sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

In Malagasy culture, the sea is perceived as sacred because it was a path taken by the ancestors. That is why the Malagasy word for the “sea” is ranomasina, which literally means “the sacred water.” The word masina actually has two different meanings: “salted” and “sacred/holy.” Salt is used for the conservation of some foods, such as meat or fish, that are to be set aside for later use. In this sense, the Malagasy phrase for “Holy Spirit” has the literal meaning of “Salted Spirit.” (Source: Brigitte Rabarijaona in The Bible Translator 2022, p. 103ff.)

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 4:14

And said may be rendered “They said to each other.”

Come, let us go and make war against the sea may be rendered simply “Let’s attack the sea” (Contemporary English Version). The verbs Come and go are used to indicate the beginning of an action. For this reason Contemporary English Version leaves these verbs untranslated.

That it may recede before us may be translated “and push it back” (Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version).

And that we may make for ourselves more forests: Contemporary English Version says “so we can have more room for trees.”

Good News Bible provides a helpful model for this verse. Another possible one is:

• They said to each other, ‘Let’s go to war against the sea, and push it back so that there will be more room for us trees.’

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.