sorrow

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated in English as “painful” or “sorrow” is translated in Huba as “cut the insides.” David Frank explains: “Huba has just one expression that covers both ‘angry’ and ‘sad.’ They don’t make a distinction in their language. I suppose you could say that the term they use means more generically, ‘strong emotional reaction’ (source: David Frank in this blog post ). Similarly, in Bariai it is “the interior is severed/cut” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

In Noongar it is translated as koort-warra or “heart bad.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)

In Enlhet it is translated as “going aside of the innermost.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )

See also grieving / sorrowful.

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

Translation commentary on Baruch 5:1

Now that Jerusalem has been told that Babylon is to fall (4.30-35) and that her children will come back to her (4.36-37), she is told in this subsection to prepare herself for their coming (5.1-4).

Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem: In Greek this subsection also is opened with a strong imperative verb, followed by “Jerusalem.” It is literally “Take off, Jerusalem, the garment of your sorrow and affliction.” This verse consciously refers back to Bar 4.20, where the despairing Jerusalem took off the robe of peace to put on the sackcloth of supplication. See the comments there on the symbolic use of the clothing.

Put on for ever the beauty of the glory from God: “God’s glory” (Good News Translation) is not precisely how the Greek text puts this, although Good News Translation is merely shifting focus. The idea is that the glory Jerusalem puts on comes from God; for example, “put on for ever the glorious majesty that is the gift of God” (New English Bible). Earlier in this book we have interpreted glory as “power” (Bar 4.3, 24, 37), but in this context it is more appropriate to see it as it is used in Exo 16.7, where God’s splendor is expressed as “dazzling light.”

This verse should be translated in such a way that it echoes Bar 4.20, but also leads well into the next verse, where the clothing symbolism is continued. One possibility is:

• Stop your sorrowing, Jerusalem; lay it aside like clothes of mourning. Dress yourself with the bright [or, beautiful] glory God gives you and wear it forever [or, from this time on].

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.