Language-specific Insights

gave up his spirit

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The Greek that is often translated as “he gave up his spirit” in English is translated in a variety of ways:

  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “And then he died”
  • Aguaruna: “His breath went out”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “He gave back his spirit”
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “He breathed his last”
  • Chol: “He caused his spirit to leave him”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “He sent away his life breath” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Kankanaey: “He entrusted his spirit to God” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “He released his spirit” (lit. caused it to spring away) (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Uma: “His spirit/breath broke” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “His breath snapped” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Indonesian Common Language Translation: “His breath was cut off” (source: Daniel Arichea in The Bible Translator 1983, p. 209ff. )
  • Mandarin Chinese (Union Version): “He gave (or: delivered) his soul to God”
  • Cantonese: “He breathed his last (斷氣) and died” (source for this and above: Zetzsche)

You son of a rebellious woman

The Hebrew that is translated often very carefully in English as “You son of a rebellious woman” or the like is translated is some common language translations from around the world much more directly. Indonesian Bahasa Indonesia Masa Kini: Anak haram jadah! or “You bastard!”, German Gute Nachricht Bibel: Du Bastard! or “You bastard!”, or Mandarin Chinese Today’s Chinese Version: Nǐ zhè chùshēng (你這畜生!) or “You beast!” (this is also used in Yue Chinese (Cantonese)). (See also Translation commentary on 1 Samuel 20:30)

In the beginning

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “In the beginning” is translated in Lisu as ꓬꓲ ꓚꓰ ꓬꓲ ꓪꓴꓸ — yi tshe yi vu: “In very early times, when there were no people.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. The same phrase is also used as a title for the book of “Genesis.” (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 58)

In the most widely used Mandarin Chinese Bible translation, the Union Version, the term 太初 — tàichū is used in John 1:1 (but not for Gen. 1:1) — vice versa in the Yue Chinese (Cantonese) New Cantonese Bible of 1997, whereas in Hakka Chinese, 太初 — thai-chhû in Hakka — is used in both cases). Tàichū originally was used in early Daoist writings (Liezi, Zhuangzi — both 5th century BC) which is remarkable because of the connection with “dào” (道) in the same verse (see Word / Logos), suggesting connections between Chinese culture and John 1:1. (Source: Zetzsche)

Other translations include:

  • Jamaican Patois “when time started” (wen taim did staat)
  • Bariai “prior to the coming forth of everything” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When before still in the past” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kölsch: “in the beginning of everything” (translation by Boch, 2017)
  • German: “primordial beginning” (Urbeginn) (translation by Fridolin Stier, 1989)
  • English translation of the gospels of Sarah Ruden (2021, p. xlii): “inauguration” which “echoes similar connotations of a Hebrew word in Genesis”

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: In the beginning … or When God began…? (Word Study) .

Abba

The Greek that is a transliteration from the Aramaic abba (אבא) and is itself transliterated into “Abba” in English is transliterated into Mandarin Chinese as ābà (阿爸). This is interesting because bà (爸) is the regularly-used term of endearment for “father” (“daddy”) and even the very combination of ābà (阿爸) is used in some dialects as the equivalent of “daddy.” This is exactly the meaning of the Aramaic abba as well.

Translations in other Chinese languages, including Wu Chinese, Min Nan Chinese, Hakka Chinese, Yue Chinese (Cantonese), as well as Literary Chinese use the same transliteration.

Beelzebul

The Greek that is typically transliterated as “Beelzebul” in English used to be transliterated in English and most other languages with a long tradition in Bible translation as Beelzebub, going back to the Latin Vulgate translation that had used Beelzebub. St. Jerome likely had done that to correspond with the pronunciation of Baal Zebub (בַּעַל זְבוּב) of 2 Kings 1:2 where a Philistine god by that name is mentioned. The Hebrew name carries the derogative meaning “Baal (or: god) of flies” and is likely an ironic and humiliating misspelling of Baal Zebul with the meaning of “Baal (or: god) the Prince” (see Translation commentary on 2 Kings 1:2).

In popular German literature of the 14th through 17th century, the term “Beelzebock” was also used, a word with a similar sound, but with last and changed syllable carrying the meaning of “(billy) goat / ram,” the partial form of the devil in popular imagination. (Source: Jost Zetzsche — see also the sheep from the goats)

In languages that use Chinese characters, including Mandarin Chinese, Min Nan Chinese, Yue Chinese (Cantonese), or Hakka Chinese, the characters 別西卜 are used in Protestant translations (pronunciation in Mandarin: biéxību, in Cantonese: bit6 sai1 buk1, in Hakka phe̍t-sî-puk). That transliteration name has been used since at least 1850 in the Literary Chinese Delegates’ Version, likely because of the suitably negative meaning of the last character 卜 or “divination.” (The Catholic transliteration is 貝耳則步 / bèiěrzébù in Mandarin, without any particular meaning.)

In Western Bukidnon Manobo it is translated with Endedaman, the Manobo name for the ruler of the evil spirits (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation) and in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with Oberteufel or “chief devil.”

In Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “Baal” and “fly,” because of its meaning of “Baal (god) of flies.” (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Beelzebul” in Libras (source )

“The name of the god of Ekron in 2 Kings 1:2, Baal-zebub, may possibly mean ‘Lord of the fly,’ in other words the god who protected people from the sores and diseases caused by flies. However, the name may instead be related to the Ugaritic word zebul (𐎇𐎁𐎍), ‘the highest,’ and thus may have originally been Baal-zebul (𐎁𐎓𐎍. 𐎇𐎁𐎍), the Canaanite equivalent of ‘Most High Lord,’ but it was changed sarcastically by the people of Israel to Baal-zebub, ‘Lord of the fly.’ Because of the doubt about the proper derivation of the word, it is probably best to transliterate the name rather than try to translate it, and add a footnote as follows, ‘This name means ‘Lord of flies’ and may be a mocking corruption of the god’s real name Baal-zebul.’ (Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators) ).