sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation). Likewise, in Toposa all the different bodies of water are all called by one term as well: nya-name̥ (source: Schröder 2026, p. 101).

In Malagasy culture, the sea is perceived as sacred because it was a path taken by the ancestors. That is why the Malagasy word for the “sea” is ranomasina, which literally means “the sacred water.” The word masina actually has two different meanings: “salted” and “sacred/holy.” Salt is used for the conservation of some foods, such as meat or fish, that are to be set aside for later use. In this sense, the Malagasy phrase for “Holy Spirit” has the literal meaning of “Salted Spirit.” (Source: Brigitte Rabarijaona in The Bible Translator 2022, p. 103ff.)

“Sea” (or: “ocean”) is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “water land” and in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac as “very big lake.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

complete verse (Exodus 14:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 14:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “You (sing.) raise the walking stick and stretch your hand towards the sea. Then the water will divide and the Israelites can go where it is dry.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Raise your staff and hit the sea then the sea will be divided into two parts and the Israelites go through the sea on dry ground.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then point your (sing.) staff toward the sea so-that the water will-split/divide-into-two and the Israelinhon can-cross-over on dry ground.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Lift up your walking stick and then point [it] toward the ocean. Therefore the ocean will split and become two [parts], and then the Israel people will walk on dry ground and so cross over and go to the other side.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “you take cane your, stretch out hand on top of water, divide water [body] in order that people of Israel will cross over other side on a place which be dry.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Yahweh said to Moses/me, ‘Tell the people to stop crying out for me to help them, and tell them to go forward. Lift up your stick and stretch it out toward the sea. The water will divide, so that all you Israeli people can go in the middle of the sea, walking on dry ground.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 14:16

Lift up your rod is literally “and you [singular], you raise your staff.” Since the your is emphasized, Revised English Bible has “and you are to raise high your staff,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “Your part is to raise your staff.” (See also 9.23.) And stretch out your hand over the sea seems a bit wordy, but it refers to the same hand that holds the rod. It is better to say “Lift up your walking stick and hold it out over the sea” (Good News Translation). And divide it translates the Hebrew word used for splitting wood, but here it describes splitting the sea. The imperative form is used as a command for Moses to be the one to divide the sea, but Good News Translation finds it more natural to say “The water will divide.” Contemporary English Version has “The water will open up.”

That the people of Israel may go is literally “and the sons of Israel will enter.” The idea of that (“in order that”) and may go is suggested by the context. On dry ground assumes that the bottom of the sea will become dry when the water is split. Through the sea is literally “in the middle of the sea.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “march into the sea.” The idea of “walking through the sea” is interpreted from the context. Contemporary English Version‘s model will be helpful for many translators: “make a road where they can walk through on dry ground.” In some languages, though, the use of the word sea will indicate a place filled with water. In such cases one may say, for example, “walked on dry land between the walls of water on each side.” It should be understood that they are in the place where the sea used to be.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Lift up your walking stick and hold it out over the sea. The water will divide and provide a path for the Israelites to walk on dry ground between the walls of water on each side.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .