neighbor

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” in English is rendered into Babatana as “different man,” i.e. someone who is not one of your relatives. (Source: David Clark)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun, it is rendered as “a person outside of your building,” in Tzeltal as “your back and side” (implying position of the dwellings), in Indonesian and in Tae’ as “your fellow-man,” in Toraja-Sa’dan it is “your fellow earth-dweller,” in Shona (translation of 1966) as “another person like you,” in Kekchí “younger-brother-older-brother” (a compound which means all one’s neighbors in a community) (sources: Bratcher / Nida and Reiling / Swellengrebel), in Mairasi “your people” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Mezquital Otomi as “fellow being,” in Tzeltal as “companion,” in Isthmus Zapotec as “another,” in Teutila Cuicatec as “all people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in most modern German translations as Mitmensch or “fellow human being” (lit. “with + human being”).

In Matt 19:19, Matt 22:39, Mark 12:31, Mark 12:33, Luke 10:27, Luke 10:29 it is translated into Ixcatlán Mazatec with a term that refers to a person who is socially/physically near. Ixcatlán Mazatec also has a another term for “neighbor” that means “fellow humans-outsiders” which was not chosen for these passages. (Source: Robert Bascom)

In Noongar it is translated as moorta-boordak or “people nearby” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

complete verse (Exodus 22:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 22:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “When/If someone keeps money for somebody in his house and it is stolen, if that thief is traced and found, he has to compensate twice.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If someone gives money or goods to anyone to keep for him, and it is stolen, the thief shall pay double if he is found.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘For-example, a man stores-away his money or whatever thing to the house of his neighbor, and it got-stolen. If the thief is-caught, he must pay double.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “‘If a man brings his silva money, or his other things to stay with his fellow companion for him to watch over it, but a man of stealing comes and steals those things from his companion’s house, and then they apprehend him, the man of stealing must pay back two-each for the things to the owner of the things.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “If a man give a man thing [that] he might safekeep for it [eye], money or household things, and thief come steal it, if they find thief, he must give it for two.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Suppose someone gives to another person some money or other valuable goods and asks him to guard them in his house for a while. If those things are stolen from that person’s house, if the thief is caught, he must pay back twice as much as he stole.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 22:7

If a man delivers is literally “If [ki] a man gives.” New Revised Standard Version has “When someone delivers” (see the discussion at 21.2). What he gives is either money or goods, literally “silver or articles.” The word for goods is the same word used for “jewelry” in 3.22; 11.2; and 12.35. The implication is that they are “other valuables” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) of various kinds. To his neighbor is literally “to his fellow” or “friend.” Translator’s Old Testament has “fellow-Israelite,” but the word here may simply mean “to another” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New American Bible, Revised English Bible). We may restructure this as “Suppose a person asks his neighbor to keep some silver or other valuables.”

To keep indicates the purpose for giving these items. The word here means “to watch” or “to guard,” so these are not gifts. Rather they are entrusted to another person “for safekeeping” (New International Version). Therefore it is implied, as Good News Translation expresses it, that the other person “agrees to keep” these items and accepts the responsibility for them. And it is stolen out of the man’s house is literally “and it is stolen from the house of the man.”

Then, if the thief is found is literally “if [ʾim] is found the thief.” This means not only that he is “found,” but also that he “is caught” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “apprehended” (Revised English Bible). He shall pay double is literally “he shall repay two,” meaning “he shall restore twofold” (Revised English Bible). (See verse 4.) It is important in translation to make it clear that the he refers to the thief and not to the neighbor. So Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version make this explicit. Good News Translation has “the thief, if he is found, shall repay double,” and Contemporary English Version has “If the thief is caught, the thief must repay double.”

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 .