vision

Click here to view graphically

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and Greek that is translated as “vision” in English is translated in a variety in the following languages:

  • Chol: “as if in a dream” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Obolo: ilaak ọkpọchieen̄ or “dreaming awake” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “a showing like dreams”
  • Desano: “see in a dream what God will send”
  • Rincón Zapotec: “see what God shows”
  • Mayo: “see things from God as in a dream”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “dream how it is going to be”
  • Chuj: “like dreaming they see”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “understand what they see as if in a dream”
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “see that which will happen” (source for this and seven above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Tagbanwa: “being caused to dream by God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Chichewa: azidzaona zinthu m’masomphenya: “they will see things as if face-to-face” (interconfessional translation, publ. 1999) (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 69)
  • Mandarin Chinese: yì xiàng (异象 / 異象), lit. “different (or: strange) appearance.” (Source: Zetzsche)

The Greek in the books of Revelation and Acts is translated as obq-rmwible: “look-dream” in Natügu. Brenda Boerger (in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 162ff.) tells the story of that translation: “In the book of Revelation, the author, John, talks about having visions. Mr. Simon [the native language translator] and I discussed what this meant and he invented the compound verb obq-rmwible ‘look-dream’ to express it. Interestingly, during village testing no one ever had to ask what this neologism meant.”

See also see a vision.

complete verse (Daniel 8:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 8:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then (he) came closer to me. I was terrified and fell down with my mouth/face on the ground. But he said to me, ‘Son of man, know that the visions/revelations you saw concern/relate to the last days/end time.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When Gabriel came to the place where I was standing, I was afraid and fell to the ground. He said to me, "O Mortal man, this vision talks about the end times."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Gabriel approached me, I knelt/bowed-down in fear. But he said, ‘Human/Man, you (sing.) should understand that your (sing.) vision is about the end of times.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So Gabriel came and stood beside me. I was very terrified, with the result that I fell onto the ground. But he said to me, ‘You human, it is necessary for you to understand that the events that you saw in the vision will occur near the time that the world will end.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Daniel 8:17

So: the connecting word here has been similarly rendered in Moffatt and An American Translation, but other versions have translated “Then” (Anchor Bible), “As” (New International Version), and “When” (New American Bible), while many others like Good News Translation and Revised English Bible leave it untranslated. Naturalness in the flow of the story will have to determine how this is rendered in the translation.

He came near: the third person singular pronouns in this verse refer to Gabriel, and not the other actor in the previous scene. Therefore in many languages it will be important to use the proper name or another device to make this clear. Compare Good News Translation.

When he came: since the text has already stated he came near, this will be considered redundant in many languages and may therefore be omitted as in Good News Translation.

I was frightened and …: the Hebrew language frequently resorts to simple coordination of propositions where other languages express the logical relationships more precisely. Here the relationship between fear and falling to the ground is one of cause and effect. This may be expressed as in Good News Translation, or as in Revised English Bible “I prostrated myself in terror.”

Fell upon my face: in many Old Testament passages where this expression is used, it indicates an involuntary fall (1 Sam 17.49), but in other contexts the idea of an intentional movement from a standing to a lying position is indicated (1 Sam 25.23). Here it should not be translated in such a way as to suggest an accidental fall. Daniel intentionally threw himself on the ground as a sign of his respect for the angel and his awe of the situation in general. Compare also 2.46.

Understand: the use of the imperative with this particular verb in some languages may sound strange in this context. The idea is something like “I would like for you to understand.” And in some languages it may be necessary to add something like “nevertheless,” “however,” or “but” to show the contrast between the fact that Daniel is mortal and yet considered worthy of receiving the revelation. In that case the translation may refer first to Daniel as a mere son of man, followed by this imperative. Bible en français courant, for example, has “Daniel, you are nothing but a human; know, however, that….” Other languages may say something like “nevertheless I want you to understand….”

Son of man: this represents the Hebrew equivalent of the Aramaic expression found in 7.13. But in this context it is the prophet who is addressed as son of man. This is very different from the passage in 7.13, where someone is described as being “like a son of man.” Since Daniel is here addressed in this way, the speaker is stressing his humanity. It is therefore almost identical with the way this expression is used in the Book of Ezekiel, where it occurs ninety-three times. Here Bible en français courant translates “you are only a human being.” An American Translation, like Good News Translation, attempts to convey the same idea with “O mortal man,” and New Revised Standard Version has simply “O mortal.” Other versions that reject a thoughtless literal rendering of the original are satisfied with “O man” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and Anchor Bible).

For the time of the end: the preposition for may be translated “concerns” (New International Version), “points to” (Revised English Bible), “relates to” (Moffatt and An American Translation), or “refers to” (New Jerusalem Bible). The time of the end will have to be expressed in very differently in other languages. Frequently “the end of the world” will be the most natural equivalent. But other languages may speak of “the final days” or “the time when this world is finished.”

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 .