anoint

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “anoint” is translated in Lakota with azilyA: “to smudge.”

Steve Berneking (in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 121) tells the story of that translation:

“During one visit with the Lakota team, we were reading texts and discussing key biblical terms and how they are best rendered into Lakota. Reference was made to the ritual we label ‘anointing.’ When the Lakota word that had been glossed as ‘anoint’ was read aloud, I heard giggling among the reviewers. Knowing that this reaction called for some explanation, I asked.

“The people there told me that the Lakota verb that was used to translate ‘anoint’ was funny in that context. It is not that the verb is an uncommon one; quite the contrary. Lakota uses that verb frequently, but almost exclusively as a verb of food preparation; the verb belongs to the culinary domain. In other words, the Lakota verb used for ‘anoint’ actually referred to rubbing oil on something that was to be cooked or grilled, in this case, the apostles. The Lakota verb ipáṫaŋṫtaŋ ‘to apply oil on something’ was used quite innocently by the missionaries. The linguistic transfer was understandable: the missionaries needed a verb to translate ‘putting oil on something’; Lakota has a verb; they used that verb. The result was comical. So, during that conversation with the Lakota community, I encouraged the translators to come up with a Lakota verb that is used not simply in ‘the application of oil,’ but more pointedly in the consecration of something or somebody for a special task, or in the appointment of someone for a special purpose. Their response was almost immediate: azilyA or wazílyA ‘to smudge.’ That is how, they told me, warriors and messengers and tribal leaders have always been consecrated (or blessed) before being sent out on a special mission. Sage grass was burned, and the smoke was waved over the person or object. The trans-cultural process of using the traditional Lakota verb azilyA for the biblical notion of ‘anoint’ became, at that moment, part of the Lakota Bible.”

In Bashkir, it is translated as masekhlay (мәсехләү), when used in a ritual context. Masekhlay has the same root than masikh (мәсих), which is used both for “anointed one” in the Old Testament and in its capitalized form (Мәсих) for Μεσσίας (engl. “Messiah”) and Χριστός (engl. “Christ”) in the New Testament. For more information about this, see anointed one.

In Vidunda it is translated as “smear oil.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Click or tap here to see a short video clip showing how anointing was done in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also anoint (chrió) and anointing of David (image).

fat, oil

The different Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Ezekiel 16:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 16:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “I washed away the blood and anointed you with oil” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Then I washed-off the blood from your body, and I rubbed you with oil.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “And then it was as though I bathed you and washed the blood from you and put ointment on your body.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 16:9

This verse seems to be out of place. It describes God doing the things that should have been done for the abandoned newborn baby girl, that is, washing and anointing her with oil. He did this, not at her birth, but when she was already a sexually mature young woman. Thus the story says that the baby remained naked, dirty and squirming in her birth-blood until she had grown up and was ready for marriage, that is, at least 12 years old. Although it is hard to imagine this happening, the story must be translated as it stands.

Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you: Then renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which is often translated “and.” Here it introduces the next step in the story. Translators are encouraged to use whatever connector is most appropriate in their own language. The Hebrew verb rendered bathed has the idea of immersing something in water to clean it, and the verb for washed off suggests running water over something to rinse it, but their meanings are so similar that it is acceptable to combine them, which Contemporary English Version does by saying “I washed the blood off you.” Your blood again carries the idea of ritual uncleanness (see Ezek 16.6). Some scholars claim that here it refers to the young woman’s menstrual blood, indicating that she was sexually mature. Others suggest that it refers to virginal bleeding after the first time she had intercourse. However, despite the difficulties described in the previous paragraph, it is better in the context of the story to understand it still as the birth-blood. In any case, your blood is all that needs to be said in the translation.

And anointed you with oil: It is tempting to take this clause to refer to putting perfume on the beautiful young woman (so New Living Translation), but in the context it is better to understand it as rubbing on the girl the olive oil that she did not receive when she was born (see the comments on Ezek 16.4). The Hebrew word for anointed is usually used in the context of putting on perfume (see Ruth 3.3). Oil refers to “olive oil” (Good News Translation). This clause may be rendered “and rubbed your skin with olive oil” (Contemporary English Version) or “and put olive oil on you” (similarly New Century Version).

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 .