virgin

The Hebrew and Greek that is mostly translated as “virgin” in English can be translated as “woman that is untouched” in Batak Toba or “a woman with a whole (i.e. unopened) body” in Uab Meto.

“Similar words for ‘girl,’unmarried young woman,’ suggesting virginity without explicitly stating it, are found in Marathi, Apache, or Kituba. Cultural features naturally influence connotations of possible renderings, for instance, the child marriage customs in some Tboli areas, where the boy and girl are made to sleep together at the initial marriage, but after that do not live together and may not see each other again for years. Hence, the closest attainable equivalent, ‘female adolescent,’ does not imply that a young girl is not living with her husband, and that she never had a child, but leaves uncertain whether she has ever slept with a male person or not. Accordingly, in Luke one has to depend on Luke 1:34 to make clear that Mary and Joseph had not had sexual intercourse. A different problem is encountered in Pampanga, where birhen (an adaptation of Spanish virgen — ‘virgin’), when standing alone, is a name of the ‘Virgin Mary.’ To exclude this meaning the version uses “marriageable birhen,” thus at the same time indicating that Mary was relatively young.” (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel, see here)

In Navajo (Dinė), the term that is used is “no husband yet” (Source: Wallis, p. 106) and in Gola the expression “trouser girl.” “In the distant past young women who were virgins wore trousers. Those who were not virgins wore dresses. That doesn’t hold true anymore, but the expression is still there in the language.” (Source: Don Slager)

The term in Djimini Senoufo is katogo jo — “village-dance-woman” (women who have been promised but who are still allowed to go to dances with unmarried women). (Source: Übersetzung heute 3/1995)

In Igbo translations, typically a newly-created, multi-word phrase is used that very explicitly states that there has not been any sexual relations and that translates as “a woman (or: maiden) who does not know a man.” This is in spite of the fact that there is a term (agb͕ọghọ) that means “young woman” and has the connotation of her not having had sexual relations (this is for instance used by the Standard Igbo Bible of the Bible Society of Nigeria for Isaiah 7:14). Incidentally, the euphemistic expression “know” (ma in Igbo) for “having sex” has become a well-known euphemism outside of Bible translation. (Source: Uchenna Oyali in Sociolinguistic Studies Vol. 17 No. 1-3 (2023): Special Issue: Gender and sexuality in African discourses )

In Chichewa, it is translated as namwali which is used to refer to a girl who has reached puberty stage and is ready to get married. Apart from the physical aspect, the word also has social implications in the sense that it is used to recognize the fact that the girl has become responsible enough to make informed decisions and take care of herself and others. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also virgins (Revelation 14:4) and complete verse (Matthew 1:23).

complete verse (Amos 8:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Amos 8:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “On that day thirst shall make young men and beautiful young women faint.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “On that day beautiful girls and good young men
    will also faint from thirst for word of the LORD. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “In that day that I will-punish you (plur.), even your (plur.) beautiful young women and your (plur.) young men will-faint for thirst.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “At that time,
    even beautiful young women and strong young men will faint
    because of being very thirsty.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Amos 8:13

In that day/On that day. See 2.16; 8.9.

The fair virgins and the young men/healthy young men and women. The reference is to the entire nation, as represented by its strongest members. Good News Translation brings this out by adding even and healthy.

Shall faint for thirst/will collapse from thirst. Thirst in this case is not metaphorical, that is, a lack of any response from the LORD, but literal, that is, lack of water. In some cases the translation should be “die from thirst.” It may be good to strengthen the contrast between 8.11-12 and 8.13-14, so that thirst will not be understood as spiritual lack here. For example, the Good News Translation would make the difference clearer if verse 13 was translated “Moreover, on that day even healthy young men and women will collapse from lack of water.”

Quoted with permission from de Waard, Jan & Smalley, William A. A Handbook on Amos. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1979. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 8:13

8:13 In that day the lovely young women—the young men as well—will faint from thirst.

On that day, the beautiful virgins and the healthy young men will be so thirsty, they will faint.
-or-
At that time even the strong young men and beautiful young women will collapse because they have no water.

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