The Aramaic that is translated as “a stone was cut out” or similar in English is translated in Idakho-Isukha-Tiriki as lichina likali liarekuukha liene or “a big stone rolled by-itself.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
gluttonous eaters of meat
The Hebrew that is translated as “gluttonous eaters of meat” or similar in English is translated in Kenga with the existing one-word concept of sukuɗge or “those who eat a lot of meat.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
the name that is above every other name (Philippians 2:9)
The Greek of Philippians 2:9 that is translated as “the name that is above every other name” in most English versions is translated in the Dutch Statenvertaling (1886/2024) as een Naam gegeven, welke boven allen naam is and in the interconfessional French Traduction œcuménique de la Bible (2010) as le Nom qui est au-dessus de tout nom. In both of these cases, the first instance of the word for “name” is capitalized (Naam and Nom), elevating it to a divine level (along with words that translate “Lord,” “God” etc.).
This might well be a reflection of what a footnote to this verse in the German Neue Genfer Übersetzung (2011) says: “It [the first occurrence of “name” in this verse] probably refers to the ‘Lord’ (in the Septuagint [the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible] the rendering of ‘Yahweh,’ the proper name of God).” Likewise in the interconfessional Catalan translation (1995) it says: “Paul refers here to the name of the Lord (v. 11; Acts 2:21, 36), a term that in the Old Testament is used to designate God.” In other words, by this reading, God gave to Jesus the additional name “Yahweh” (which is known from the Hebrew scriptures to be the “Name above all Names — see Nehemiah 9:5 etc.), “so that every knee should bend to Jesus (as to Yahweh)” (see Philippians 2:10). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
wrath is cruel - anger is overwhelming
The Hebrew that is translated as “Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming” or similar in English is translated in Lélé idiomatically as Kulongo tɛñɛ cag-cag nɛ culo, kulongosɛ nɛ hayɛ kusu gbijag ɗɛ́ or “Excessively spilled guts [i.e. ‘letting it all out’] is wickedness, exalted guts is not dry strong body [i.e. restraint].“ (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
horns
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated in English as “horns (of the altar)” is translated in the French common language editions (1997 and 2019) as angles relevés or “raised angles” and in the Parole de Vie of 2017 as coins relevés or “raised corners.”
In the Arabic TMA translation it is translated as hayth tjllyat Allah (حيث تجلّيات الله) or “where God’s manifestation are” and in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “corners (of the altar).” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
opening
The Hebrew in Song of Songs 5:4 that is translated as “opening” or similar in English is translated in Elhomwe as “window” because of naturalness. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
The translation in Kalanga with tjigwele was able to maintain “the ambiguity between a hole in the (bedroom) door that enables him to open the door and a more explicit reference to sexual activities.” (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)
In Dari it is translated as sorakh darvazeh (سوراخ دروازه) or “the hole of the door” (a hole used to open the door) to allow for sexual allusion as well (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).
kinsman-redeemer, next-of-kin
The Hebrew that is translated as “kinsman-redeemer” (or “next-of-kin” or “close relative”) is translated in Yasa as “a near family member who has responsibility for protecting the family.”
Joshua Ham explains why: “One of the most important terms in the book of Ruth is the Hebrew word go’el. This word is often translated kinsman-redeemer in English Bibles. In ancient Hebrew culture, the go’el could play many roles. If a married man died without children, his brother (acting as go’el) was expected to marry the widow and carry on the dead man’s lineage. If someone was forced to sell their family land (keeping in mind that family land was very important in the Old Testament), a family member (again acting as go’el) was supposed to eventually restore the family’s title to the land. If a family member was murdered, it was up to the go’el to seek justice.
“As you can imagine, there’s just no way we’re going to find a single word in any language that covers all of those cultural aspects. And if we tried to explain all of those aspects in the text itself, it would get unwieldy pretty fast. So in translating a word like go’el, we try to pick out the most salient points. In the Yasa text of Ruth, we ended up with something like ‘a near family member who has responsibility for protecting the family.’ It’s a bit smoother in Yasa than it sounds in English!”
In Cusco Quechua it is translated as “close relative of a corpse.”
The translation consultant Bill Mitchell (in Omanson 2001, p. 428) tells this story: “The translators struggled to translate the idea [of the near relative responsible for helping a family or clan member hit by misfortune, for example, loss of property, liberty or life]. The translation consultant asked them, ‘Is there anyone in your wider family who takes responsibility for a relative in such circumstances?’ They replied, ‘Yes, of course.’ ‘What do you call that person,’ the consulted asked. ‘There is no special name,’ they said. The consultant replied, ‘If a widow or an orphan needed help, what would they say to this person?’ ‘It will probably seem a bit strange to you, but they would say: ‘You are my close relative and I am your corpse.’’ The translators introduced this into their translation. When they tested it out with different groups, they found that it communicated the Hebrew concept of go’el very well.”
In Southern Birifor it is translated as “funeral husband.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
See also redeem / redemption and redeemer.
fringe, tzitzvit
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “fringe” or “tzitzit” in many English translations is translated in Uma as “the decorations [lit.: “fruit”] of clothes” (source: Uma Back Translation), in Tenango Otomi as “clothing that reaches the ground” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation) and in Mairasi as “wings of the garments” (source: Enggavoter 2004).
In Bura-Pabir a term is used that is traditionally used for the tassels worn on clothes by hunters. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
In Paasaal it is translated as “cloth mouth.” (Source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
See also suspended and their fringes long.