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 9:46

Cry out now to Heaven that you may be delivered from the hands of our enemies: Translators who are trying to follow the author in avoiding direct references to God will not want to follow Good News Bible here. For Cry out now to Heaven, we may say “Pray to Heaven,” “Pray to the One in Heaven,” or simply “Pray.” From the hands of our enemies may be rendered simply “from our enemies.” Alternative models for this verse are:

• Pray that our enemies won’t kill us.”

• Pray [to Heaven above] that we can get out of this alive.”

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.