The Greek in Romans 5:9 that is translated in English as “justified by his blood” or similar is translated in Wik-Mungkan with the expression chaapar theetath. The verbatim translation of that expression is “to give one’s blood for someone,” and it refers to a custom (that is presently not practiced anymore) where the father of a woman whose hand was asked for in marriage would stab the groom-to-be in the thigh with a spear. Once the father would see the blood running down the leg of the man he would be satisfied that since the man had given his blood he could now marry the daughter. (Source: Chris Kilham in Holzhausen 1991, p. 49)
desert / wilderness
The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “desert” or “wilderness” in English is translated in a number of ways:
- Mairasi: “a place where noisiness is cut off (or: stops)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Muna: pandaso bhalano pr “big barren-field” (source: René van den Berg)
- Balinese: “barren field” (source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
- Wantoat: “uninhabited place” (source: Holzhausen 1991, p. 38)
- Umiray Dumaget Agta: “where no people dwell” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
- Shipibo-Conibo: “where no house is” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
- Amri Karbi: “waterless region/place” (source: Philippova 2021, p. 368)
- Ocotlán Zapotec: “large empty place” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
- Pa’o Karen: “jungle” (denoting a place without any towns, villages and tilled fields) (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. )
- Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “steppe”
- Yakan: “the lonely place” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a land where no people lived” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “the place with no inhabitants” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Matumbi uses various term: lubele (desert, sandy place without water) — used in John 11:54, lupu’ngu’ti (a place where no people live, can be a scrub land, a forest, or a savanna) — used in Mark 1:3 et al.), and mwitu (a forest, a place where wild animals live) — used in Mark 1:13 et al.) (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
- Chichewa Contemporary translation (2002/2016): chipululu: a place uninhabited by people with thick forest and bush (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place,” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).
See also wilderness and desolate wilderness.
snake
In Kuy culture, snakes are eaten, so here the Kuy translation says the equivalent of “a yellow snake” as these are taboo (source: David Clark). For the same reason, the term used in Barasana-Eduria is “eel” since eels are detested among the speakers (source: Larry Clark in Holzhausen 1991, p. 45).
See also serpent.
right hand of
The Greek and Hebrew that is typically translated as “(to the) right hand of” is often translated much more descriptively in other languages:
- Yakan: “at the right side, here in the greatest/most important/most honored place/seat”
- Mezquital Otomi: “the right hand, at the place of honor”
- Chuj: “exalted at the right hand”
- Chichimeca-Jonaz: “in a high place there at the right”
- Lalana Chinantec: “make great”
- Isthmus Mixe: “given great authority”
- Morelos Nahuatl: “placed big” or “heart-strengthens me”
- Isthmus Mixe: “stays with me” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August, 1966, p. 86ff)
- Teutila Cuicatec: “in all authority at the right side” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.).
- Bariai: “chief seat at the right hand” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
In Lamnso’, the seat on the right-hand side signifies that the person seated there would have a higher position than the one to his left (vs. just being a seat of honor). To circumvent any misunderstanding of the biblical text, the translation here refers to the “highest seat next to God.” (Source: Karl Grebe in Holzhausen 1991, p. 52)
(Note that in Elhomwe the idiom “I see you through the left hand” stands for “useless.” [Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext])
For Old Testament examples of blessing and power associated with God’s right hand, see Gen 48:14, 48:17, Exodus 15:6, 15:12, Psalm 48:10, 80:15, 80:17, 89:13.
gospel
In choosing a word for the Greek that is typically translated as “gospel” in English, a number of languages construct a phrase meaning “good news,” “joyful report” or “happiness-bringing words.” In some instances such a phrase may be slightly expanded in order to convey the proper meaning, e.g. “new good word” (Tzotzil), or it may involve some special local usage:
- “good story” (Navajo (Dinė))
- “joyful telling” (Tausug)
- “joyful message” (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
- cohuen ñoñets or “message of God” (Shilluk) (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)
- “good news” (Yanesha’) (source: Martha Duff in Holzhausen 1991, p. 11)
- “voice of good spirit” (San Blas Kuna) (source: Claudio and Marvel Iglesias in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 85ff. )
- suviśēṣattinṟe (0സുവിശേഷം) or “good narrative” (Malayalam)
- susmachar (ସୁସମାଚାର) or “good matter” (Odia)
- suvārteya (ಸುವಾರ್ತೆಯ) or “good word” (Kannada) (source for this and two above: Y.D. Tiwari in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 132ff. )
- the German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) translates as “all-transformative good news” (alles verändernde gute Botschaft), also “good news,” and the German translation by Fridolin Stier (1989) as “message of salvation” (Heilsbotschaft)
Vitaly Voinov tells this story about the translation into Rutul (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight):
“In Rutul, it was only during the most recent consultant checking session that I realized that the Rutul word for Gospel – Incir (from Arabic إنجيل — Injil) — sounds and looks exactly like the word that means ‘fig’ in Rutul. This is a case of homonymy, in which two completely non-related words from differing historical sources have come to sound exactly alike. Most Rutul speakers know that incir means ‘fig’ because they grow this fruit in their yard or buy it at the market every week. However, because the religious sphere of discourse was heavily disparaged during the Soviet era, most people simply never encountered Incir with the meaning of ‘Gospel.’ This meaning of the word, which Rutuls of the pre-Soviet era knew from the Koran, simply fell into disuse and never had much reason for returning into contemporary Rutul since there is no Christian church established among the people. So if the translator continues to use the term Incir as the rendering for ‘Gospel,’ he runs the risk that most readers will, at best, read the word with a smile because they know that it also means ‘fig,’ and, at worst, will completely misunderstand the word. The seemingly ‘easy’ solution in this case is for the translator to use a Rutul neologism meaning ‘Joyful Message’ or ‘Good News,’ [see above] instead of Incir; but in fact it is not all that easy to make this change if the translator himself insists on using the historical word because at least some Rutuls still understand it as meaning ‘Gospel.’ This is a situation in which the translation team has to gradually grow into the understanding that a fully intelligible translation of Scripture is preferable to one that maintains old words at the cost of alienating much of the readership.”
