divination

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “divination” or similar in English is translated in Elhomwe as edduwelle or “to know about the future” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Bariai as “magic” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

See also spirit of divination and practice divination.

complete verse (Ezekiel 21:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 21:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “The king of Babylon will stop there by that thing that shows the road. In order to know which road leads to where he will shake arrows and throw them to the ground and ask his ancestral spirits and then he will beat the stomach of a goat that has been sacrificed.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “For the king of Babilonia will-stand on where- the two roads -have-crossed and he will-know which road he will-pass-by by casting-lots arrow(s), to-ask from little-gods, and to look carefully at the liver of an animal which had-been-offered.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When the army of Babylonia comes to where the road divides, they will stop, and the king will perform magic rituals to decide which road to go on. He will throw arrows; then consult his idolsabout which road to go on, and he will examine/look at the liverof a sheep.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 21:21

Here God explains what is happening even before Ezekiel draws the map.

For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways means Nebuchadnezzar is already at the fork in the highway, where the two roads go in different directions (compare New International Version and Revised English Bible, which use the future), and he must decide which way to go. The Hebrew particle ki rendered For introduces why Ezekiel had to draw the map of the two roads and the signpost. It is because the moment of decision has come, when Nebuchadnezzar will decide whether to attack Ammon or Jerusalem. Some translations omit this connector for stylistic reasons (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation). Translators will have to decide how to express it naturally in their own languages.

To use divination …: Divination involves consulting the gods, either by magic or by a game of chance, such as rolling dice or casting lots (see 13.6). This practice is known in many societies, but in those where it is not, translators may say “he uses magic to make a decision” or “he consults the gods to learn what to do.” Three forms of divination are mentioned. First, he shakes the arrows (see the footnote in Good News Translation), which may be rendered “he throws the arrows on the ground.” In cultures where bows and arrows are unknown, it may be best to render arrows as “short spears” or “sticks.” Second, he consults the teraphim. Teraphim are “family idols” (New Century Version) or “household gods” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible), which he consults for advice. Third, he looks at the liver. This practice, called hepatoscopy, was widespread in the ancient world. People looked at the liver of a recently-killed animal or bird and, from the marks on it, they believed it was possible to find out the will of the gods. Most cultures have some methods of using magic or supernatural means to foretell the future, to make decisions, or to find out the will of the gods. If these methods are close to the ancient methods described here, translators may use the indigenous forms. Otherwise, it may be necessary to explain why Nebuchadnezzar does these things; this may be done by including a known method as an example in a footnote.

A model for this verse is:

• For the king of Babylon is already at the place where the two roads begin. He is using magic [or, He is consulting gods] to decide which way to go. To learn what the gods tell him, he throws arrows on the ground to see how they point, he asks his idols for advice, and he studies the liver of an animal [or bird] he has sacrificed.

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 .