swear / vow

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “swear (an oath)” or “vow” in English is otherwise translated as:

  • “God sees me, I tell the truth to you” (Tzeltal)
  • “loading yourself down” (Huichol)
  • “speak-stay” (implying permanence of the utterance) (Sayula Popoluca)
  • “say what could not be taken away” (San Blas Kuna)
  • “because of the tight (i.e. ‘binding’) word said to a face” (Guerrero Amuzgo)
  • “strong promise” (North Alaskan Inupiatun) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • “eat an oath” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • “drink an oath” (Jju) (source: McKinney 2018, p. 31).
  • “cut taboos” (Mairasi (source: Enggavoter 2004)

In Bauzi “swear” can be translated in various ways. In Hebrews 6:13, for instance, it is translated with “bones break apart and decisively speak.” (“No bones are literally broken but by saying ‘break bones’ it is like people swear by someone else in this case it is in relation to a rotting corpse’ bones falling apart. If you ‘break bones’ so to speak when you make an utterance, it is a true utterance.”) In other passages, such as in Matthew 26:72, it’s translated with an expression that implies taking ashes (“if a person wants everyone to know that he is telling the truth about a matter, he reaches down into the fireplace, scoops up some ashes and throws them while saying ‘I was not the one who did that.'”). So in Matthew 26:72 the Bauzi text is: “. . . Peter took ashes and defended himself saying, ‘I don’t know that Nazareth person.'” (Source: David Briley)

See also swear (promise) and Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’, or ‘No, No’.

complete verse (2 Samuel 19:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 19:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, go and encourage the soldiers. I swear to you in the name of God that if you do not do like that, there is no one among them who will still follow you by/at sunset. But if we all abandon you and go away, things will be bad for you very much more than any other thing you have met/come across since childhood.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Now go quickly and give your men some encouragement. If you don’t do anything right away, I swear in the name of the LORD that by evening today there will not be a single [man] with you. And this will be the greatest disaster of your whole life."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now, you (sing.) go-out, and thank your (sing.) men. For if you (sing.) don’t, I swear to the LORD that no one among them will-remain/stay with you (sing.) this night. And this is the worst-of-all that will-happen to you (sing.) since the time-past until now.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So, now go and thank your soldiers for what they did. Because I solemnly declare that if you do not do that, none of them will still be with you by tomorrow morning and that would be worse for you than all the disasters/troubles that you have experienced since you were a boy.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Japanese benefactives (katatte)

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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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

Here, katatte (語って) or “speak” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on 2 Samuel 19:7

Now therefore: more literally “And now.” But there is certainly a logical connection between what Joab has just said and his admonition to David in this verse.

Arise, go: used in series with a second verb as in this case, the verb arise does not necessarily imply getting up from a sitting or prone position. It emphasizes that the person should immediately begin the action of the second verb. Revised English Bible attempts to show this emphasis with “at once.” See the comments on this use of the verb arise in the introduction, “Translating the Books of Samuel,” page 20.

Speak kindly to: literally “speak to the heart of” (so Fox). This is translated by the verb “reassure” in Moffatt and New Jerusalem Bible as well as Good News Translation. Revised English Bible has rendered it “give … some encouragement,” and Contemporary English Version says “thank them for what they did.” The same expression is used in Gen 50.21; Isa 40.2.

Your servants: that is, “your troops,” the people who had fought in the battle against Absalom’s rebellious forces. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “your followers,” while New Jerusalem Bible has “your soldiers.”

I swear by the LORD: this is a way of emphasizing the solemnity of what is about to be said. In some languages it may be better to leave this to the very end of the statement.

Not a man will stay with you: Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente expresses the meaning positively and clearly, although somewhat less emphatically, with “they will abandon you.” The soldiers will immediately cease to be loyal to David if he does not reassure them. In order to retain the emphasis of the original, translators may consider this model: “[before dark] every one of your soldiers will desert you.”

All the evil that has come upon you: or “all the bad things that have ever happened to you.” The misfortunes of David’s life up to this point included the death of his child by Bathsheba (12.15-23), the rape of his daughter Tamar by his son Amnon (13.1-21) and vengeful murder of Amnon by Absalom’s men (13.23-38), and the rebellion and death of Absalom (chapters 15–18). Joab had been closely involved in all these matters, but he was now warning David that things would be much worse if he failed to encourage the troops that had made him victorious over the rebels in his kingdom.

From your youth until now: there may be many different ways of expressing the idea contained in these words. Some English renderings are “in all your life” (Good News Translation) and “since your earliest days” (Revised English Bible). Contemporary English Version restructures the last part of this verse as “You may have had a lot of troubles in the past, but this will be the worst thing that has ever happened to you!”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

respectful form of "come" (oide ni naru)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, oide ni naru (おいでになる), a respectful form of kuru (来る) or “come” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )