blaspheme, blasphemy

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “blasphemy” or “blaspheme” is translated in various forms:

cut into pieces

In Gbaya, the notion of cutting (or tearing) into pieces is emphasized with the ideophone sɛ́kɛ́ɗɛ́-sɛ́kɛ́ɗɛ́.

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

gentiles / nations

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).

Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).

In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also nations.

self-referencing pronoun for king or queen

In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)

complete verse (Daniel 3:29)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 3:29:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, if any one talks ill of the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, I shall order that his legs and arms be cut-cut into pieces. His house/family shall be destroyed because it is only the God of these people who is able to save in this way.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “So, if a person from whatever nation, speaking whatever language talks against the God of Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego, I command that he be cut in pieces and his house destroyed. For there is no other God who is able to deliver in this way."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So I command that any man of whatever nation, race, or language who/that will-speak bad against the God of Shadrac, Meshac, and Abednego will-be-cut-into-pieces and their houses will-be-destroyed. For there is really no other God who can-save/rescue like this.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Therefore, I am now making this decree: ‘If any people, from any country or people-group or any language group, criticize the God whom Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego worship, they will be cut in pieces and their houses will be torn down and made into a pile of rubble. There is no other god who can rescue people like this!’ ’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Daniel 3:29

There is no paragraph break in Revised Standard Version or most other versions at this point, but Good News Translation begins a new paragraph here. However, the flow of the narrative may require that the speech of the king not be divided at this point.

Therefore: another way of showing the transition may be to say “Consequently.” Bible en français courant has “This is why…,” and New Jerusalem Bible begins the verse with “I hereby give an order….”

Make a decree: the verb used here gives the idea of a public proclamation from the highest authority. In some situations it may be advisable to say something like “as king I command that….”

In Aramaic the rest of the verse is probably indirect discourse, but in many languages it may be desirable to shift to direct discourse and present the actual text of the decree within quotation marks. It must be noted, however, that this will mean a quotation within another quotation, and this presents serious problems in some languages. Translators must simply resort to the most natural form in their own language, whether indirect or direct discourse.

People, nation, or language: these are the same words as found in the list in verse 4; only the form is slightly different. As in the previous case the idea of universality is what is important. But the focus is on any individual who may show disrespect for the God of these young men. A possible model for restructuring this verse is Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch: “This is why I communicate the following order to all peoples of my kingdom: ‘If anyone speaks….’ ”

Speaks anything against: the Aramaic word carries the idea of negligence or lack of respect. Some other possible wordings are “speaks disrespectfully of” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “says a word against” (Moffatt). Several English translations (New Revised Standard Version, New English Bible/Revised English Bible, New American Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible) use the rather strong verb “blaspheme” or the noun “blasphemy” to convey the idea of this verb.

The God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: see comments on this expression in verse 28.

Shall be torn limb from limb: this is essentially the same expression as in 2.5, but in the third person singular form here. The fact that it is a passive will require adjustment in some languages. If it has to be made active, translators may consider having the king say something like “my men will cut him to pieces,” or “my servants will dismember him.”

Houses laid in ruins: this verb will also have to be made active in those languages where the passive form is unnatural or nonexistent. As above, we may say “my men will demolish their houses” or “my servants will totally destroy their houses.”

For: this shows the relationship between the statement that follows and the decree itself. It is because there is no other god capable of such a dramatic deliverance that the decree has been issued. While it may be possible simply to present this as a separate statement at the end of the decree as in Good News Translation, it is probably better to show the relationship more clearly. Some possible transition words are “because” (Anchor Bible and King James Version) or “the reason is that….”

No other god: the Aramaic word in this context is a common noun, so it would be a mistake to spell the word god with a capital letter as in King James Version. Further, the whole phrase may have to be reworded in some languages, since it is inconceivable that there would be another god. In those cases translators may have to say something like “there is no other power.”

Deliver: see the use of the term in verses 15, 17, and 28.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .