The Hebrew, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “soul” in English is translated in Chol with a term that refers to the invisible aspects of human beings (source: Robert Bascom), in Yagaria with oune or “shadow, reflection” (source: Renck, p. 81), and in Elhomwe as “heart” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
The Mandarin Chineselínghún (靈魂 / 灵魂), literally “spirit-soul,” is often used for “soul” (along with xīn [心] or “heart”). This is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32, see also Clara Ho-yan Chan in this article )
In Chichewa, moyo means both “soul” and “life.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
The concept that is expressed as “mind” in English is translated as “head-heart” in Yatzachi Zapotec. This concept is applied to terms that are translated in English as “fellowship” (“head-hearts are one”), the “inner-self” (“have no evil” is “have no evil in our head-hearts”), “eye” (in the sense of “understanding”), “heart” and “soul.”
Source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22.
“beg” or “ask,” (full expression: “ask with one’s heart coming out,” which leaves out selfish praying, for asking with the heart out leaves no place for self to hide) (Tzotzil)
“raise up one’s words to God” (implying an element of worship, as well as communication) (Miskito, Lacandon) (source of this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
“speak to God” (Shilluk) (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)
“talk together with Great Above One (=God)” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter, 2004)
“beg” (waan) (Ik). Terrill Schrock (in Wycliffe Bible Translators 2016, p. 93) explains (click or tap here to read more):
What do begging and praying have to do with each other? Do you beg when you pray? Do I?
“The Ik word for ‘visitor’ is waanam, which means ‘begging person.’ Do you beg when you go visiting? The Ik do. Maybe you don’t beg, but maybe when you visit someone, you are looking for something. Maybe it’s just a listening ear.
When the Ik hear that [my wife] Amber and I are planning trip to this or that place for a certain amount of time, the letters and lists start coming. As the days dwindle before our departure, the little stack of guests grows. ‘Please, sir, remember me for the allowing: shoes, jacket (rainproof), watch, box, trousers, pens, and money for the children. Thank you, sir, for your assistance.’
“A few people come by just to greet us or spend bit of time with us. Another precious few will occasionally confide in us about their problems without asking for anything more than a listening ear. I love that.
“The other day I was in our spare bedroom praying my list of requests to God — a nice list covering most areas of my life, certainly all the points of anxiety. Then it hit me: Does God want my list, or does he want my relationship?
“I decided to try something. Instead of reading off my list of requests to God, I just talk to him about my issues without any expectation of how he should respond. I make it more about our relationship than my list, because if our personhood is like God’s personhood, then maybe God prefers our confidence and time to our lists, letters, and enumerations.”
In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning (click or tap here to read more):
For Acts 1:14, 20:36, 21:5: kola ttieru-yawur nehla — “hold the waist and hug the neck.” (“This is the more general term for prayer and often refers to worship in prayer as opposed to petition. The Luang people spend the majority of their prayers worshiping rather than petitioning, which explains why this term often is used generically for prayer.”)
For Acts 28:9: sumbiani — “pray.” (“This term is also used generically for ‘prayer’. When praying is referred to several times in close proximity, it serves as a variation for kola ttieru-yawur nehla, in keeping with Luang discourse style. It is also used when a prayer is made up of many requests.”)
For Acts 8:15, 12:5: polu-waka — “call-ask.” (“This is a term for petition that is used especially when the need is very intense.”)
Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.
Following are a number of back-translations of 3 John 1:2:
Uma: “Friend! I pray that you are healthy and that you get goodness in everything that you do, like your soul gets goodness.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “My beloved friend, I ask God that good may be arriving/happening to you and that your body/you may be healthy for I know that your trust is strong.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Dear brother, I pray for you to God that your situation might become good and that you might be given a good body just like He also has given you strong faith.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “My esteemed Gaius, I who have written this, it’s Juan who is a leader of the believers. My love for you (sing.) who are my friend is from-the-heart. May your (sing.) life there be good and your (sing.) body also be strong like the strength of your (sing.) faith.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “My dear friend, I am praying that hopefully your situation is always good, and your body strong/healthy like the strength of your believing/obeying which I am hearing news about.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my dear brother, I ask God that he will help you in what you do and I ask that he will make your strong (in health) just like your beliefs are strong.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “Dear Gayo, I ask God that good may always happen to you, and that you may be well as you are well in your head-heart.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “Loved one, may God apportion to you his blessing so that you will turn out well. And that your body be healthy like your heart is healthy.”
Isthmus Zapotec: “Brother whom I love, I know your soul is clean. That-way I hope is your body and in all things you are well (or in good condition).”
Sayula Popoluca: “I love you very much and I want all you do to turn out well, may you be well as your soul is well.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
The first two clauses are formulas which occur often in letter writing, but the third is a characteristic addition made by the writer.
I pray: in the New Testament the Greek verb usually indicates prayer to God, but in letters of the time it was used in the nonreligious sense of “to wish,” “to hope.” In this passage it most likely has the latter meaning.
That all may go well with you, or ‘that you may be well in all respects (or in every way),’ ‘that good may always happen to you.’ The reference is to well-being in general. The Greek verb used has the literal meaning of “to be-led-along-a-good-road,” then, “to get along well,” “to succeed.”
That you may be in health, or ‘that you may be healthy,’ ‘that your body may be strong,’ ‘that you may be always new,’ ‘that you may not be sick (literally may be not-dying).’ The receptor language may prefer to mention the specific before the more generic. In such cases the present clause, which specifies an aspect of being well, has to be placed first.
I know that it is well with your soul, literally “as your soul is well.” The first clause, which uttered a wish, is now driven home by a reference to a fact. Therefore several versions have added ‘I know,’ or ‘surely.’
The verb “to be well” is the same as that in the first clause, but now the reference is not to the bodily and material aspect of man. To make this clear the writer has added with your soul, in which soul refers to the spiritual aspect of the human personality. Compare such renderings of the clause as “you are well in spirit” (Good News Translation), ‘your innermost remains as good as that,’ ‘as you are well in your head-heart.’
Quoted with permission from Haas, C., de Jonge, M. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on The Third Letter of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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