German Luther translation: Posaune, today: “trombone,” originally with the meaning of a wind instrument made from cow horn (from Latin bucina [bovi- / “cow” + the root of cano / “sing”]. Incidentally, bucina is also used in the Latin Vulgate translation). By the time of Luther’s translation it referred to the natural trumpet or a fanfare trumpet (see also trumpet). Once the meaning morphed to “trombone” in the 19th century, trombone ensembles started to play a central role in Protestant German churches and do so to the present day. In 2016, “Posaunenchöre” became added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list . (Note that Exodus 19:13 is the only exception in the Luther Bible. From the 1956 revision on, Widderhorn or “ram’s horn” is used here) (source: Zetzsche)
Description: The horn was a wind instrument made from the horn of an animal, usually a male sheep.
Usage: The animal horn was softened so that it could be shaped. The point of the horn was cut off to leave a small opening through which the user blew. The vibration of the lips produced the sound.
The ram’s horn served two general purposes:
1. It was blown in certain religious contexts, not as musical accompaniment to worship but as a signal for important events. Some of these events were the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, the Day of Atonement, the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, and the coronation of kings.
2. It also served as a signal or alarm when war was approaching. Such references are particularly common in the prophetic books, when the prophets are calling the people to repent (Hosea 5:8; 8:1; Joel 2:1; 2:15; Amos 3:6).
Translation: In many passages the purpose of the ram’s horn called shofar in Hebrew was to sound an alarm. This will be easy to express in those cultures where the horns of animals are used as musical instruments to give signals to large groups of people. In other cultures it may be possible to find another instrument that is used for an equivalent purpose. In some languages, for example, instruments such as bells or drums are the warnings for war. Some translations have transliterated the word shofar. Unless the instrument is well known, such a borrowing should normally be accompanied by a footnote or a glossary entry.
In some passages it will be necessary to expand the translation in order to indicate that the blowing of the ram’s horn was not just for music; for example, in Ezekiel 7:14Contemporary English Version has “A signal has been blown on the trumpet,” and the GermanContemporary English Version says “An alarm is sounded” [elsewhere, the same German version refers to the horns as Kriegshörner or “war horns.”]
Man blowing ram’s horn (source: Knowles, revised by Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 16:3:
Kupsabiny: “A person who leaves it to God to rule/guide all his plans becomes strong.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Hand over to the Lord whatever work you do, and all your work will succeed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Commit to the LORD all you (sing.) are-planning to do, and you (sing.) will-be-successful.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “If you (sing.) entrust your (sing.) plans to God, they will be fulfilled.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
English: “Request/Rely on Yahweh to direct what you plan to do; if you do that, you will succeed in what you plan.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 1:2:
ChichewaMawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero translation, 2002/2016:
“But his delight is in the laws of Jehovah
and in his laws he meditates day and night.” (Source: Chichewa Back Translation)
Newari:
“But he rejoices in the law of the Lord.
Night and day he meditates on His law.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“Instead, he (is) happy in following the teachings that (come) from the Lord,
and he meditates on these day-(and)-night.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru:
“But that person, he is very happy/delighted with the law of God only.
And he spends time thinking about the book of that law all night and all day.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Laarim:
“But, he will rejoice in the Law of Lord,
and he thinks the Law of Lord day and night.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Bali sheria za Bwana ndizo ambazo zinampendeza,
anaziwaza mchana na usiku.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“Those whom God is pleased with delight in doing the things that he has instructed/taught us to do.
They read and think about Yahweh’s requirements, day and night.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “circumcise” or “circumcision” in English (originally meaning of English term: “to cut around”) are (back-) translated in various ways:
Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “put the mark in the body showing that they belong to God” (or: “that they have a covenant with God”)
Indonesian: disunat — “undergo sunat” (sunat is derived from Arabic “sunnah (سنة)” — “(religious) way (of life)”)
Ekari: “cut the end of the member for which one fears shame” (in Gen. 17:10) (but typically: “the cutting custom”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 1:3:
ChichewaMawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero translation, 2002/2016:
“He is like a tree planted in the banks of rivers of water,
which bears its fruits in its season
and its leaves do not wither.
