2Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
The term that is transliterated as “Nebuchadnezzar” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the signs for “king” and one signifying a wavy beard, referring to the common way of wearing a beard in Mesopotamia (see here ). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Nebuchadnezzar” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting “idol in my image,” referring to Daniel 3:1. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that are translated as “wine” in English is translated into Pass Valley Yali as “grape juice pressed long ago (= fermented)” or “strong water” (source: Daud Soesilo). In Guhu-Samane it is also translated as “strong water” (source: Ernest L. Richert in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. ), in Noongar as “liquor” (verbatim: “strong water”) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Hausa as ruwan inabi or “water of grapes” (with no indication whether it’s alcoholic or not — source: Mark A. Gaddis), in sar as kasə nduú or “grape drink” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin), or in Papantla Totonac and Coyutla Totonac as “a drink like Pulque” (for “Pulque,” see here ) (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. ).
In Swahili, Bible translations try to avoid local words for alcoholic drinks, because “drinking of any alcohol at all was one of the sins most denounced by early missionaries. Hence translators are uncomfortable by the occurrences of wine in the Bible. Some of the established churches which use wine prefer to see church wine as holy, and would not refer to it by the local names used for alcoholic drinks. Instead church wine is often referred to by terms borrowed from other languages, divai (from German, der Wein) or vini/mvinyo (from ltalian/Latin vino/vinum). Several translations done by Protestants have adapted the Swahili divai for ‘wine,’ while those done by Catholics use vini or mvinyo.” (Source: Rachel Konyoro in The Bible Translator 1985, p. 221ff. )
The Swahili divai was in turn borrowed by Sabaot and was turned into tifaayiik and is used as such in the Bible. Kupsabiny, on the other hand, borrowed mvinyo from Swahili and turned it into Finyonik. (Source: Iver Larsen)
In Nyamwezi, two terms are used. Malwa ga muzabibu is a kind of alcohol that people specifically use to get drunk (such as in Genesis 9:21) and ki’neneko is used for a wine made from grapes (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
In some Hindi translations (such as the Common Language version, publ. 2015 ), one term (dākharasa दाखरस — grape juice) is used when that particular drink is in the focus (such as in John 2) and another term (madirā मदिरा — “alcohol” or “liquor”) when drunkenness is in the focus (such as in Eph. 5:18).
In Mandarin Chinese, the generic term jiǔ (酒) or “alcohol(ic drink)” is typically used. Exceptions are Leviticus 10:9, Numbers 6:3, Deuteronomy 29:6, Judges 13:4 et al., 1 Samuel 1:15, and Luke 1:15 where a differentiation between weak and strong alcohol is needed. The Mandarin Chinese Union Version (2010) translates that as qīngjiǔ lièjiǔ (清酒烈酒) and dànjiǔ lièjiǔ (淡酒烈酒), both in the form of a Chinese proverb and meaning “light alcohol and strong drink.” (Source: Zetzsche)
Click or tap here to see a short video clip about wine in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)
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:
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)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 5:2:
Kupsabiny: “While Belshazzar was drinking wine, he said that (they/people) bring to him the things/utensils of gold and silver which his grandfather/forefather Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the House of God in Jerusalem. He wanted them to be used for drinking by his guests, his wives and concubines.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “While drinking wine, King Belshazzar gave the order that the gold and silver articles which had been brought by his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar from the temple in Jerusalem be brought there for him, his officials, and his wives and concubines to drink wine from.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “When Belshezar was the king of Babilonia, he held a great banquet for a thousand noble men. While they were-drinking wine, Belshazar ordered-to-bring-in the gold and silver drinking-cups that his father Nebuchadnezzar had- taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem. He ordered- these -to-be-taken so-that his noble guests, his wives, and his other slave-wives could-drink-from-it. So when the drinking-cups were-brought-in to him, they drank-from it.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “While he was drinking, he commanded thathis servants bring to him the gold and silver cups that the previous king, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. He did that because he wanted himself and his officials, his wives, and even his concubines/slave wives to drink from them, making fun of the god that we Israelis worshiped.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
When he tasted the wine: in spite of the Revised Standard Version wording, this does not mean that, after sipping only a small amount of wine, the following events occurred. On the contrary the meaning is more likely “after having become slightly drunk.” Bible en français courant has “under the influence of the alcohol,” and similarly New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, and Anchor Bible all have “under the influence of the wine.” New Revised Standard Version also uses this formulation. Some other renderings are “carried away by the wine” (Moffatt), “warmed by the wine” (New English Bible), and “inflamed by the taste of the wine” (An American Translation).
Vessels: the meaning of this term is simply “containers,” but since they were to be used for drinking wine, the Good News Translation rendering “cups and bowls” is a good common language equivalent in English.
Had taken out of the temple: for the historical account of this event, see 2 Kgs 25.15. The word temple refers to the structure in Jerusalem built by the people of Israel under Solomon for the worship of God (1 Kgs 6–8). It was modeled after the tabernacle but differed from it in size, complexity, permanence and location. The term used in the translation should refer to this particular building. If necessary a comprehensive explanation may be included in a glossary entry.
Be brought: the passive form will have to be made active in many languages. The active formulation may read “ordered his servants to bring” or “commanded his men to pick up (or fetch).” And in some languages it will be necessary to state where these cups and bowls were to be brought. So translators may want to add “to him” or “to the banquet.”
Nebuchadnezzar his father: while the footnotes in some versions indicate that the term for father used here may be understood to mean “ancestor” or “predecessor,” no English version puts this interpretation in the text. As noted above, Nebuchadnezzar was not, in fact, the literal father of Belshazzar (see also verses 11, 13, and 18; and compare verse 22 “you his son”).
That … might drink from them: literally “and … will drink….” This indicates the purpose of having the cups and bowls brought to the banquet. In many cases it will be a good idea to express this purpose clause in a separate sentence, as in Good News Translation.
Wives … concubines: the two Aramaic terms probably referred to two distinct categories of legitimate spouses that made up the royal harem. The second term, however, is the subject of considerable debate. Some commentators take it to refer to some sort of “entertainers” rather than to concubines. New Jerusalem Bible translates it “the women who sang for him,” and New American Bible has “his entertainers.” However, the generally accepted meaning is probably the correct one. These women were probably members of the royal court but having some kind of inferior status when compared to the first group. Therefore the Bible en français courant translation, “his wives and his second rank spouses,” may not be a bad model if the translator has suitable terms available. Another possibility is “his royal wives and his service wives” (compare Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The same terms are repeated in verses 3 and 23 of this chapter.
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 .
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