For “good news,” see also Isaiah 52:7.
complete verse (John 15:13)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 15:13:
- Chol: “There is much love in the one who will give himself to die on behalf of his friends. There is no one who has more love than this.”
- Ojitlán Chinantec: “If one is willing to die for a friend, he has loved that one to completion.”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “The biggest love is this, when a person gives up his life for a friend of his.”
- Shipibo-Conibo: “Only upon very really loving their friend can they want to die in his place.”
- Yanesha’: “There isn’t love which surpasses this: We let go of ourselves to die for our loved ones.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Uma: “If there is a person who gives his life so that his companion lives, his love is indeed big. There is no love greater than the love of a person who gives his life in order to help his companion.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “If a person submits to die because of his love for his friends, there is no human love greater than this.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is a person who allows himself to be killed in order to free his friends, this is a sign that his friends are very dear in his breath. There is no dearness which can equal this.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “This is the largest love that a person is able-to-show, if he dies so that his friends may live.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “True valuing which can’t be exceeded is the valuing by a person who will give his life/breath in place of the life/breath of his friends.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “The most important thing one can do when he loves his friend is to give his life for his friend.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
In Ogea the word for “love” is “die for someone,” echoing the content of this verse. (Source. Sandi Colburn in Hiolzhausen 1991, p. 22)
complete verse (Matthew 9:15)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 9:15:
- Uma: “Yesus answered them with this parable, he said to them: ‘People at a wedding feast definitely are happy together with the groom, they do not fast while the groom is still with them. But the time will come when the groom is taken from among them. At that time, only then will they fast.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Isa answered them in a parable. He compared his disciples to people at a wedding. He said, ‘Are the people at a wedding sad/troubled as long as the bridegroom is still there with them? No. But in the future when the bridegroom has been caused to leave then they will fast.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus answered, ‘If there is a wedding, it cannot be that the companions of the bridegroom will not join in the festivities while the bridegroom is still with them. But at the time when the bridegroom leaves them, they will abstain from eating. In the same way also, while I am still here with them, they will not abstain from eating.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Jesus answered parabling, ‘If someone has-a-wedding, do you think do-you-suppose that the groom’s (lit. one-marrying) friends whom he invited ought to be sad? But when the time arrives that the bridegroom will be taken-away from them, that’s the time-when-they -will-fast.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Jesus replied saying, ‘Is it possible/acceptable for the ones invited to a wedding to be sad as long as the man whose marriage is being celebrated is with them? Surely not. Well it’s like that too with these disciples of mine. But the day will come when I will be separated from them. And then they will fast.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Jesus said to those who were speaking to him: ‘People who have been called to view the marriage are not sad and fasting while the bridegroom is right there with them. Like that, my learners also do not fast while I am with them. But there is coming the day when my enemies will take me away. Of course on that day they will have reason to fast.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Ebira: “Jesus said to them: ‘Can the people (the relatives and friends of) a man, who is in the process of getting a wife, mourn while the husband is with them? They cannot fast when the husband of the girl is with them.'” (Ebira does not have formal terms for “wedding,” “groom,” and “bride”) (Source: Hans-Jürgen Scholz in Holzhausen 1991, p. 34)
complete verse (Mark 2:19)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 2:19:
- Uma: “Yesus answered them with this parable [lit., example words], he said to them: ‘As for people at a wedding feast, do they fast while accompanying the bridegroom? Of course not. While the bridegroom is still with them they do not fast.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Isa answered them in a parable. He compared his disciples to people at a wedding. He said, ‘Can the people at a wedding fast as long as the bridegroom is still there with them? No. As long as the bridegroom is still there with them they cannot fast.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Jesus answered parabling, ‘If someone has-a-wedding-ceremony, do you think do-you-suppose (rhet. question) that the friends of the man-getting-married will not join-in-eating, whom he invited? They will certainly eat, because it is unseemly if they fast and the man-getting-married is still with them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Jesus replied, saying, ‘Can the people fast who have been invited to a marriage-feast as long as that man whose marriage is being celebrated is still with them? Of course not.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Ebira: “Jesus said to them: ‘Can the people (the relatives and friends of) a man, who is in the process of getting a wife, fast while the husband is with them? They cannot fast when the husband of the girl is with them.'” (Ebira does not have formal terms for “wedding,” “groom,” and “bride”) (Source: Hans-Jürgen Scholz in Holzhausen 1991, p. 34)
- Peñoles Mixtec: “Is it fitting that people who are at a wedding feast, that they won’t eat anything? No! They will eat a lot, because they are rejoicing with their friend who is going to marry his wife.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
- English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “Jesus said to them, ‘Can the friends of the bridegroom fast, when the bridegroom is with them? No. So long as the bridegroom is with them, they cannot fast.”