The custom described in this verse is obviously associated with a custom ascribed to the Babylonians by the Greek historian Herodotus (k The Persian Warsk*, 1.199); and what Herodotus says helps to clarify this verse somewhat.

The women, with cords about them: It is not clear what part of the body the cords were wrapped about. Herodotus speaks of the women wearing corded wreaths around their heads (so Contemporary English Version “Some Babylonian women wrap cords around their heads as a decoration”), but later he speaks of “lines of cord” marking paths among the women. However, Good News Translation “women wrap cords around themselves” is a satisfactory model.

From this verse we assume the cords served a symbolic function. The end of the verse says they could be broken (so “strings” might be a better equivalent than cords) to indicate that a particular woman had been chosen for sex. Failing to have the cord broken would indicate the woman was not wanted. The women were “offering themselves as prostitutes” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). According to Herodotus, an exchange of money was involved. There can be no reasonable doubt that sacred prostitution is intended (see verse 11).

Sit along the passageways: It is not clear where these passageways were. Good News Translation has “sit alongside the road” (similarly Contemporary English Version), which is just as good a representation of the Greek, but “road” suggests a rural setting (at least in American English), which is surely not intended. Revised Standard Version seems to be thinking of temple passageways. Herodotus’ account describes this as taking place in the temple of the goddess Aphrodite, and it is reasonable to assume this is what our author has in mind, although we cannot say this with certainty. “Sit outside the temple” might convey the idea of being in a city street but at the sacred area where the temple stood. This is consistent with the picture that the women involved were together in one place. Not only does Herodotus say this, but this verse assumes it when it speaks of the women chosen ridiculing those not chosen.

Burning bran for incense: The Greek does not say that the women were “burning incense” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). What they burned was definitely not incense. It really does not even say that they were burning bran for incense. It simply says they burned bran, producing smoke. The idea of for incense is derived from the Greek verb here, which means “to produce smoke,” but not necessarily as incense. Bran is the inner husk of grain, removed during milling. New American Bible renders this as “chaff,” which is the outer husk of grain, removed during threshing. Burning bran was apparently thought to increase a person’s sexual appeal (having the effect of an aphrodisiac or love potion). The Greek poet Theocritus (third century B.C.) speaks of a woman performing a magical act to win a lover; she says “Now I will burn the bran” (line 43 of “The Spell” in The Greek Bucolic Poets). Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version “offering themselves as prostitutes” does not correspond to anything in particular in the text, but actually represents the purpose of burning the bran quite well. This being the case, to include “burning incense” is unnecessary. Herodotus does not mention this custom.

When one of them is led off by one of the passers-by and is lain with: Lain with refers to sexual intercourse.

She derides the woman next to her: The text does not say that the woman chosen “returns to ridicule…” as Good News Translation translates. It says nothing about her returning at all. In fact, it is probably not the intent. Herodotus’ picture is that every woman had to do this once in her life. So we are not talking about professional temple prostitutes, where the chosen woman might return and try to get another man.

Because she was not as attractive as herself and her cord was not broken: Our text does not actually say that the woman chosen ridiculed her neighbor for not being as beautiful as she was, but once again, Herodotus is helpful. He says that the tall, beautiful women were taken soon, but the ugly ones might have to wait three or four years. Good News Translation renders this as “who were not beautiful enough to be chosen.” However, this rendering will not allow the reader to understand why the women wrapped cords around themselves.

Certainly some indication must be given in translation that the prostitution involved was part of a sacred ritual. “Incense” might suggest it, although this would be inaccurate. Having the women sit in “the temple hallways” would suggest it, although this is saying much more than the text says. Translators could approach the passage in some such way as this:

• When they worship these idols, Babylonian women offer themselves as prostitutes by sitting outside the temple with cords wrapped around themselves, trying to attract the men passing by. When a man takes one of them away for sex and her cord is broken, she ridicules the woman next to her, who was not beautiful enough to be chosen.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.