wild animal

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated in English as “wild animal” or similar is translated in Newari as “animal that lives in the jungle.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)

creeping things / reptiles

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated in English as “reptiles” or “creeping things” or similar is translated as “those which crawl along upon their stomach” in San Mateo del Mar Huave, “those that crawl the way they travel” in Chichimeca-Jonaz, and “animals that crawl on the ground” in Lalana Chinantec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

In Nyamwezi it is translated as as vitundwa vya ku’yu’mba or “creatures that move.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature and four-footed creatures and reptiles.

 

The Hebrew words zachal and remes literally mean “creeping [things]” or “crawling [things]”, which is the Hebrew way of referring to small unclean creatures, reptiles in particular. The Greek word herpeton is also a general word for reptile; it includes snakes and lizards. All of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin words usually exclude fish.

The Hebrew words carry the connotation of uncleanness.

In languages which have a word meaning “reptile”, this will fit most contexts. In languages which do not, phrases such as “snakes and lizards”, “wriggling things”, and so forth could be used.

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 6:53

On the sixth day thou didst command the earth to bring forth before thee cattle, beasts, and creeping things: See Gen 1.24-25. To bring forth may be rendered “to produce” or “to give life to” (Contemporary English Version). The phrase before thee may be omitted (so Good News Bible). It adds nothing to the text. The Latin word translated cattle (iumentum) refers to large domestic animals, animals used for work. Contemporary English Version says “tame animals,” but this is incorrect. Tame animals are wild animals that have been captured and tamed, made to submit to human control. Domestic animals, such as those meant here, are animals that are raised by humans, usually on farms. The Latin word for beasts (bestia) refers to wild animals. Creeping things renders a late Latin word (reptilis), which refers to creatures that crawl or creep, not necessarily “reptiles” (Contemporary English Version, Myers). The Hebrew word for “creeping things” (remes) in Gen 1.24 refers to creatures that crawl or swarm. Basically it includes everything in the animal kingdom except mammals, birds, and fish. Since most of these are small creatures, Good News Bible refers to them as “small” animals.

Here is a possible model for this verse:

• “On the sixth day you commanded the earth to produce domestic animals, wild animals, and all kinds of small creatures [for you to see].

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.