grain

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “corn”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).

Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “millet” (Lambya) (source: project-specific notes in Paratext), “food” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

complete verse (Deuteronomy 25:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 25:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “An ox is not to be tied at the mouth when it is beating/threshing wheat.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Do not muzzle the ox while he is threshing grain."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Do- not -muzzle an ox while it is-treading-(out-the-grain).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When your ox is treading/walking on the grain to separate the chaff from the grain, do not muzzle it/put a covering on its mouth to prevent it from eating some of the grain.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 25:4

You shall not muzzle an ox: the muzzle was an object placed over the mouth of the ox to prevent it from eating the grain as it was treading on it. In cultures where muzzles are unknown, we may translate, for example, “You must not put anything over the mouth of an ox while….” For a comment on ox see 5.14.

Treads out the grain: the ox would either be walked across the threshing floor, thus separating the grains from the ears, or else it would pull a threshing sledge across the floor (or, platform). According to this law the ox should be allowed to eat some of the ears of grain as it worked. In cultures where other methods are used for threshing grain, a cultural note in the glossary describing the Hebrew method will be helpful.

Alternative ways of expressing this verse are:

• You shall not put anything on the mouth of an ox to prevent it from eating while it is treading out the grain.

• You must not prevent an ox from eating while….

scv 25:5

Brothers dwell together: not necessarily in the same house, but on the same family property. Good News Translation makes this clear, with “live on the same property.” In this instance brothers means blood brothers.

One of them dies and has no son: the Hebrew word is the normal one for son; but the Septuagint has “seed” (meaning descendants, of either sex). As quoted in the Gospels, Mark 13.19 has “has no child,” Matt 22.24 “has no children,” and Luke 20.28 “is childless.” It seems from the context that the meaning here is a male descendant, a son (so also Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version).

The wife of the dead: many languages will have a technical term such as “widow” for this woman, and say for example, “his widow,” or “the widow of the man”; but in other languages “the wife of the dead man” may be preferable.

Shall not be married outside the family to a stranger: the woman was not to be married off to a man belonging to a clan different from the one her dead husband belonged to. The main reason for this, it seems, was to keep property from passing on to another family. Shall not be married suggests that the woman would not take the initiative to choose a partner, but that her family would find a new husband for her. Good News Translation follows this interpretation with “then his widow is not to be married to.” Contemporary English Version “his widow must not marry” appears to clash with Hebrew custom.

Go in to her, and take her as his wife: this is a normal way in Hebrew of speaking of possessing a woman sexually; in most languages there are more appropriate ways of saying this. In many languages “and take her as his wife” will be sufficient.

In the Hebrew text the noun “brother-in-law,” the verb perform the duty of a husband’s brother, and the noun brother’s wife in verse 7 are all cognates, that is, they come from the same Hebrew root; they appear only here and in Gen 38.8. For perform the duty of a husband’s brother, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “perform the levir‘s duty.” Good News Translation combines both sentences with “it is the duty of the dead man’s brother to marry her.” This will be a helpful model for many translators.

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 .