evangelist

The Greek that is transliterated in English as “evangelist” is translated as “[a person who is] accustomed to speak the good news about God” in Eastern Highland Otomi, as “takes God’s word around” in Isthmus Mixe, and as “spoke the good word” Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

risked their necks

The Greek in Romans 16:4 that is translated as “risked their necks” or similar in English is translated as “were nearly killed” in Huehuetla Tepehua and as “almost lost their lives” in Highland Totonac. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

Day of the Lord

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated in many English versions as “Day of the Lord” was rendered in Bengali as “Day of Judgement” in order to avoid confusion with the Lord’s day in the sense of Sunday. (Source: David Clark)

In Atatláhuca Mixtec it is translated as “the day when our owner comes back.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

See also day of judgment.

right hand of

The Greek and Hebrew that is typically translated as “(to the) right hand of” is often translated much more descriptively in other languages:

  • Yakan: “at the right side, here in the greatest/most important/most honored place/seat”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “the right hand, at the place of honor”
  • Chuj: “exalted at the right hand”
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz: “in a high place there at the right”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “make great”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “given great authority”
  • Morelos Nahuatl: “placed big” or “heart-strengthens me”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “stays with me” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August, 1966, p. 86ff)
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “in all authority at the right side” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Bariai: “chief seat at the right hand” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Cherokee: “the right, the stronger” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 31)
  • Musgu: “next to” or “on the side of” (source: Lynell Zogbo in The Bible Translator 2013, p. 36ff. )

In Lamnso’, the seat on the right-hand side signifies that the person seated there would have a higher position than the one to his left (vs. just being a seat of honor). To circumvent any misunderstanding of the biblical text, the translation here refers to the “highest seat next to God.” (Source: Karl Grebe in Holzhausen 1991, p. 52)

(Note that in Elhomwe the idiom “I see you through the left hand” stands for “useless.” [Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext])

For Old Testament examples of blessing and power associated with God’s right hand, see Gen 48:14, 48:17, Exodus 15:6, 15:12, Psalm 48:10, 80:15, 80:17, 89:13.

For more information on the issue of translating “right” vs. “left,” especially in African languages, see Lynell Zogbo’s article in The Bible Translator 2013, p. 36ff. .

foresail

The Greek in Acts 27:40 that is translated as “foresail” in English is translated as “the cloth on the pole that was more in front of the boat in order that the wind might push the boat” in Morelos Nahuatl. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

LORD of hosts

The Greek that is translated as “Lord of hosts” in English is translated “our Lord, the person who governs heaven and earth” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “the Lord who rules all” in Isthmus Zapotec, as “God who commands many people” in Sayula Popoluca, and as “our Lord who has many men” in Tzeltal. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

See also LORD of hosts.

obedience / obey

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, and Greek that is translated in English typically as “obedience” or “obey” is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “thing hearing,” because “to hear is to obey.” (Source: Marjorie Davis in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 34ff. )

In Huba it is translated as hya nǝu nyacha: “follow (his) mouth.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )

In Central Mazahua it is translated as “listen-obey” and in Huehuetla Tepehua as “believe-obey” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in Noongar as dwangka-don, lit. “hear do” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).

See also disobedience.