creation

The Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “creation” in English is translated in Lisu as ꓟꓵ ꓚꓰꓼ ꓟꓲ ꓚꓰꓼ — my tshe mi tshe, verbatim translated as “place — make — earth — make.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 58)

In American Sign Language it is translated with a sign that signifies creating out of nothing. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Creation” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 5:44

He replied to me and said may be shortened to “He answered” (Good News Bible). In some languages the rhetorical question in the previous verse may demand an answer. If so, translators may begin God’s answer with “No!”

The creation cannot make more haste than the Creator: In response to Ezra God first tells him that no human being can influence God to do anything before he wills to do it. This clause may be translated “The creation cannot make the Creator [or, the one who created all things] go any faster.” Since God as the Creator is speaking, another possible model is “The world that I created cannot make me move any faster.”

Neither can the world hold at one time those who have been created in it: God also tells Ezra that his idea is rather silly, since if all human beings that ever existed were living at one time, there would not be enough room on the earth to hold them. For languages that do not have the passive voice, those who have been created in it may be rendered “all those people whom I have created.”

Here are two possible models for this verse:

• He answered, “No! The creation cannot rush the Creator. Anyway, if everyone existed at the same time, there would not be enough room on the earth for them all.”

• He replied, “The world that I created cannot make me move any faster. Besides, the world could hold not everyone if I had created them all at the same time.”

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.