The Greek in Matthew 11:29 that is translated as “I am gentle and humble in heart” is translated in the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation as “I am the owner of a warming heart and I humble myself.” While a direct translation of the expression “humble in heart” exists in Moba, “it emphasizes that the person who adopts this attitude has been assaulted or mistreated but remains calm instead of becoming angry.” Moba has a rich metaphorical library using the concept of “heart” (pal) it follows very different paradigms compared to Greek, Hebrew and English concepts. (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )
hearts burning
The Greek in Luke 24:32 that is often translated as “Were not our hearts burning within us?” is translated as
- “a boiling comes to our hearts inside” in Marathi (an idiom for joy and enthusiasm)
- “drawn, as it were, our mind” in Balinese
- “hurt (i.e. longing) our hearts” in Ekari
- “something was-consuming in our-heart” in Tae’ (an idiom for “we were profoundly moved”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- “O, how sweet coolness did our hearts feel” in an early version of the Bible in Sranan Tongo. “The translator “did this to avoid misunderstanding. In Sranan Tongo, when one says ‘my heart is burning’ he means ‘I am angry.'” (Source: Janini 2015, p. 33)
- “Wasn’t it as rain coming down on us?” in Afar. “Heat is bad, rain is good in the desert.” (Source: Loren Bliese)
- “our interiors bubbled up” in Bariai (source: Bariai Back Translation)
- “Weren’t our hearts constricted within us?” in Khakas (source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. )
In the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation it is translated as “were not our hearts encouraged (literally: made strong)?” While Moba has a rich metaphorical library using the concept of “heart” (pal) it follows very different paradigms compared to Greek, Hebrew and English concepts. (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. .) (See also I hold you in my heart)
be of one heart and soul
The Greek in Acts 4:32 that is translated as “be of one heart and soul” in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically as “agree in hearts and thoughts.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
It is translated as “like one single person in their souls” in Desano and “were all one inside” in Ayutla Mixtec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation “be of one heart” is translated as “(this who believed) had one mouth.” (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )
In German, the idiom ein Herz und eine Seele (literally “one heart and one soul”) has become a widely-used idiom relating to a very close relationship. It was made popular in 1522 in the German New Testament translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Redewendungen aus der Bibel )
See also in the same mind and the same purpose / of one heart and soul and complete verse (Acts 4:32).
break heart
The Greek in Acts 21:13 that is translated as “break heart” in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically as “make the heart feel pain.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation it is translated as “diminish the fluid of my heart.” In Moba, “the word pal (‘heart’) is conceived as a container containing a liquid. The container and the liquid can undergo transformations like any container and its contents when subjected to external pressure. The metaphor of the heart applied to anger perfectly illustrates this image of a container and its contents subjected to strong heat. In Moba, anger is associated with heat. There are various degrees of anger that can be compared to what happens when a pot containing a liquid is put on the fire.” (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )
I hold you in my heart
The Greek in Philippians 1:7 that is translated as “I hold you in my heart” is translated in the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation as “my heart burns for you,” since a direct translation “indicates resentment towards someone and therefore the opposite of what is said in this verse. Moba has a rich metaphorical library using the concept of “heart” (pal) it follows very different paradigms compared to Greek, Hebrew and English concepts. (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )
See also hearts burning.
do not let your hearts be troubled
The Greek in John 14:1 that is translated as “do not let your hearts be troubled” is translated in the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation as “do not let your bile be confused.” (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )
See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions.
grieved
In Western Dani grief is expressed with direct speech. Here it says “ai!” yinuk “Having said: ‘Oh, dear'” (source: Lourens De Vries in The Bible Translator 1992, p. 333ff. )
In the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation it is translated as “(Jesus looked at them) with a sore heart.” (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )
hardness of heart
The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “hardness of heart” in English is translated as “large heart” has been translated in many ways:
- San Mateo Del Mar Huave: “large heart”
- Shilluk: “tightness of heart”
- Copainalá Zoque: “blind in thoughts”
- Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “hard heads”
- Shipibo-Conibo: “ears without holes”
- Tzotzil and Tzeltal: “no pain in heart” (source for this and above: Bratcher /Nida 1961)
- Pwo Karen: “with thick ears and horns” (source: David Clark)
- Enlhet: “innermosts are deaf”
- Woun Meu: “stiff thinking” (source for last two: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. )
- Thai: “black-hearted” (source: Bratcher / Hatton, p. 272)
- Anuak: “make liver strong” (source: Loren Bliese)
- Elhomwe: “dried heart” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
- Welsh Beibl Cymraeg Newydd Diwygiedig 2004: “darken(ed) understanding” (source: Iwan Rhys Jones in The Bible Translator 2003, p. 240ff. )
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated colloquially as wie vernagelt or “obtuse” (in Mark 6:52 and 8:17).
While Moba has a rich metaphorical library using the concept of “heart” (pal) it follows very different paradigms compared to Greek, Hebrew and English concepts. The parallel expression of “hardened heart” means “courageous” or “encouraged” (see hearts burning) so in the 2008 Moba Yendu Kadapaaonn translation various constructs are used to translate “hardness of heart,” including “not willing to change one’s mind” (in Mark 3:5) or “make temptation into the heart” (John 12:40). (Source: Bedouma Joseph Kobaike in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 3ff. )
See also stubborn / hardness of heart.