The Hebrew in Psalm 60:8 that is often translated in English as “throw (or: cast) my shoe” (“symbolizing taking possession of the territory”) is translated into Bamun as “I plant my war spear (in the land of Edom)” (“In the Bamun culture occupation or possession is indicated by planting a spear in the enemy’s territory.”)
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 143ff.
The Hebrew in Psalm 9:16 that is translated as something like “the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands” in English is rendered in Medumba as “the works of the hands of the wicked man throw him into the pit” (“‘To throw into the pit’ is a figure of speech for ‘betraying’, ‘condemning’, and the pit symbolizes a difficult situation from which there appears to be no way out.”)
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 143ff.
The Hebrew in Psalm 30:11 that is translated as “you have loosed my sackcloth” in English is rendered in the Bamileke language Medumba with the existing expression “you have taken the bag of mourning from my hand” (“because Bamileke women in mourning normally carry a raffia bag slung over the arm.”) (Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 107ff. and Nida / Reyburn, p. 56)
See also sackcloth.
The Hebrew that is translated as “I will throw filth on you” in English (referring to the treatment of a prostitute) is rendered in Medumba with the existing expression “throw filth (ashes) at one’s back.” (“This is the way in which ‘children’ — but there is of course no age limit! — are punished by parents for having violated the existing order or some particular — sexual or non-sexual — taboo. However, at the same time, the expression ‘throw ashes at one’s back’ has entered the language in a figurative way, having the extended meaning of ‘making someone ridiculous.’ In fact, both components of punishment and making ridiculous are present here.”)
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 146ff.
The Hebrew proverb in Ezekiel 16:44 that is translated as “like mother, like daughter” in English is rendered in Medumba with the existing expression tshu’ fu ngùt: “the character (nature) resembles the lineage.”
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 146ff.
Just like in English, “like mother, like daughter” has turned into a well-known idiom in other languages as well:
All of these languages also have a parallel idiom that says “like father, like son.”
The Hebrew proverb that is translated as “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” in English is rendered in Medumba with the existing proverb “They, the others, have eaten caterpillars; And we have got a stomach ache.” (Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 146ff. )
In Maan, the translation is “Parents ate green grapes, but their children’s teeth were sour.” (Source: Don Slager)
See also like vinegar to the teeth.
The Hebrew in Psalm 18:5 that is translated as “the cords of Sheol” in some English versions is rendered in Medumba with the existing expression “the odor of death.” (Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 107ff )
In the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) it is translated as In “the ropes from the grave.” In Chewa culture these are used to descend a coffin with a dead body into the grave. These ropes are kept at the grave or in some communities at the house of one of the people who take care of the grave. Being tied by these ropes is considered to be a big misfortune as they are associated with death. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
The Hebrew in Psalm 10:5 that is translated as “he puffs (or: snorts) at all his foes” in some English versions is rendered in Medumba with the existing expression “he spits on all his adversaries.”
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 107ff.