neighbor

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” in English is rendered into Babatana as “different man,” i.e. someone who is not one of your relatives. (Source: David Clark)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun, it is rendered as “a person outside of your building,” in Tzeltal as “your back and side” (implying position of the dwellings), in Indonesian and in Tae’ as “your fellow-man,” in Toraja-Sa’dan it is “your fellow earth-dweller,” in Shona (translation of 1966) as “another person like you,” in Kekchí “younger-brother-older-brother” (a compound which means all one’s neighbors in a community) (sources: Bratcher / Nida and Reiling / Swellengrebel), in Mairasi “your people” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Mezquital Otomi as “fellow being,” in Tzeltal as “companion,” in Isthmus Zapotec as “another,” in Teutila Cuicatec as “all people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in most modern German translations as Mitmensch or “fellow human being” (lit. “with + human being”).

In Matt 19:19, Matt 22:39, Mark 12:31, Mark 12:33, Luke 10:27, Luke 10:29 it is translated into Ixcatlán Mazatec with a term that refers to a person who is socially/physically near. Ixcatlán Mazatec also has a another term for “neighbor” that means “fellow humans-outsiders” which was not chosen for these passages. (Source: Robert Bascom)

In Noongar it is translated as moorta-boordak or “people nearby” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

the head slips from the handle

The Hebrew in Deuteronomy 19:5 that is translated as “the head slips from the handle” in English had to be expressed much more specifically in Kutep.

Rob Koops tells this story: “I came across what appeared to be an ambiguity in this verse, which describes an axe-head slipping off its handle and killing someone. The Kutep word kujwo can mean ‘hand/arm’ or ‘handle.’ The first draft of the Kutep text had: rikae fwer ru wu kujwo, which could mean a) the axe slipped out of his hand or b) the axe (head) slipped out of its handle. On discussion, we found out that the drafter had used a culturally equivalent scenario, namely the axe slipping out of the user’s hands, which seemed to be more likely to him than the head coming off. We also discovered a word for the ‘head’ on an axe, so we can now describe the actual biblical scenario, which requires a different verb for slipping out, which is nwae ru. Finally, we discovered that by using a grammatical construction that describes an action that is unexpected and/or unwanted, we can enhance the elegance of the translation, which in idiomatic English now reads something like ‘the axe-head went and slipped out of the handle’ or ‘the axe-head slipped out of the handle on him.'”

complete verse (Deuteronomy 19:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 19:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “A person might go with his friend into a forest to split firewood. And while that person is splitting, the axe flies off and hits the other person so he dies. If it is like that the person who killed the other one is allowed to flee to any of the three cities in order to save his life.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “For example, suppose two men go to the forest to cut wood. While a tree is being cut down an axe head may fly off the handle and hit one of them so that he dies, the other man would be able to save himself by escaping to one of these cities.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘For-example, a man with his neighbor went to the forest to get-woods. While he is- cutting-down some trees the head of his ax suddenly fell-off and hit his neighbor and (he) died. He can-flee to one of these towns of refuge and no one will-harm him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “For example, if two men go into the forest to cut some wood, if the axe head comes off the handle while one of them is chopping down a tree and the axe head strikes and kills the other man, the man who was using the axe will be allowed to run to one of those cities and be safe there, because the people of that city will protect him.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 19:5

In verses 5-6 one particular example of accidental killing is given. A good way to start verse 5 is to say “For example” (Good News Translation), “For instance” (New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible), or “Suppose that…” (New Revised Standard Version).

A man … with his neighbor: as in verse 4, this means “with his friend,” or “with someone else.” Or else, even more simply, “For instance, two men go to the woods….”

The forest: or “the woods.” An equivalent of “the jungle” may be used if there is no other word to designate an area where trees grow plentifully.

To cut wood: either firewood or else for carpentry.

His hand swings the axe to cut down a tree: that is, “While he is cutting down a tree with his ax,” or else, like New International Version, “As he swings his ax to fell a tree.”

The head slips from the handle: the head is the heavy metal blade fixed to the wooden handle of an ax. Slips may not give the right sense in English, since it may not mean it happens with enough speed and force to kill a person; Good News Translation has “comes off,” but perhaps “flies off” is more appropriate in this context.

And strikes his neighbor so that he dies: “And the head hits the other man and he dies.”

He may flee to one of these cities and save his life: this refers to the nearest town of refuge, where he can be safe from the dead man’s relative who would go after him in order to kill him.

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 .