cherub

Some key biblical terms that were directly transliterated from the Hebrew have ended up with unforeseen meanings in the lexicons of various recipient languages.

Take, for example, the English word “cherub,” from Hebrew “kĕrȗb.” Whereas the original Hebrew term meant something like “angelic being that is represented as part human, part animal” (…), the English word now means something like “a person, especially a child, with an innocent or chubby face.” Semantic shift has been conditioned in English by the Renaissance artistic tradition that portrayed cherubim in the guise of cute little Greek cupids. This development was of course impossible to foresee at the time when the first English translations borrowed this Hebrew word into the English Bible tradition, following the pattern of borrowing set by the Greek and Latin translations of the Old Testament.

In Russian, the semantic shift of this transliteration was somewhat different: the -îm ending of “kĕrūbîm,” originally signifying plurality in Hebrew, has been reanalyzed as merely the final part of the lexical item, so that the term херувим (kheruvim) in Russian is a singular count noun, not a plural one. (A similar degrammaticalization is seen in English writers who render the Hebrew plural kĕrūbîm as “cherubims.”) Apparently, this degrammaticalization of the Hebrew ending is what led the Russian Synodal translator of Genesis 3:24 to mistakenly render the Hebrew as saying that the Lord God placed a kheruvim (accusative masculine singular in Russian) to the east of the garden of Eden, instead of indicating a plural number of such beings. (Source: Vitaly Voinov in The Bible Translator 2012, p. 17ff. )

In Ngäbere the Hebrew that is translated in English as “cherub” is translated as “heavenly guard” (source: J. Loewen 1980, p. 107), in Nyamwezi as v’amalaika v’akelubi or “Cherubim-Angel” to add clarity, in Vidunda as “winged creature,” in Makonde as “winged creature from heaven” (source for this and two before: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext), in Bura-Pabir as “good spirit with wings,” and in Northern Pashto it is either translated as “heavenly creature” (Afghan Pashto Bible, publ. 2023) or “winged creature” (Holy Bible in Pakistani [Yousafzai] Pashto, publ. 2020) (source for Bura-Pabir and Northern Pashto: Andy Warren-Rothlin).

In French Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines “angel” and “spinning sword” (referring to Genesis 3:24):


“Cherub” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

See also seraph and ark of the covenant.

cubit

The Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that is translated as “cubit” or into a metric or imperial measurement in English is translated in Kutu, Kwere, and Nyamwezi as makono or “armlength.” Since a cubit is the measurement from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, one armlength (measured from the center of the chest to the fingertips) equals two cubits or roughly 1 meter. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Similarly, in Akoose, the translation is “arm distance.” (Source: Joseph Nkwelle Ngome and Marlie van Rooyen & Jacobus A. Naudé in Communicatio 2009, p. 251ff.)

In Klao it is converted into “hand spans” (app. 6 inches or 12 cm) and “finger spans” (app. 1 inch or 2 cm) (source: Don Slager) and in Bariai into leoa or “fathom,” which comprises the distance from a person’s fingertip to fingertip with arms outstretched, app. 6 feet (source: Bariai Back Translation).

sanctuary

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “sanctuary” in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with opatulika or “separated place.” This is understood in a religious setup as a place designated for worship. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

complete verse (1 Kings 6:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 6:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “Solomon made two cherubs in the Inner room in the House of God. He made those cherubs out of olive tree/wood. Each one of those cherubs had fifteen feet when it stood. Those cherubs resembled each other and were of the same size. Each wing of those cherubs had a length of seven and a half feet.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, each 4.4 meters tall, from wood of the olive tree.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Solomon had-placed inside the Most Holy Place two cherubim that were made of olive wood, that each one were 15 feet tall.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Inside the Very Holy Place, they made from olive tree wood large statues of two creatures with wings. Each one was 15 feet tall.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 6:23

He made two cherubim of olivewood: The creatures called cherubim were symbols of God’s majesty and were associated with his presence. Depictions of cherubim in Western art usually show them as round-faced infants, but this does not at all correspond to their descriptions in the Old Testament or to their appearance in the art of Assyria and other countries of the ancient Near East. These creatures were winged beings that were depicted as part human and part animal. The descriptions of such creatures are not uniform throughout the Old Testament, but see the descriptions in Exo 25.17-22; and Ezek 1.5-13; 10.1-22. The name cherubim (-im is a plural ending in Hebrew) has traditionally been transliterated (so King James Version, Reina-Valera revisada), and many modern translations continue this approach (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Bible en français courant). It will be more meaningful in most languages, however, to say something like “winged creatures” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible) and include a more detailed explanation in a word list entry. One of the primary functions of the cherubim is that of protecting divine property such as the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3.24) and the Covenant Box (Exo 25.17-22). For this reason some translators have sought to convey something of the meaning by saying something like “guardians of God’s things” or “protecting beings.” But a glossary entry will be essential in any case.

De Vries follows one important manuscript of the Septuagint in omitting the words of olivewood, but translators should follow the Masoretic Text. There is, however, some question about the identity of this tree, called “oil tree” in Hebrew. Experts today believe it is the Aleppo pine. It has been translated “olivewood” (Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible), “wild olive wood” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Nouvelle Bible Segond), “oil-wood” (Gray; De Vries in verse 31), “pinewood” (Anchor Bible), and “oleaster.” In any case, it was apparently a hard and finely grained wood. Translators may translate literally “oil tree,” or they may transliterate a major language’s term for “pine.”

Ten cubits is equivalent to about 5 meters or 15 feet.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 6:23

6:23a In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim, out of olive wood,

For the inner room, Solomon made a pair of ⌊heavenly beings,⌋ cherubs.
-or-
Solomon ⌊had his workmen⌋ carve two statues of winged holy creatures. They were to be placed in the most holy place.

6:23b each ten cubits high,

They were ten cubits high
-or-
The two statues were both five meters tall/high.

6:23c out of olive wood.

and made from olive wood.
-or-
They were made from the wood of olive trees.

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