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 2 Esdras 3:27

So thou didst deliver the city into the hands of thy enemies: God punished the people of Jerusalem by allowing the Babylonians to capture the city. Good News Bible is able to keep the imagery of deliver … into the hands of by using the verb phrase “handed over.” Contemporary English Version uses nonfigurative language by rendering this verse as “So you let enemies defeat your own city Jerusalem.” Another possible model is:

• That’s why you let your enemies capture the city.”

We place quotation marks at the end of this verse since a new quote frame begins verse 28 (see the comments there).

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.