Anything that he does he profits from it.” (Source: Chichewa Back Translation)
Newari:
“He is like a tree planted on a river bank.
He always bears fruit at the proper times
and his leaves never dry up.
Whatever work he does gets finished.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“He is like a tree planted beside the stream
that bears-fruit in season of bearing-fruit,
and (whose) leaves do- not -wither.
A man like this will-prosper in what he does.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru:
“That person becomes like a tree someone planted near flowing water.
At the appropriate time, it produces fruit, and its leaves never wither/dry up.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Laarim:
“He is like a tree planted at the bank of river,
its bears always when its months reach.
Its leaves do not dry.
All the good matters he does, stay well.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
West African language:
“Then you will be like a river-by tree whose leaves the sun cannot kill,
whose children are always ripe at the right time.
Then everything you do will finish on a good road.” (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1983, p. 420ff. )
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Huyo yuko kama vile mti,
ambao umepandwa kando katika chemchemi ya maji,
ambao unazaa matunda katika wakati wake,
na majani yake hayanyauki.
Yote ambayo anayafanya yanakuwa ni mema.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“They constantly produce/do things that please God
just like fruit trees that have been planted along the banks of a stream produce fruit at the right time every year.
Like trees that never wither,
they succeed in everything that they do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 6:24:
Kupsabiny: “‘May God bless you and keep you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “May the LORD bless you and may [He] care for you,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “‘May the LORD bless you (plur.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Chichewa (interconfessional translation, 1999): “May Chauta [see tetragrammaton (YHWH)] bless you [pl.], and may he keep you.” (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 147f.)
English: “‘I desire that Yahweh will bless you and protect you,” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 1:4:
ChichewaMawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero translation, 2002/2016:
“It is not (like) that with wicked people!
They are like chaff
that is blown away by the wind.” (Source: Chichewa Back Translation)
Newari:
“The wicked are not like that.
They are like chaff.
The wind blows them away.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“But not like this the wicked people.
They on-the-other-hand have-no value,
like chaff that just blows-away by the wind.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru:
“But the wicked person doesn’t produce like that,
but that person is like chaff that the wind scatters.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Laarim:
“The bad people are not like that!
They are like chaff
that are carried by the wind and just disappear.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
West African language:
“Bad people are not like the river-by tree,
they are like dry (corn) chaff
which the wind blows away, puff! puff! [=ideophone, i.e. word that expresses what is perceived by the five senses]” (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1983, p. 420ff. )
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Lakini waovu hawako kama hivyo.
Wao wako kama vile makapi ambayo yanapeperushwa na upepo.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“But wicked people are not like that!
Wicked people are as worthless as chaff
that is blown away by the wind.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 1:5:
ChichewaMawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero translation, 2002/2016:
“So wicked people will not be able to stand in judgment,
or sinful people in the assembly of righteous people.” (Source: Chichewa Back Translation)
Newari:
“So at the time of judgment
the wicked will be punished.
And sinners will not be able to remain
in the assembly of the righteous.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“So on the day of judgment, they will-be-punished by God
and they will- not -be-joined-in with the righteous-ones.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru:
“Arriving at the day God judges the wicked people,
on that day God will sort out those wicked people from the straight good/righteous people.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Laarim:
“Therefore, God will judge the people who do bad matter,
and the sinners will not stay together in one place with good people.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Kwa hiyo waliopotoka hawatakuja kupona kuhukumiwa,
watenda dhambi hawatakuja kuwamo katika kundi la wanyofu. ” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“Therefore, wicked people will not be acquitted/will be condemned when God judges people,
and furthermore, sinful people will not even be present when God gathers righteous people together,” (Source: Translation for Translators)
