cowardly

The Greek in Revelation 21:8 that is translated as “cowardly” in English versions is idiomatically translated in Thai as “white-eyed people.”

judge

The Greek in Revelation 6:10 that is translated as “judge” in English is rendered idiomatically in Yapese as “untie the words of” and in Chichewa as “sing a (court) case against.”

destroy

The Greek in Revelation 11:18 that is translated as “destroy” in English is rendered in Yapese as “untie the words of” and in Chichewa as “wiping from the ground.”

wisdom

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “wisdom” in English is rendered in various ways:

  • Amganad Ifugao / Tabasco Chontal: “(big) mind”
  • Bulu / Yamba: “heart-thinking”
  • Tae’: “cleverness of heart” (source for this and all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Palauan: “bright spirit (innermost)” (source: Bratcher / Hatton)
  • Ixcatlán Mazatec: “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Noongar: dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember)
  • Kwere “to know how to live well” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Dobel: “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes)
  • Gbaya: iŋa-mgbara-mɔ or “knowing-about-things” (note that in comparison to that, “knowledge” is translated as iŋa-mɔ or “knowing things”) (source: Philip Noss in The Bible Translator 2001, p. 114ff. )
  • Chichewa: nzeru, meaning both “knowledge” and “wisdom” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Uma: “clearness” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Kako: “heart thinking” (source: Reyburn 2002, p. 190)

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a hand gesture referring to God to indicate a human quality to communicate that wisdom does not originate from man but is linked to and connected with the fear of God (source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group):


“Wisdom” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

See also wisdom (Proverbs) and knowledge.

Translation commentary on Revelation 1:12

In the Greek text verses 12-16 are one sentence (so Revised Standard Version but not New Revised Standard Version); but the break between verses is quite natural, so that the following discussion will proceed one verse at a time.

I turned to see the voice: this is what the Greek text says, but it is clear that the meaning is “to see the person” or “to see who was speaking to me” (New Jerusalem Bible). New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Revised, and Revised English Bible “to see whose voice it was that spoke to me” is unnecessarily wordy.

And on turning I saw: again Revised Standard Version follows literally the Greek form, which began the verse with the finite verb “I turned (to see),” followed here by the aorist participle “having turned (I saw).”

Seven golden lampstands: the lamp in these lampstands was an oil lamp, which consisted of a shallow clay bowl full of olive oil, with a wick lying in the oil; one end of the wick extended onto a lip of the bowl, where the oil in the wick burned so that its flame provided light. A translation must avoid giving the impression that electric light bulbs or wax candles were the source of light. The lampstands themselves were either made of gold or, more likely, were gold plated. Each lampstand, it is assumed, had several lamps on it. Lampstands may in certain languages be rendered as “lamp holders,” “things on which lamps are placed,” or even “poles that have lamps on top.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .