The word play in the Hebrew original between “shaqed” (translated in most English versions as “almond tree”) of Jeremiah 1:11 and “shoqed” (translated in most English versions as “watching”) in Jeremiah 1:12 is reproduced in the German Good News translation (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) of 1982 with Wacholderzweig (“juniper branch”) and wache (“watch”). Accompanying the translation is a note, indicating that the literal translation would be Mandelbaum (“almond tree”), which they point out is the first to bloom in the spring, giving the appearance not to have slept. Then they explain that just as Hebrew has a play on words between “shaqed” and “shoqed,” so also they have made a play on words between Wacholder and wachen in their translation.
Das Wortspiel im hebräischen Oiginal zwischen "shaqed" (zu deutsch "Mandelbaum") in Jer. 1.11 und "shoqed" (zu deutsch "sehen", "schauen") in Jer 1.12 wird von der Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch von 1982 mit "Wacholderzweig" and "wache" nachgebildet. Die Übersetzung wird von folgender Fußnote begleitet: "Der Mandelbaum blüht im Frühjahr als erster und scheint im Winter sozusagen gar nicht 'geschlafen' zu haben." Dann wird erklärt, dass das hebräische Wortspiel dem deutschen Wortspiel zwischen "Wacholder" und "wachen" Vorbild war.
The Hebrew in Jeremiah 10:5 that is translated as “scarecrow” in English is translated in Bassa in Liberia as “a stick that a person decorates with clothes and sets in a farm.”
The Hebrew in Jeremiah 4:3 that is translated as “break up your fallow ground” in some English versions is translated as “prepare your hard hearts like a person prepares a garden spot” in Bassa.
The musical instrument that is most often translated as “flute” or “pipe” in English is more or less universally used, so it’s typically translated directly with the applicable term.
Since its cultural significance is sometimes different it might be translated with a different instruments is some cases (see also below). When in Matthew 11:17 and Luke 7:32 the flute is mentioned as an instrument played at a wedding, the Chichewa (interconfessional translation, 1999) translates it as “we played the wedding drum for you” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 74), the Yakan and Kankanaey translations use “gongs” (source: Yakan and Kankanaey Back Translations), in Western Bukidnon Manobo “drumming” is used (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation), and in Tagbanwa “stringed-instruments” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).
Or in Jeremiah 48:36 where the flute is used for mourning, Bassa uses “funeral drum” (source: Newman / Stine) or Hiligaynon, while using “flute,” makes the meaning explicit: “like a lonely music of a flute for the dead” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation).
Description: The flute was a wind instrument consisting of a tube with a series of finger holes used to alter the tone. Some flutes were made of reed and could take several forms: the tube could be a cylinder or it could be more in the shape of a cone. There were instruments made of a single tube, while others had two tubes side by side. Often ancient double flutes or double pipes were arranged in a V-shape, with two separate reeds. One of these pipes had several holes while the other had only one hole and acted as a kind of drone, providing an unchanging tone to accompany the varying tones coming from the first pipe. Some pipes or flutes were made of other materials, such as wood, ivory, bone, or metal.
Usage: Sound was produced with the flute by blowing across an opening leading into a hole running inside the length of the instrument; in some cases the opening hole was in the end of the instrument while in others this hole was in the side of the instrument toward one end. With the reed pipe, on the other hand, a column of air was set in motion by blowing over a reed device, causing it to vibrate.
Translation: If there is no wind instrument available to translate “flute,” a different kind of wind instrument may be used.
The Hebrew word ‘ugav is usually understood to refer to a wind instrument. It is possible, however, that it is a generic term for “instrument” or even refers to a particular stringed instrument. In Job 21:12 and Job 30:31 it is identified as an instrument that expressed joy and contentment.
Psalms 5:1: The Hebrew word nchiloth appears only here in the Old Testament, and its meaning is uncertain. It may mean “wind instruments” in general or “flutes” in particular. Extra-biblical evidence indicates that it may have been an instrument played for funeral laments.
Matthew 9:23: Here New Revised Standard Version, updated edition has “flute players”: According to Jewish tradition, even the poorest people were expected to have two flute players and a wailing woman for a funeral. In order to clarify the role of the flute players Good News Translation adds “for the funeral.” This information was immediately evident to a Jewish reader who was familiar with the funeral customs, but it will not be clear to other readers. Many cultures are familiar with the flute or other instruments that are played by blowing through a wooden tube. If no such instrument exists, then translators can say “those who played musical instruments for a funeral” or, as in Good News Translation, “musicians for the funeral.” See also flute players.
Men playing flutes (source: Louise Bass (c) British and Foreign Bible Society 1994)
The connector And indicates that the pronouncement of the LORD is continuing. It is not natural in all languages to do this, so Good News Translation deletes it.
God’s judgment upon his people grows out of the covenant relationship that had been established between him and them. Since the word judgments conveys the sense of a legal decision, New English Bible translates I will utter my judgments against them as “I will state my case against my people.” Good News Translation sees here God actually carrying out his judgments against his people: “I will punish my people.” Bible en français courant is quite clear: “Thus [In this way] I will carry out the sentence that I have pronounced against the inhabitants of the land.” The noun judgments (or “justice”) is found elsewhere in 4.2, 12; 10.24 (Revised Standard Version “just measure”); 12.1 (Revised Standard Version “case”); 17.11 (Revised Standard Version “right”); 21.12; 46.28 (Revised Standard Version “just measure”); and many other places.
