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.

complete verse (Deuteronomy 20:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 20:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do like that to all the cities that are far from that land you are to take for yourselves.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “You are only to do like this to the cities that are very remote from the place where you are living. Do not do like this to the cities of the nations that are living quite near you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) shall-do this only to the towns that are far and not part of the land that you (plur.) will-put-under- (your) -jurisdiction.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You should do that in all the cities that are far from the land in which you will settle.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 20:15

This clause, which makes the instructions apply to towns beyond the borders of the land of Canaan, comes at the end of the passage. See the comment at verse 10, where it was suggested that verse 15 may be placed there.

Cities which are very far from you, which are not cities of the nations here: again a twofold statement, for emphasis. Notice the force of the word here; the point of view is that of someone who lives in Canaan.

For an account of what the Israelites actually did in besieging towns, see 2.33-35 and 3.6-7.

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 .