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)
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.
Click or tap here to see a short video clip about tzitzvits (source: Bible Lands 2012)
ornamented robe
The Hebrew that is translated as “ornamented robe” or similar in English is translated in Kim as mwaɗak or “multi-colored (robe),” following the traditional translation (Greek Septuagint: χιτῶνα ποικίλον; Latin Vulgate: tunicam polymitam; English King James/Authorised Version: coat of many colours; German Luther translation: bunter Rock etc.)
In Gbaya, the pattern of the robe is emphasized with ŋunyuŋ, an ideophone that refers to anything that is spotted, speckled, or marbled. Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Joseph and His Clothing .
He is God not of the dead but of the living
The Greek that is translated as “He is God not of the dead but of the living” or similar in English is translated in Berom as “This shows that he is not the God of corpses, but the God of people who are alive, even though they have died.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
lusty stallions
The phrase in Jeremiah 5:8 that is rendered into English translations as “they were well-fed lusty stallions” is translated into Afar as Yessemeeqe rakuubuy alal radam faxaah muxahiyya yekken.: “they became well-fed male camels making rumbling sounds (in their throats) in their desire to mount a female camel.” (On “stallion,” see also the story here.)
In the Hausa Common Language Bible the “stallion” is a bunsuru or “he-goat,” since horses are not well-known. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)