sorrow

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated in English as “painful” or “sorrow” is translated in Huba as “cut the insides.” David Frank explains: “Huba has just one expression that covers both ‘angry’ and ‘sad.’ They don’t make a distinction in their language. I suppose you could say that the term they use means more generically, ‘strong emotional reaction’ (source: David Frank in this blog post ). Similarly, in Bariai it is “the interior is severed/cut” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

In Noongar it is translated as koort-warra or “heart bad.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)

In Enlhet it is translated as “going aside of the innermost.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )

See also grieving / sorrowful.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 10:14

Then I say to you introduces what Ezra says to the woman in the rest of this verse. Both Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version use indirect speech here, which other languages may find helpful. This quote frame may be rendered “Here’s what I say to that” or “Listen to me” (Contemporary English Version). Good News Bible translates it “But let me tell you” at the end of verses 12-13, since that is where it occurs in some Latin manuscripts. We prefer to place it at the beginning of this verse.

As you brought forth in sorrow may be expressed as “just as you suffered the birth of your son” (Contemporary English Version) or “Yes, you went through the pain of childbirth [or, bearing a child].”

So the earth also has from the beginning given her fruit, that is, man: It is not clear whether this clause means that the earth has sorrow because of the death of its people, or it suffers when they are born. Box (page 604), with hesitation, thinks it refers to the earth’s sorrow over the death of people. But most scholars agree that it refers to its suffering during their birth (compare Rom 8.19-22). So we may translate this clause as “so also from the very beginning of time the earth has been suffering while giving birth to human beings.”

To him who made her: The pronoun him refers to God, who created the earth.

Possible models for this verse are:

• Here’s what I say to that: ‘Yes, you went through the pain of childbirth, but from the very beginning [of time] the earth has been suffering while giving birth to human beings for God, who made her.’

• But listen: of course you went through the pain of childbirth, but the earth has been suffering also while giving birth to human beings for God ever since he first created her [or, it].

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.