The Greek that is translated as “rejoice and be glad” in English is translated in Toposa as “be very happy and ululate.” “There was no near synonym for ‘be glad.’” (Source: Schröder 2026, p. 101)
Language-specific Insights
Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you
The Greek in Luke 10:11 that is typically translated in English as “Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you” is translated more explicitly by the Italian La Sua Parola è Vita translation as “We do not have anything more to do with you and leave you to your fate. Here, take back also the dust of your city” (Non abbiamo più niente a che fare con voi e vi lasciamo al vostro destino. Ecco, riprendetevi anche la polvere della vostra città). (Source: Cotrozzi 2019)
In Toposa it is translated somewhat similarly as “We oppose you because of your badness. Even your dust we wipe off from our feet.” Schröder (2026, p. 135) comments on that translation: “In other passages that speak of ‘shaking/wiping the dust off,’ the team used a local substitute in rendering this symbolic action as throwing some dirt behind oneself (see shake the dust off your feet). The approach taken in this passage however needed to be different because using cultural substitution in direct speech would not resemble the original words closely enough for some readers in the target audience. Thus the translators compensate for the loss of meaning that occurs with a word-for-word rendering of the symbolic action by having the apostles state the significance of the act as part of their direct speech: ‘We oppose you because of your badness.’ In this way, the understanding of the audience is guided indirectly.”
See also shake off the dust from your feet.
He fell at Jesus’s feet
The Greek in Luke 8:41 that is typically translated in English as “He fell at Jesus’s feet” is translated in Toposa as “he kept on crying [= pleading], wringing his hands, saying [that] if possible, Jesus come [please] to his home.” “Toposa do not fall at the feet of someone else when pleading. Thus the action was replaced by Jairus wringing his hands showing his worry, which is supported by his tearful pleading (with the repetitive aspect suffix), supported by the optative form keraa ‘if only it was possible’ as additional compensatory means.” (Source: Schröder 2026, p. 135).
See also fell down at Jesus’s knees.
tower
The Greek that is translated as “tower” in English is translated in Elhomwe as enyumba yootthinddaanyerana or “house, one on top of the other” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Toposa as “very tall hut” (source: Schröder 2026, p. 137).
For other translations, see also Translation commentary on Luke 13:4.
figs are not gathered from thorns𖺗 nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush
The Greek in Luke 6:44 that is translated in English as “figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush” or similar is translated in Upper Guinea Crioulo as “You wouldn’t pick guavas [very similar to figs] from a thorn bush, or cashews from a thorn tree.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )
In Chechen it becomes “thorns do not yield mulberries or dog roses grapes” and in Khakas the grapes become “cherries.” (Source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. )
Toposa does not have a generic terms in this semantic field. “Since all that was needed in the context of this verse was an example of a shrub or bush considered worthless and not capable of producing good fruit, the translators chose to render thornbush as nyerekedae ‘hook thorn’ (acacia mellifera) and ‘brier’ as nyekabuuru ‘pink jacaranda’ (stereospermum kunthianum). The former shrub has vicious thorns and bears no fruit, the latter has no thorns and produces only inedible pods, both are classified as worthless in Toposa economy.” (Source: Schröder 2026, p. 101).
See also complete verse (Luke 6:44).
anoint (chrió)
The Greek chrió that is translated as “anoint” in English is translated in Chol as “choose.” Wilbur Aulie (in The Bible Translator 1957, p. 109ff. ) explains: “Another illustration of translating a figure in a non-figurative manner is the treatment of chrió ‘anoint’. In Luke 4:18, Acts 4:27 and 10:38, and in 2 Corinthians 1:21 it is metaphorical of consecration to office by God. We translated the metaphor ‘choose’.”
Other translations include “place as Savior” in Highland Popoluca, “appoint to rule” in Coatlán Mixe, “give work to do” in Tepeuxila Cuicatec, “give office to be our Savior” in Chuj (source of this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), and “perform ritual on” in Toposa (source: Schröder 2026, p. 127).
In Elhomwe it is translated as “anoint to choose and to appoint.” Note that anointing is a common practice in Malawi. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
See also anoint.
fell down at Jesus’s knees
The Greek that is translated as “fell down at Jesus’s knees” or similar in English is translated in Toposa as “he sat down on the ground at the feet of Jesus.” “Toposa normally do not throw themselves on the ground, certainly not as frequently as portrayed in Luke chapters 5–8. Since normally the elders sit on stools, for Simon to be sitting on the ground before Jesus indicates total submission” (source: Schröder 2026, p. 121).
See also He fell at Jesus’s feet.
beat his breast
The Greek that is translated in English as “beat his breast” or similar is translated in Kasem as “clapped his hands.” To beat one’s breast is considered to be a sign of arrogance and pride. To express regret people clap their hands. (Source: Urs Niggli in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 16)
Similarly in Bafut (in Luke 23:48): “If we translated the image, ‘beating their breasts’ literally, it would give a wrong meaning. ‘Beating their breasts/chests’ translates in Bafut as ‘ŋ̀kwɛɛ nɨ̂ mɨnt ̀ɨɨ̀ myaa.’ This means they were proud of what they had done. Another consideration is that literally translating ‘beating their breasts’ will mean that it was the women beating their breasts, not men, since, in Bafut, men are perceived as not having breasts. In order to bring out the right meaning using a culturally relevant image, we rendered this as ‘ŋ̀wɛtə mbô myaa,’ and this means ‘crossed their arms’ (under the chin, so the palms rested on the shoulders), which is a sign of mourning in the culture. So in order to explain the symbolic action, the translation added the implicit information, ‘nloŋ mə mɨntɨɨ̀ myaa lɛ nluu nɨ̂ àjəŋnə̀‘ which means, ‘because their hearts were full with sorrow.'” (Source: Michael Suh Niba in Vila-Chã / Hu 2022, p. 233ff.)
In Yaweyuha it is expressed more explicitly as “feeling great sorrow, repeatedly beating their chests” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98) and likewise on Chokwe as “beat his breast for sorrow” (“beat one’s breast” is the equivalent of the English “pat oneself on the back”) (source: D. B. Long in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 87ff. ).
In Toposa it is translated as “held his head” in Luke 18:13. “In order to show how sorry the tax collector felt, the translation has him put his arms around his head which is immediately understood in the intended way by the Toposa audience.” In Luke 23:48, however, it is translated as “intensely shaking their heads because of how these events burnt in their hearts.” Here, “the act of beating their breasts has been rendered as intensely shaking their heads, which shows their emotional turmoil. Additionally, the translators have stated the reason as ‘because of how these events burnt in their hearts,’ an idiom indicating upset and grief.” (Source: Schröder 2026, p. 121 and 135).