untranslatable verses

The Swedish Bibel 2000 declared the 69 Old Testament verses referenced herein as “untranslatable.” Typically, other Bible translations translate those verses and mention in footnotes that the translation is uncertain or give alternate readings. Christer Åsberg, the Translation Secretary with the Swedish Bible Society at that time, explains why the Swedish Bible Society decided to not translate these verses at all (in The Bible Translator 2007, p. 1ff. ):

“In the new Swedish translation (SB) of 2000, [some verses are] not translated at all; [they are] indicated with three hyphens inside square brackets [- - -] [with a] reference to the appendix, where in the article ‘Text’ one will find a paragraph with roughly the following content:

In some cases the text is unintelligible and the variant readings differing to such an extent, that it is quite impossible to attain a reasonable certainty of what is meant, although some isolated word may occur, whose meaning it is possible to understand.

“If Bible translators find the Hebrew text untranslatable, what kind of text is it that they have produced in the translation into their own language? When a footnote says ‘The Hebrew is not understandable,’ what then is the printed text a translation of? And if the translators prefer to do without footnotes, are they then really released from the responsibility of informing their readers that the text they read is just mere guesswork?

“To leave a blank space in a Bible text seems to be an offensive act for many. (. . . ) To admit that a piece of Holy Scripture makes no sense at all may have been unimaginable in times past. In our enlightened era, an overprotective concern for the readers’ trust in the word of God is apparently a decisive factor when a translator tries to translate against all odds. The verdict ‘untranslatable’ is much more frequent in scholarly commentaries on different Bible books written by and for experts than in the translations or footnotes of the same books designed for common readers.

“Another reason (. . .) is a professional, and very human, reluctance to admit a failure. Also, many Bible translators lack translational experience of other literary genres and other classical texts where this kind of capitulation is a part of the daily run of things. They may have an innate or subconscious feeling that the Bible has unique qualities not only as a religious document but also as a linguistic and literary artifact. Completeness is felt to be proof of perfection. Some translators, and not so few of their clients, are unfamiliar with a scholarly approach to philological and exegetical matters. In some cases their background have made them immune to a kind of interpretative approximation common in older translations, confessional commentaries, and sermons. Therefore, their tolerance towards lexical, grammatical, and syntactical anomalies tends to be comparatively great.

“It is very hard to discern and to define the boundary between something that is extremely difficult and something that is quite impossible. I am convinced that all Bible translators in their heart of hearts will admit that there actually are some definitely untranslatable passages in the Bible, but are there a dozen of them or a score? Are there fifty or a hundred? Not even a group of recognized experts would probably pick out the same ten most obvious cases. (. . .)

“Conclusions:

  1. There are untranslatable passages in the Bible.
  2. How many they are is impossible to say—except for the translation team that decides which passages are untranslatable.
  3. An untranslatable passage cannot and should therefore not be translated.
  4. The lacuna should be marked in a consistent way.
  5. The translating team should stipulate their criteria for untranslatability as early as possible.
  6. It is an ethical imperative that the readers be comprehensively informed.
  7. Untranslatability has been and can be displayed in many different ways.
  8. An explanatory note should not confuse linguistic untranslatability with other kinds of textual or translational difficulties.
  9. The information given should make it clear that the translators’ recognition of untranslatability is a token of respect for the Bible, not a proof of depreciation.
  10. You shall not fear the void, but the fear of the void.”

With thanks to Mikael Winninge, Director of Translation, Swedish Bible Society

prostitute oneself / play the prostitute

The Hebrew that is translated as “prostitute oneself” or “play the prostitute” in English is translated in Vidunda as “(practice) sexual immorality.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Ezekiel 16:16)

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

  • Kupsabiny: “You took some of your clothes and used them to decorate where you pray to those idols and you revealed/bared yourself to any young man like a prostitute does. Things like that should never happen.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You used some of your clothes/garments to beautify the places-of-worship on the high places, where you do your immoral relationship. That should not happen.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “It was as though you took some of your clothes to make beautifully decorated shrines, and that is where you had sex with those men. Those things should certainly never occur!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 16:16

In verses 16-21 God says the girl became a full-time prostitute. She used the fine material of her beautiful clothes to decorate the places where she had sex with men, and she used her gold and silver jewelry to make idols. She worshiped false gods and even sacrificed her children to them. In these verses the parable begins to break down, because it now becomes clear that the girl’s prostitution really refers to way the Israelites worshiped false gods.

You took some of your garments, and made for yourself gaily decked shrines: Your garments are the beautiful clothes God had given to the girl. The Hebrew word for shrines is literally “high places” (King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). It is the term frequently used in the Bible for the pagan places of worship that the unfaithful Israelites used to worship idols (see the comments on 6.3). Here it is ambiguous because it also refers to the raised platforms on which prostitutes had sex with their clients. To maintain the parable of this chapter, it is preferable to focus on this meaning; for example, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “platforms.” Made for yourself gaily decked shrines probably does not mean the girl constructed or built these platforms; rather, she decorated them with some of her clothes (so Good News Translation). Since her clothes from God were beautiful, her platforms were gaily decked. The Hebrew word rendered gaily decked is the same one used in Gen 30.32-33 to describe the “spotted” goats in Laban’s flock. It is also used to describe the “patched” sandals in Josh 9.5. Therefore it is unlikely that this word means “gaudy” (New International Version, New American Bible), “colorful” (New Revised Standard Version, New Century Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “bright with colours” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly Bible en français courant), or “multicolored” (New King James Version ). More likely it refers to some patchwork effect, with patches of material sewn together to cover the platforms.

And on them played the harlot: On the platforms the girl worked as a prostitute. For played the harlot, see the previous verse. Contemporary English Version renders this clause as “That’s where you took your visitors to have sex with them.”

Models for the first sentence of this verse are:

• You used some of your clothes and made a patchwork covering for your platforms. There you had sex like a prostitute.

• You sewed together some of your clothing as a covering to decorate the platforms where you worked as a prostitute [or, where you had sex with men].

The like has never been, nor ever shall be: As in verse 15, the last words of this verse do not make much sense. The Hebrew says literally “Not by the sign, and it will not be” or “Not coming things, and it will not be.” Since the Hebrew sentence here is unclear, some translations omit it (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Moffatt). Most understand it as a comment, deploring the actions of the girl; for example, Contemporary English Version says “These things should never have happened!” New International Version has “Such things should not happen, nor should they ever occur,” and New Living Translation translates “Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen?” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project suggests the following possible translations: “they (that is, the shrines) should never have come into existence, and it (that is, the girl’s prostitution) should never have happened!” and “may they never have come into existence and may that never be!” Unfortunately, these renderings do not bear much resemblance to the Hebrew, nor do they fit the context of the parable in the chapter very well. This sentence is most likely another coarse comment on the girl’s behavior, which may be rendered “What a whore you are!” In fact, one of the Hebrew words here can be used with a coarse sexual meaning, and it may be that these words are an obscene idiomatic phrase, the meaning of which is not clear. In view of this uncertainty, translators may choose any of the renderings above, but it is probably best to omit the words and include a footnote to explain that some obscure words are missing (so Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .