec: “one who saves those on this earth”
- Isthmus Mixe: “one who saves from save from sin”
- Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “a person who pardons people of their sins” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- Noongar: Keny-Barranginy-Ngandabat or “One Bringing Life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
- Uma: “the King who lifts us from the punishment of our sins” (source: Uma Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “one who delivers us from punishment” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “one whom we hope/expect will do all we are waiting for” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “one who is the pledge of our assurance of salvation in the future.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Kâte: bâbâpiaŋ or “healer” (source: Renck 1990, p. 104)
- Tibetan: skyabs mgon (སྐྱབས་མགོན།), lit. “refuge + lord” (source: gSungrab website )
In various German and Dutch Bible translations, the term Heiland is used, which was introduced by Martin Luther in the 16th century and means “the healing one.” This term (as “Hælend”) was used in Old English as a translation for “Jesus” — see Swain 2019 and Jesus.
In American Sign Language it is signed with a sign describing releasing someone from bondage. (Source: Yates 2011, p. 52)
“Savior” in American Sign Language (source )
complete verse (John 1:17)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:17:
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “Moses taught the ancestors of us Israelites the law of God, but Jesus Christ came to teach that God loves mankind, and he teaches us all the true words of God.”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “The law about the things of God, the one who gave it was Moses. But the love which was to us and the truth came into being because of Jesus Christ.”
- Umiray Dumaget Agta: “Even though Moses was caused to speak the rules of God, Jesus Christ was the one appointed to show mercy and to declare the truth.”
- Guerrero Amuzgo: “. . . but Jesus Christ is the source of all favor and of the words that are true.”
- Chol: “… . Jesus Christ came and gave us the goodness of his heart and truth.”
- Tenango Otomi: “By means of Moses the law of God is known. But by means of Jesus Christ the love of God and the true word are known.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Uma: “From the prophet Musa we received the Law of the Lord God. But [it is] from Yesus Kristus that we really know God, and his grace to us.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “The law of God was given/sent to mankind by Musa but God’s love and the truth are given to mankind by Isa Almasi, he is the one called the Word of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And by means of Moses, God brought down to earth the laws. But by means of Jesus, God brought down to earth his love/grace for us and the true doctrine.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because God made-known his law through Moses, but his mercy/kindness and the truth concerning him, he made-known to us through Jesu Cristo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Because God gave his laws to Moises which he was commanding us, but that grace/mercy of his and truth concerning himself, he caused us to comprehend through Jesu-Cristo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “The Law was-given by God to us (incl.) through Moises, but mercy and truth arrived to us (incl.) through Jesus-Christ.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Mairasi: “We have already received the prohibitions Belonging to Above-One, we received them from Musa himself. But His good insides and tuber were revealed in Yesus Kristus.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Bariai: “For the law came about by Moses’ hand, and then the action of kindness and true talk came about by Iesus Kristus’ hand.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
- Kupsabiny: “Moses gave us the laws and the Savior Jesus brought for us love and the words of truth.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
prostitute
The Greek, Latin, and Hebrew that is typically translated as “prostitute” in English (in some, mostly earlier translation also as “harlot” or “whore”) is translated in the 2024 revision of the inter-confessional Latvian Jauna Pārstrādāta latviešu Bībele as netikle or “hussy.” This replaced the previous translation mauka or “whore.” Nikita Andrejevs, editor of the Bible explains the previous and current translations: “The translators at the time felt that this strong word best described the thought contained in the main text. Many had objections, as it seemed that this word would not be the most appropriate for public reading in church.” (Source: Updated Bible published in Latvia ).
Other translations include:
- Bariai: “a woman of the road” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “a woman who sells her body” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Uma: “a woman whose behavior is not appropriate” or “a loose woman” (source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “a bad woman” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a woman who make money through their reputation” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “a woman who makes money with her body” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “a woman whose womanhood is repeatedly-bought” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
See also Translation commentary on Genesis 34:31, Rahab, and prostitute oneself / play the prostitute.
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Prostitution in the Bible .
vision
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and Greek that is translated as “vision” in English is translated in a variety in the following languages:
- Chol: “as if in a dream” (source: Robert Bascom)
- Obolo: ilaak ọkpọchieen̄ or “dreaming awake” (source: Enene Enene)
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “a showing like dreams”
- Desano: “see in a dream what God will send”
- Rincón Zapotec: “see what God shows”
- Mayo: “see things from God as in a dream”
- Lalana Chinantec: “dream how it is going to be”
- Chuj: “like dreaming they see”
- San Mateo del Mar Huave: “understand what they see as if in a dream”
- Ayutla Mixtec: “see that which will happen” (source for this and seven above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- Tagbanwa: “being caused to dream by God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Chichewa: azidzaona zinthu m’masomphenya: “they will see things as if face-to-face” (interconfessional translation, publ. 1999) (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 69)
- Mandarin Chinese: yì xiàng (异象 / 異象), lit. “different (or: strange) appearance.” (Source: Zetzsche)
The Greek in the books of Revelation and Acts is translated as obq-rmwible: “look-dream” in Natügu. Brenda Boerger (in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 162ff.) tells the story of that translation: “In the book of Revelation, the author, John, talks about having visions. Mr. Simon [the native language translator] and I discussed what this meant and he invented the compound verb obq-rmwible ‘look-dream’ to express it. Interestingly, during village testing no one ever had to ask what this neologism meant.”
See also see a vision.
witness
The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and and Greek that is translated as “witness” in English is translated in these ways:
- “truly have seen” in Highland Popoluca
- “telling the truth regarding something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
- “know something” in Lalana Chinantec
- “verily know something to be the truth” in San Mateo del Mar Huave
- “we ourselves saw this” in Desano
- “tell the truth about something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
- “know something is true because of seeing it” in Teutila Cuicatec (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- “ones who will confirm that these-things that you have seen are true” in Kankanaey (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- “ones who are to testify about these things, because it all happened before your eyes” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)