desert / wilderness

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The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “desert” or “wilderness” in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Mairasi: “a place where noisiness is cut off (or: stops)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Muna: pandaso bhalano pr “big barren-field” (source: René van den Berg)
  • Balinese: “barren field” (source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • Wantoat: “uninhabited place” (source: Holzhausen 1991, p. 38)
  • Umiray Dumaget Agta: “where no people dwell” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “where no house is” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Amri Karbi: “waterless region/place” (source: Philippova 2021, p. 368)
  • Ocotlán Zapotec: “large empty place” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Pa’o Karen: “jungle” (denoting a place without any towns, villages and tilled fields) (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. )
  • Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “steppe”
  • Yakan: “the lonely place” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a land where no people lived” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “the place with no inhabitants” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Cherokee: inage or “far away downstream” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 16)
  • Matumbi uses various term: lubele (desert, sandy place without water) — used in John 11:54, lupu’ngu’ti (a place where no people live, can be a scrub land, a forest, or a savanna) — used in Mark 1:3 et al.), and mwitu (a forest, a place where wild animals live) — used in Mark 1:13 et al.) (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Chichewa Contemporary translation (2002/2016): chipululu: a place uninhabited by people with thick forest and bush (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Adioukrou: loj or “savannah” — “land that is not village, nor forest, nor field (source: Hill 2006)

Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place,” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

See also wilderness and desolate wilderness.

Pharaoh

The term that is used for monarchs in ancient Egypt and is transliterated as “Pharaoh” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying the “fake metal beard (postiche)” that was used by Pharaohs during official functions. (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Pharaoh” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Pharaoh .

complete verse (Exodus 14:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 14:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “That ruler/king may think that, ‘The Israelites are wandering around until (they) are destroyed/lost in the desert.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Pharoah will think the Israelites are wandering here and there missing the way; the wilderness has shut them in.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The king will-think that you (plur.) are-wondering-around-in-a-lost-state and can- no-longer -come-out from the desert/desolate-place.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “But the great chief of the Isip people spoke in his mind like this, ‘The Israel people are walking senselessly (lit. crazy) here and there in that area, and they don’t have any way to leave that area, because the desolate area blocks them.’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Therefore, king of Egypt will think it that you lost road, are wandering be it just, because wilderness spoiled road.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “When the king knows you have done that, he will think, ‘The Israeli people are confused. They are wandering around, and the desert blocks their path.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 14:3

These are still Yahweh’s words to Moses, explaining why he wants the people to change their direction. For Pharaoh will say introduces the words of the king, but no addressee is mentioned. So we may assume that the direct quote is what “The king will think” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). (Similar are 3.3 and 13.17.) Of the people of Israel is literally “to the sons of Israel,” but the preposition here means “in regard to,” or “concerning.” This phrase identifies who the They are, so New American Bible, New International Version, and New Jerusalem Bible include it as part of the direct quote. Good News Translation changes to indirect speech (so also Contemporary English Version).

They are entangled in the land uses a word found in only two other places (translated “perplexed” in Est 3.15 and Joel 1.18). Here it probably means to confuse or to agitate, so a variety of interpretations are possible: “finding themselves in difficult country” (Revised English Bible), “wandering to and fro in the countryside” (New Jerusalem Bible), “wandering around in the land in confusion” (New International Version), “wandering aimlessly in the land” (New Revised Standard Version), or simply “wandering around” (Contemporary English Version).

The wilderness has shut them in may be expressed as “hemmed in by the wilderness” (Revised English Bible) or “the wilderness has blocked their exodus” (Durham). Wilderness may be understood as “desert” (Good News Translation), but see the discussion at 3.1. It may be necessary in some languages to say something like “the wilderness prevents them from going to the east.”

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 .