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 ).

In Cherokee it is either translated as “the one(s) who reprimand(s) you” or “the one(s) feared.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 47)

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 9:6

When they saw the huge number of the enemy forces may be rendered “When the Jews saw the huge number of enemy soldiers.”

They were greatly frightened, and many slipped away from the camp: They were greatly frightened may be expressed as “they were terrified” (Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version) or even “they shook with fear.” Slipped away from is better rendered “deserted” (Good News Bible). The terrified soldiers left the Jewish camp not intending to return, abandoning the fight.

Until no more than eight hundred of them were left: Good News Bible is helpful in pointing out that the 800 left were “Jewish soldiers.”

Good News Bible helps the reader by dividing this verse into two sentences. However, the idea of “Jewish soldiers” could be placed at the beginning by saying:

• When the Jewish soldiers saw the huge number of enemy soldiers [or, the huge size of the enemy army], they shook with fear and deserted Judas. Only about 800 [or, eight hundred] soldiers stayed in the camp.

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.