sons and daughters

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “(your / their) sons and daughters” is translated in Tibetan as “children,” because it sound more naturally. (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 22)

complete verse (Deuteronomy 28:32)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 28:32:

  • Kupsabiny: “Your sons and daughters will be given away to become slaves of other people while you watch. You shall be worried the whole day thinking/hoping that they will return but there is nothing you can do.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Your sons and daughters will land in the hands of people of other lands. Every day you long for them, thinking your children might come back. But you will not be able to do anything.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “While you (plur.) are-looking, your (plur.) children will-be-taken-captives by the other nations, and day-by-day you (plur.) will-wait for their return, but there is nothing you (plur.) can do.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “While you watch, your sons and daughters will be given to foreigners to become their slaves. Every day you will very sadly watch for your children to return, but you will watch in vain/they will never return.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 28:32

In this statement there is the same passive construction used in the previous verse: shall be given.

Your sons and daughters shall be given to another people: that is, they will be taken as prisoners of war to some foreign country. Good News Translation adds “as slaves,” which is permissible; they certainly wouldn’t be taken to foreign countries to become citizens! In languages that do not use the passive, we may say, for example, “I will give your sons and daughters to foreigners while you watch.”

Your eyes look on: “in your presence,” or “as you watch.”

Fail with longing for them all the day: an expressive figure of speech (see Lam 4.17). They will look and look, in vain, for the return of their children. New International Version has “you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day”; a better way of rendering this may be “… as you watch, day after day, for them to return home.”

It shall not be in the power of your hand to prevent it: that is, you won’t be able to prevent them from being taken into exile to a foreign country. Or, as Bible en français courant translates, “you won’t be able to effect their return,” or Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “you won’t be able to do anything to bring them back.” This seems to be the better choice.

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 .