as blind people grope in darkness

The now commonly-used German idiom im Dunkeln tappen for being in the dark, missing facts about something and not being able to understand completely or at all (literally meaning to grope [and toddle] in the dark) was first coined in 1534 in the German Bible translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Günther 2017, p. 59)

For other idioms or terms in German that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

Note that the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) uses this wording in John 12:35.

complete verse (Deuteronomy 28:29)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 28:29:

  • Kupsabiny: “You will grope around when you walk during the day like blind people who are in darkness. You shall not prosper in anything you are doing. You shall be harassed and robbed of your things but there is no one who is coming to your aid.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Like the blind, groping in a dark place, you will go on groping in the light. You will not succeed in any of your work. Every day you will be oppressed, what you have will be snatched from you. There will be nobody to help you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) will-grope like a blind-one even though (it is) day. You (plur.) will- not -prosper whatever you (plur.) will-do. You (plur.) will-be-oppressed and robbed continually, and no one will-help you (plur.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Because you will not be able to see where you are going, at midday you will grope/feel your way around with your hands, like people do in the darkness.
    You will continually be oppressed and robbed, and no one will help you.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 28:29

Grope at noonday: that is, “try to find their way in broad daylight.” Contemporary English Version has “even in bright sunshine you will have to feel your way around.”

The blind grope in darkness: this is not logical, since to a blind person it’s all the same, whether it’s daytime or nighttime. Therefore some translations have taken the “darkness” here to mean the blindness itself, that is, the interior darkness, not the exterior darkness (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). But even if it is not logical (see Job 5.14; Isa 59.10), it may be that Revised Standard Version is how the Hebrew text should be translated. Contemporary English Version provides an ingenious solution: “like a blind person who cannot tell day from night.”

You shall not prosper in your ways: this is a general statement of total failure; see New International Version “unsuccessful in everything you do,” or we may say “You will not prosper [or, succeed] in anything you do.” Some translations, however, relate this to what comes before it: New Revised Standard Version “you shall be unable to find your way” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); New Jerusalem Bible “your steps will lead you nowhere”; Revised English Bible “you will fail to find your way.” It is better for the translator to follow the first interpretation, although the second interpretation is also possible.

Oppressed and robbed continually: they will be the target of attack by all evil people. In a number of languages translators will use the active voice here; for example, “People will constantly oppress [or, abuse] you and rob you.”

No one to help you: as in verse 26.

An alternative translation model for this verse may be:

• Even in broad daylight [or, bright sunshine] you will feel your way around like a blind person who cannot tell day from night. You will fail in everything you do. People will continually oppress you and rob you, and there will be no one to help you.

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 .