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)
Verses 14-19 explain in some detail what is meant by “and became worthless” (verse 5). The condition described in these verses also stands in sharp contrast to that of verse 3: in the past Israel was “holy to the LORD,” and the LORD allowed no one to defile the nation; now Israel is a slave, hunted down by its enemies.
Whereas a slave could live in the expectation of being set free (Exo 21.2), a homeborn servant evidently had no such hope. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes this distinction: “Israel, you are no slave. And you were not born a slave, for whom there is no freedom!”
Prey is rendered “plunder” in New Revised Standard Version. The meaning is similar, and in both cases the image is of Israel being the helpless victim of stronger more violent pursuers. “Something hunted down by wild animals” or “something seized and taken by attacking enemies” would convey this. Note that those preying, if they have to be identified, are other nations, not wild animals. “Hunted” might be better in some languages.
The first part of the verse consists of two rhetorical questions, that is, questions not seeking information but rather used to have a particular impact. Obviously the response for them is “No!” As seen above, both Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch turn these into statements, and in many other languages this might be necessary as well. Other translators might retain the questions but supply the answer. Bible en français courant, for example, has “Israel, is he now a servant? Or was he perhaps born a slave? No.” The third question in the verse, however, Why then has he become a prey?, although also rhetorical, is most often translated as a question, perhaps because Israel’s enemies were indeed pursuing them: “[If he’s not a slave] how then is it he’s become a prey for other people?” If the rhetorical question is not natural, translators can have “But yet his enemies hunt him down [as their prey].”
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 .
So light translates an adverbial expression meaning “from lightheartedness.” Because harlotry was so light to her is translated a variety of ways: “So shameless was her whoring” (Jerusalem Bible); “Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her” (New International Version, but Judah should be in view here); and “Through her shameless prostitution” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Another possibility is “Because being a prostitute didn’t bother her.”
She polluted the land (so most translations) represents one possible way of reading the consonants of the Hebrew text. However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers the Masoretic form of the text, that is, the text with vowels that has come down to us. This text may be rendered “she defiled herself together with the land.” The Septuagint omits this statement. Those translators who choose to follow the Revised Standard Version text, polluted the land, should refer to the discussion at verse 1. If they follow the Masoretic Text, then they may say something like “she made both herself and the land unfit for God [or, for worshiping God].”
Committing adultery with stone and tree means “she committed adultery by worshiping stones and trees” (see 2.27).
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 .
Warn the nations is thought by some scholars to make no sense in the context, though there is no textual basis either for its removal or for its replacement by an alternative wording. It may then be understood as either a warning to the nations concerning the destruction that is about to take place or a call to the nations to witness the destruction that the LORD is bringing upon Jerusalem. A number of modern translations identify this as a warning (Moffatt, Good News Translation, Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), though the verb itself literally means “Make … known” (New American Bible) or “Tell” (Revised English Bible).
There is, however, another interpretation of the Hebrew put forward by some scholars which translators should consider. It could be expressed as “Announce to those nations, ‘This is the way!’ ” This interpretation is possible because the word rendered as Warn in the Revised Standard Version text is more often translated as “proclaim” or “announce”; the word Revised Standard Version translates as that he is coming really means “See!” or “Look!” or “This way!” (so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). Thus the line is addressed to the various groups of the invading army, telling them which way to go.
He (see verse 13) refers to the “enemies” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) if translators follow either of the first two interpretations above.
The Hebrew underlying announce to Jerusalem can also be interpreted as “summon against,” which seems reflected in Revised English Bible “proclaim the doom of Jerusalem.” This interpretation would also fit well with the interpretation of the first line as telling the enemy troops which way to go. The two lines could be “Announce to those nations, ‘Here, go this way,’ and summon them against Jerusalem.”
There is some discussion regarding the meaning of the word translated besiegers by Revised Standard Version and “enemies” by Good News Translation. The word literally means “guards” or “watchers,” and is not normally used in the sense that it has here. Jerusalem Bible renders “Enemies,” with a footnote that the translators are following the Septuagint. However, it would seem possible to assume this meaning for the Hebrew, thereby making a footnote unnecessary. In fact, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Luther 1984 and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch follow this interpretation, together with Good News Translation, without a footnote. Other commentators prefer the meaning of “scouts,” the vanguard of the approaching army, and that would also be acceptable in the translation.
Shout against must be understood in the sense of “lift up their battle cry against” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).
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 .