Wickedness translates the same Hebrew noun rendered “evil” in verse 14, and Jeremiah doubtless intends a play on words: the LORD’s punishment upon his people is in keeping with the nature of their sin against him. It may be impossible in most languages to carry through this play on words. Normally translators have to use some word such as “evil” or “wicked,” although in a Study Bible this play on words could be mentioned in a note. The sins that God’s people have committed are two: they have abandoned him, and they have worshiped other gods. It is important for readers to understand that wickedness in this verse has the particular sense that they abandoned God and worshiped other gods, so the last half of the verse may be translated as follows: “for the evil they committed in abandoning me and offering sacrifices to other gods, and making idols and worshiping them.”
Burned incense (similarly New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New International Version, La Bible Pléiade) translates a Hebrew verb that means “let [something] go up in smoke.” It is possible that the reference is to incense, though it seems more probable that the burning of sacrifices is intended (so Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Luther 1984, New English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). New Revised Standard Version has “made offerings to other gods.”
Other gods often poses something of a problem for translators if “God” is rendered by a name or other proper noun that is not normally pluralized. A frequent example is in languages that either use “Allah” or a borrowed form of that name. One solution some have followed has been to use a term such as “idols,” but that is really too limited in sense and would not allow for things people worshiped that were not idols. “Things [or, beings] people worship [as if they were God]” is another possibility, or even “things people worship like they were God.”
The works of their own hands refers to something that the people had made with their own hands. Here the reference is to “idols” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Technically, the people did not worship these idols, but worshiped the gods they supposedly represented. However, it is not always possible to make that distinction in translation.
Worshiped comes from a verb that means “bow down” or “prostrate oneself” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, La Bible Pléiade). The picture is that of the worshiper lying face down before the deity. The term can be rendered as “pray to” or “honor reverently.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
The verb translated smitten may mean either “hit” (that is, “punish”) or “strike down” (that is, “kill”). Thus smitten your children may mean either “punished you [but you refused to be corrected]” or “killed some of your people [but the rest of you refused to learn anything from it].” Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and New International Version (“I punished your people”) follow the first alternative, while Jerusalem Bible (“I have struck down your sons”) and New English Bible (“I struck down your sons”) seem to prefer the second alternative. Either interpretation is possible, though that represented by Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and New International Version seems more satisfactory in the context; that is, the pronouns your … they in this first half of the verse are best understood to refer to the same people referred to by your … your in the second half of the verse.
Good News Translation renders In vain as “but it did no good.” “To no effect” and “With no results” are other ways to express the meaning.
Notice that children does not mean just the children or youngsters, but stands for “the people.” Whether translators express smitten as “punished” or “killed,” the verse should not give the impression that the LORD did something only to the children; he did something to the people.
They took no correction is expressed clearly by Good News Translation as “you would not let me correct you.” It is also possible to say “you would not accept the warning” (Bible en français courant) or “you did not learn anything from it.”
Your own sword devoured your prophets is correctly interpreted by Good News Translation to mean “you have murdered your prophets.” It may be best to translate your prophets as “the prophets I sent to you” or “the men I sent to speak my message to you.” It is quite likely that Jeremiah has in mind such events as described in 2Kgs 21.16; according to Jewish tradition Isaiah is said to have been murdered during this persecution. If sword is not known, translators can use some other knife-like war instrument such as “battle machete” or “big fighting knife.” But, as seen in Good News Translation, in this verse sword represents killing.
Like a ravening lion: See verse 15 for lion. Ravening could be “ferocious,” “raging,” or “rapacious.” The image is of a lion looking for something to kill and eat. Translators who are working in areas where lions are not known at all should consider substituting some animal that readers would be familiar with which attacks and kills its food, and preferably which is also in the cat family, such as a puma or panther. But since this is only a figure or illustration here, the exact animal is not important.
Although Good News Translation has expressed the meaning of the verse quite clearly, many translators want to keep the image of the sword if possible. The problem is that it often seems odd to have a sword devour or eat. Possible translations include “Like attacking lions you put the prophets I sent you to the sword,” “With your swords you killed my prophets with the ferocity of a hungry lion,” and “With the speed of an attacking lion your swords killed the prophets I sent you.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Let us lie down in our shame is best understood as Good News Translation has it: “We should lie down in shame.” For shame see “shamed” in 2.26.
Dishonor is used in parallel with the noun shame. Elsewhere in Jeremiah the noun is used only twice (20.11; 51.51); it is commonly rendered “disgrace.” If it is unnatural to speak of it covering someone, then a simile (comparison) can be used: “our disgrace will cover us like a blanket.” Bright is very descriptive:
We have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day is more naturally expressed in Good News Translation: “We and our ancestors have always sinned against the LORD our God.”
And we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God appears in Good News Translation as “we have never obeyed his commands.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, which continues the use of the second person reference to God, has “We have never obeyed you.”
For LORD our God, see 2.17. It may not be natural in some languages to use the phrase twice in the same sentence. Good News Translation, for example, uses “his” in the second instance.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
