The Greek, Ge’ez, and Hebrew phrases that are often translated as “birds of the air” or similar in English “refer to the undomesticated song birds or wild birds, to be distinguished in a number of languages from domesticated fowl. In Tzeltal these former are ‘field birds’.” (source: Bratcher / Nida)
Q’anjob’al also uses an established term for non-domesticated birds. Newberry and Kittie Cox (in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. ) explain: “Qʼanjobʼal has two distinct terms, one to identify domesticated birds and the other non-domesticated birds. The additional descriptive phrase ‘of the air’ seemed entirely misleading, for Qʼanjobʼal speakers had never heard of such creatures. Actually, of course, all that was necessary was the term for non-domesticated birds, for that is precisely the meaning of the Biblical expression.”
In Elhomwe they are just translated as “birds” or “birds of the bush” (i.e., wild birds) to “not give the impression that these are special type of birds.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In Gbaya, the notion becoming rigid as a sign of fear is emphasized in Mark 9:18 with kiŋgiŋgi, an ideophone that describes a sign of great emotion, a panic of fear and helplessness.
Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)
The Greek that is translated in English as “beside the sea” or “seaside” is translated in Q’anjob’al with the existing idiom “mouth of the sea.” (Source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. )
The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated in English as “thunder” is translated in Q’anjob’al with the existing idiom “the sun trembles.” (Source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. )
In Matumbinjai means “thunder” and/or “lightning.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
The Greek in Mark 4:24 that is translated in English as “pay attention” or “take heed” is translated in Q’anjob’al with “hear dying.” Newberry and Kittie Cox (in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. ) explain: “The use of the word ‘dying’ makes any action important and serious, that is to say, somewhat similar to he English phrase ‘a matter of life and death,’ when it refers to the seriousness of the occasion.”
Chichewachipongwe Mulungu. Chipwonge is used to refer to acts or derogatory remarks that dishonor another person. (Mulungu is the Chichewa word for “God.”) (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
The Hebrew, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is typically as “compassion” in English (“compassion” comes from the Latincompatior and means suffering with) is translated in various ways:
Shilluk´: “cries in the soul” (source: Nida, 1952, p. 132)
The Greek that is translated with “deny himself” or “deny oneself” is according to Bratcher / Nida “without doubt one of the most difficult expressions in all of Mark to translate adequately.” These are many of the (back-) translations:
