snow (color)

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The Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic that is translated in English as “(as white as) snow” is translated in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec as “(as white as) volcano frost,” the only white kind of frost that is known in that language (source: Nida 1947, p. 160.). Likewise, it is translated in Chichewa as matalala or “hail stones,” since “hail in Central Africa, when it occurs, is also white” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 72).

In Obolo it is translated as abalara: “white cloth” (source: Enene Enene), in Bambam and Bura-Pabir as “like the white of cotton” (source: Phil Campbell in Kroneman 2004, p. 500 and Andy Warren-Rothlin), in Muna as “white like cotton flowers” (source: René van den Berg), in Sharanahua as “like fresh Yuca root” (source: Holzhauen / Riderer 2010, p. 72), in Tagbanwa as “white like just broken waves” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation), in Chitonga as “as the cattle egret ” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 130), in Nabak as “white as a white cockatoo ” (source: Grace Fabian ), in Cerma “white like the full moon,” except in Psalm 51:7 where the Cerma translators chose “wash me with water until I shine” (source: Andrea Suter in Holzhauen / Riderer 2010, p. 36), and in Elhomwe as cotton or ntuura / “ash” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).

In Gbaya, in most cases an ideophone (term that expresses what is perceived by the five senses) is employed to depict strong intense whiteness (either ndáká-ndáká or kpúŋ-kpúŋ are used for the ideophones), sometimes in combination with “cotton.” Interestingly, for Rev. 1:14 where the color of the hair of the “Son of Man” is described, the use of cotton was questioned since it “would create the unpleasant image of an untidy person with disheveled hair or of a mourner with unkempt appearance.” It was eventually used, but only with a footnote that gives additional information by mentioning the French loan word neige for “snow.” In the two cases where the color white refers to the color of the skin of leprosy (Numbers 12:10 and 2 Kings 5:27), the image of hail is used in the first to describe the pale white of leprous skin, while the ideophone ndáká-ndáká is used for dramatic effect in the second. (Source: Philip Noss)

See also snow, frost, cotton, teeth are like a flock of ewes, many-colored robes / white, very white, and this devotion on YouVersion .

leprosy, leprous

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The Greek and Hebrew terms that are often translated as “leprosy (or: defiling/skin disease)” or “leprous (person)” in English is translated in Mairasi as “the bad sickness,” since “leprosy is very common in the Mairasi area” (source: Enggavoter 2004).

Following are various other translations:

  • Shilluk: “disease of animals”
  • San Mateo Del Mar Huave: “devil sore” (this and the above are indigenous expressions)
  • Inupiaq: “decaying sores”
  • Kaqchikel: “skin-rotting disease” (source for this and three above: Eugene Nida in The Bible Translator 1960, p. 34f. )
  • Noongar: “bad skin disease” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Usila Chinantec “sickness like mal de pinta” (a skin disease involving discoloration by loss of pigment) (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Hiligaynon: “dangerous skin disease” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “fearful skin disease” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “terrible rotting” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Newari: “infectious skin disease” (source: Newari Back Translation)

Targumim (or: Targums) are translations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic. They were translated and used when Jewish congregations increasingly could not understand the biblical Hebrew anymore. Targum Onqelos (also: Onkelos) is the name of the Aramaic translation of the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) probably composed in Israel/Palestine in the 1st or 2nd century CE and later edited in Babylon in the 4th or 5th century, making it reflect Jewish Babylonian Aramaic. It is the most famous Aramaic translation and was widely used throughout the Jewish communities. In Leviticus 13 and 14 it translates tzaraat as a “quarantining affliction” — focusing “on what occurs to individuals after they suffer the affliction; the person is isolated from the community.” (Source: Israel Drazin in this article ). Similarly, the English Jewish Orthodox ArtScroll Tanach translation (publ. 2011) transliterates it as tzaraat affliction.

See also stricken and leprosy healed.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Leprosy (Word Study) and Bible Translations Are for People .

complete verse (2 Kings 5:27)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 5:27:

  • Kupsabiny: “So as things stand now, the leprosy which Naaman had will catch you and your descendants.’ And when Gehazi left in front of Elisha, that sickness had caught (him) to make his whole body white as hail (snow).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “You and your descendants will always have that Naaman’s Infectious Skin Diseases." At once Gehazi came down dreadfully with Infectious Skin Diseases. The skin of his body became white like snow. So he went out from there.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Because you have-done this, the disease of Naaman will-transfer to you and to your (sing.) descendants forever/[lit. until whenever].’ When Gehazi left Elisha his skin became- very -white because of the disease.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Because you have done this, you and your children and all your descendants, forever, will have leprosy just like Naaman had!’ And when Gehazi left the room, he was a leper! His skin was as white as snow!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 5:27

Therefore: The Hebrew has only the common conjunction at this point. But many translations see it as showing the logical relationship between Gehazi’s greedy actions and the disease that came on him. New Century Version translates it “So” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders it “Surely.” La Bible du Semeur even goes so far as to begin this verse with “Since you did that.”

The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you may be rendered “you will suffer from Naaman’s leprosy” (so New Living Translation). The simple declarative statement of the original text here is often understood as the virtual equivalent of pronouncing a curse. Hobbs actually translates it in this way, saying “Now may the leprosy on Naaman cling to you.” Surprisingly, Gehazi is mentioned later (in 2 Kgs 8.4-5) as holding a conversation with the king of Israel and no mention is made of his being diseased at that point.

And to your descendants for ever: The sin of Gehazi would actually affect his descendants (literally “seed”) as well. This is certainly in keeping with the theology of the Old Testament which permits suffering by people whose ancestors had committed sin (Exo 20.5; 34.7; Num 14.18; Deut 5.9; Dan 9.16). An old tradition suggests that Gehazi and his sons were, in fact, the four lepers mentioned in the unusual story of the defeat of the Syrians described in 2 Kgs 7.3-10, but there is no certainty regarding this identification.

He went out from his presence: Translators should ensure that the pronoun he is understood as referring to Gehazi. In some cases this will mean using the proper name in place of the pronoun (so Good News Translation, Nouvelle Bible Segond).

As white as snow is literally “as snow,” but whiteness is clearly understood. The disease referred to as “leprosy” is often described as causing the skin to turn white. In languages where snow is unknown, this figure may be dropped and translators may say “very, very white.” Or possibly a different figure may be used if it has the same meaning as the biblical one. Parole de Vie, for example, says “as white as milk.” Other languages speak of whiteness in terms of “egret’s feathers.” Compare the other Old Testament passages where this kind of expression occurs: Exo 4.6; Num 12.10; Isa 1.18; Dan 7.9. In those passages it has a positive connotation, but here it is used in a negative sense. The expression is also found in the New Testament in Matt 28.3 and Rev 1.14.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .