obedience / obey

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, and Greek that is translated in English typically as “obedience” or “obey” is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “thing hearing,” because “to hear is to obey.” (Source: Marjorie Davis in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 34ff. )

In Huba it is translated as hya nǝu nyacha: “follow (his) mouth.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )

In Central Mazahua it is translated as “listen-obey” and in Huehuetla Tepehua as “believe-obey” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in Noongar as dwangka-don, lit. “hear do” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).

See also disobedience.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 1:8

Pull out the hair of your head: Pulling one’s hair out was a sign of mourning (see Ezra 9.3). This action would show Ezra’s grief for the sins of the Israelites. Contemporary English Version says “Pull out your hair to show your sorrow.”

And hurl all evils upon them means that Ezra is to call for disasters to afflict the people. Contemporary English Version says “then shout the terrible things that will happen to the Israelites,” and Good News Bible has “and call down on these people all the disasters they deserve.”

For they have not obeyed my law—they are a rebellious people: These two clauses give the reason why Ezra must pull out his hair and ask for trouble on his people. It is because they have disobeyed God.

Here are possible models for this verse:

• Pull out your hair in grief. Tell them of all the disasters that are coming their way, because they have not obeyed my Law. These people are rebels.

• Pull out your hair to show your grief [or, sorrow]. Shout the terrible things [or disasters] that will happen to them because they have disobeyed my Law. These people are rebels.

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.