prison

The Greek, Hebrew and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “prison” is translated in Dehu as moapokamo or “house for tying up people” (source: Maurice Leenhardt in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 97ff. ) and in Noongar as maya-maya dedinyang or “house shut” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

See also public prison.

enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

In Cherokee it is either translated as “the one(s) who reprimand(s) you” or “the one(s) feared.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 47)

Translation commentary on 2 Maccabees 13:21

But Rhodocus, a man from the ranks of the Jews, gave secret information to the enemy: Rhodocus is otherwise unknown. A man from the ranks means he was not an officer of any kind, only one of the soldiers, a “private.”

He was sought for, caught, and put in prison: There are two ambiguities here. First, the Greek verb rendered sought for can also be translated “found out” (Good News Bible). In our judgment Good News Bible is right here. Rhodocus was inside Bethzur; he would not have been hard to find. The point is that the Jews found out that he was betraying them. Second, the verb rendered put in prison can also be translated “put to death” (Good News Bible). We believe Good News Bible is also correct here. Put in prison is literally “closed up,” which is a euphemism for “executed” (compare “put him out of the way” in 2Macc 4.34).

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.