leaven

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “leaven” (or “yeast”) in English is translated in Tzotzil as “the thing that swells the stomach of bread” and in Mairasi “bread cooking ingredient” (source: Enggavoter 2004)

In the occurrences in Mark 8:15 it is translated in Wantoat as “salt.” (Source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)

See also leaven (1Cor 5:6).

complete verse (Deuteronomy 16:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 16:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not let anything that rises bread be seen anywhere in your land for seven days. And again, do not let the meat from a cow or sheep/goat that was slaughtered yesterday (the previous) evening stay until the following day.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “For seven days, no one in the land is to keep leaven in the house. The meat of the sacrificial animal must all be eaten on the evening of the first day before daybreak. Do not let even a single piece remain.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Let no that-which-causes-to-expand/yeast be found in your (plur.) homes in the entire nation for seven days. And the meat which had been offered at night on the first day must not remain until morning.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “During that festival, you must not have any yeast in any house in your land for seven days. Furthermore, the meat of the animals that you sacrifice on the evening of the first day of the Passover Festival must be eaten during that night; do not allow any of it to remain until the next day.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 16:4

No leaven shall be seen with you: this simply means that all leaven (or yeast) was to be removed from every household. Leaven was seen as an impure substance, and the word was sometimes used as a figure of evil.

The second part of the verse requires that the whole animal offered in sacrifice be eaten the first night, which seems to conflict with the instructions in verse 3. It may be, however, that we are to understand that a fresh animal was slaughtered each night of the seven-day festival.

The flesh which you sacrifice: more naturally, “the meat of the animal that you offered in sacrifice.” The meaning of nor shall any of the flesh … remain is that the whole animal had to be eaten that very same evening.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .