vision

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and Greek that is translated as “vision” in English is translated in a variety in the following languages:

  • Chol: “as if in a dream” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Obolo: ilaak ọkpọchieen̄ or “dreaming awake” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “a showing like dreams”
  • Desano: “see in a dream what God will send”
  • Rincón Zapotec: “see what God shows”
  • Mayo: “see things from God as in a dream”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “dream how it is going to be”
  • Chuj: “like dreaming they see”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “understand what they see as if in a dream”
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “see that which will happen” (source for this and seven above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Tagbanwa: “being caused to dream by God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Chichewa: azidzaona zinthu m’masomphenya: “they will see things as if face-to-face” (interconfessional translation, publ. 1999) (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 69)
  • Mandarin Chinese: yì xiàng (异象 / 異象), lit. “different (or: strange) appearance.” (Source: Zetzsche)

The Greek in the books of Revelation and Acts is translated as obq-rmwible: “look-dream” in Natügu. Brenda Boerger (in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 162ff.) tells the story of that translation: “In the book of Revelation, the author, John, talks about having visions. Mr. Simon [the native language translator] and I discussed what this meant and he invented the compound verb obq-rmwible ‘look-dream’ to express it. Interestingly, during village testing no one ever had to ask what this neologism meant.”

See also see a vision.

Translation commentary on 2 Maccabees 15:11

He armed each of them not so much with confidence in shields and spears as with the inspiration of brave words: Judas’ men went into battle bolstered by his inspiring words. They were already secure in their military skill, this encouragement gave them an additional advantage. This first half of the verse may be reordered by saying “Judas’ men were already confident that they could use their shields and spears skillfully, but his stirring words made each man braver still [or, even braver].”

And he cheered them all by relating a dream, a sort of vision, which was worthy of belief: As the footnote in Revised Standard Version indicates, there is some textual uncertainty here. A sort of vision is the reading in some Greek manuscripts (and Rahlfs’ text), but most have a reading that can be translated “beyond measure” (so Kappler and Hanhart’s text). These readings are very similar in Greek. Goldstein follows the second reading, which we recommend. Which was worthy of belief translates one Greek word. It may be rendered “one that they could put their faith in.” An alternative model for the last half of this verse is “When he also told them about a dream he had, one that they could put their faith in, they were excited beyond measure.”

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.