enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 12:15

For we have the help which comes from Heaven for our aid: Translators following the author in not making direct references to God cannot follow Good News Bible here. We may say “since Heaven [or, the One in Heaven] always helped us [or, came to our aid].”

And we were delivered from our enemies and our enemies were humbled may be rendered “he defeated [or, humbled] our enemies and rescued us from them” (similarly Good News Bible).

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.