witness

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and and Greek that is translated as “witness” in English is translated in these ways:

  • “truly have seen” in Highland Popoluca
  • “telling the truth regarding something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
  • “know something” in Lalana Chinantec
  • “verily know something to be the truth” in San Mateo del Mar Huave
  • “we ourselves saw this” in Desano
  • “tell the truth about something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
  • “know something is true because of seeing it” in Teutila Cuicatec (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • “ones who will confirm that these-things that you have seen are true” in Kankanaey (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • “ones who are to testify about these things, because it all happened before your eyes” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Exodus 22:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 22:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “But if he becomes irresponsible so it is stolen, then that person should pay back/compensate the man’s property.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “But if the animal or property has been stolen, the neighbor caring for it must repay the owner.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But if the animal was-stolen, the one who-took-care must pay the owner.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “But if that companion of the animal’s owner wasn’t watching over the animal well, and so a man of stealing ran off with it, then that companion of his will make payment to the animal’s owner.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “But, if be him that steal it, he must give its owner it.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “But if the animal was stolen while he was supposed to be taking care of it, the man who promised to take care of it must pay back the owner for the animal.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 22:12

But if, literally “And if [ʾim],” continues the law of verse 7. If it is stolen from him is literally “And if stolen it is stolen from him.” The emphatic form of the verb is used here as in 21.12. The it refers to “the animal” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), but him is ambiguous. New American Bible assumes it refers to the owner: “But if the custodian is really guilty of theft.” Good News Translation, by omitting from him, suggests the same thing from the context. But it is more likely that the him refers to the custodian, not the owner. New International Version is clear: “But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor” (see verse 10). And Translator’s Old Testament has “If the animal is stolen while it is in custody.”

He shall make restitution to its owner means that the man who was keeping the animal “must repay the owner” (Good News Translation). Since he was the custodian, he was responsible for the animal. Therefore, even if someone else had stolen the animal from him, the custodian would have to “repay the owner.”

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 .