Language-specific Insights

hypocrite

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The Greek and Hebrew terms that are translated as “hypocrite” in English typically have a counterpart in most languages. According to Bratcher / Nida (1961, p. 225), they can be categorized into the following categories:

  • those which employ some concept of “two” or “double”
  • those which make use of some expression of “mouth” or “speaking”
  • those which are based upon some special cultural feature
  • those which employ a non-metaphorical phrase

Following is a list of (back-) translations from some languages:

  • Highland Totonac, Huautla Mazatec, Lacandon, Cuicatec, Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “two-faced”
  • Obolo: ebi isi iba: “double-faced person” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Tzeltal, Chol: “two hearts”
  • Pame: “two mouths”
  • San Miguel El Grande Mixtec: “two heads”
  • Kekchí: “two sides”
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “double (or “forked”) tongue”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “double talk”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “talk false”
  • Copainalá Zoque: “lie-act”
  • Kituba, Amganad Ifugao, Chuukese: “lie”
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: “someone whose lips are fair” (i.e. “gracious”)
  • Mossi: “have a sweet mouth”
  • Mazahua: “have a swollen mouth” (from too much speaking)
  • Tai Dam: “have a straight mouth and a crooked heart”
  • Kongo: “the bitterness of white” (an idiom based on the fact that white-wash looks nice but tastes bitter)
  • Merina Malagasy: “spread a clean carpet” (an expression used in Madagascar to describe one who covers up the dirt of an unswept floor just before the arrival of guests)
  • Zanaki: “those who make themselves out to be good”
  • Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “those who deceive” (this and all examples above acc. to Bratcher / Nida 1961, p. 225)
  • Kafa: “one who makes as if his belly is clean” (source: Loren Bliese)
  • Agatu: ɔcɛ gigbefu — “disguised person acting a part” (source: Mackay in The Bible Translator 1962, 211f. )
  • Mairasi: “deceiver person” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Bauzi: “good on top person” (source: David Briley in Kroneman (2004), p. 502)
  • Tibetan: kha chos pa (ཁ་​ཆོས་​པ།), lit. “mouth + religion + person” (used for instance in Matt. 7:5) or sgyu zog can (སྒྱུ་​ཟོག་​ཅན།), lit. “deception + fraud + person” (used for instance in Matt. 24:51) (source: gSungrab website )
  • Low German: “actor in a comedy” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006)
  • Kölsch (Boch 2017): falscher Fuffzijer, literally “counterfeit 50-pfennig coin” (source: Jost Zetzsche)
  • German: “pretender” (Heuchler) (most versions), “wanna-be saint” (Scheinheiliger) (Gute Nachricht), “dazzler” (Blender) (translation by Fridolin Stier [1989])
  • Lélé: ne kub so or “make mouth two” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

The Latvian term liekulis was likely coined by the Bible translation of Ernst Glück (1654–1705) in the late 17th century and is still being used today (source ).

The English version of Sarah Ruden (2021) uses “play-actor.” She explains (p. li): “A hupokrites is fundamentally an actor. The word has deep negativity in the Gospels on two counts: professional actors were not respectable people in the ancient world, and traditional Judaism did not countenance any kind of playacting. I write ‘play-actor’ throughout.”

See also hypocrisy.

knock

The Greek that is translated as “knock (on a door)” in English is translated as “call” (Zanaki, Yanesha’) “speak” (Tzeltal), or “clap” (Zarma).

This is sometimes due to the fact that doors are not being used in the respective cultures (as, for instance, in Yanesha’) or, as Nida (p. 45f.) explains, other cultural differences:

“One cannot say to the Zanaki people along the winding shores of sprawling Lake Victoria, ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock’ (Revelation 3:20). This would mean that Christ was declaring Himself to be a thief, for in Zanaki land thieves generally make it a practice to knock on the door of a hut which they hope to burglarize; and if they hear any movement or noise inside, they dash off into the dark. An honest man will come to a house and call the name of the person inside, and in this way identify himself by his voice. Accordingly, in the Zanaki translation it is necessary to say, ‘Behold I stand at the door and call.’ This wording might be slightly strange to us, but the meaning is the same. In each case Christ is asking people to open the door. He is no thief and He will not force an entrance; He knocks — and in Zanaki “He calls.” If anything the Zanaki expression is a little more personal than our own.”

Sources: Nida 1952 (Zanaki); Duff Tripp, p. 310 (Yanesha’); Reiling / Swellengrebel (Tzeltal, Zarma).

See also complete verse (Rev. 3:20) and knock (Rev. 3:20).