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)

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 5:25

And from all the depths of the sea thou hast filled for thyself one river: The depths of the sea refers to the deep water of the ocean (see the comments on 2 Esd 3.18). If one river refers to a particular river, it is either the Jordan, which is not a large river, or the Gihon Spring, which supplied Jerusalem with water through the Shiloah Aqueduct into the Siloam Pool (see 1 Kgs 1.33; Isa 8.5; John 9.7). The Latin term for river refers more to a stream or small river; it would not be applied to the Nile, the Amazon, or the Mississippi. This clause means God took one small river from all the world’s water available to him. The fact that the oceans are salty and the Jordan and Gihon are fresh water is beside the point here. This clause may be rendered “From all the oceans covering the world you have taken just enough water to fill this one little stream” or “You have taken just enough water from all the oceans on the earth to fill this one little stream.”

And from all the cities that have been built thou hast consecrated Zion for thyself: All the cities that have been built is literally “all built cities.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible offer correct translations for this phrase, but Stone (page 129) suggests that this is almost a technical expression for “a substantial or well-constructed” city. Violet (1924, page 33) believes that the author was living in Rome, and was able to look on Jerusalem as a minor city. This idea is not widely accepted, and translators need not concern themselves with the matter. The point is that God consecrated Zion as his own, that is, designated it as his holy city. For Zion, which is another name for Jerusalem, see the comments on 1 Esd 8.81. This clause may be translated “From all the world’s great cities, you have made Jerusalem [or, Zion] your own [or, holy] city” or “You have made Jerusalem your own city instead of the other great cities of the world.”

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.