sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

In Malagasy culture, the sea is perceived as sacred because it was a path taken by the ancestors. That is why the Malagasy word for the “sea” is ranomasina, which literally means “the sacred water.” The word masina actually has two different meanings: “salted” and “sacred/holy.” Salt is used for the conservation of some foods, such as meat or fish, that are to be set aside for later use. In this sense, the Malagasy phrase for “Holy Spirit” has the literal meaning of “Salted Spirit.” (Source: Brigitte Rabarijaona in The Bible Translator 2022, p. 103ff.)

Translation commentary on Baruch 3:30

Good News Translation has the same problem again here as in the previous verse. It is not that no one has ever sailed across the sea in order to find Wisdom, but that no one has succeeded. No one has ever found Wisdom by looking for her overseas. Nor has anyone ever succeeded in buying Wisdom, not even with the finest gold.

Pure gold refers to the “finest gold,” that which has the fewest impurities. Compare Job 28.14-17.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• No one has ever sailed [a boat] across the sea [or, ocean] and succeeded in finding Wisdom. No one has ever been able to buy her [Wisdom], not even with pure gold.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.