distance (long / wide / high)

The concepts of distance that are translated in English with “long,” “wide,” and “high/tall” are translated in Kwere with one word: utali. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Ezekiel 3:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 31:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “How beautiful was indeed this tree! It was tall and had great branches because its roots had gone deep to reach much water.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This tree is very beautiful and the branches are longer, for its roots spread-out deep and water is abundant.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “It was majestic and beautiful;
    its branches spread out widely
    because the roots of the tree grew down into the ground where there was a plentiful supply of water.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 31:7

It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches: The tree was beautiful because of “its great size” and “its long branches” (Moffatt). A model for this sentence is “The tree was beautiful; it was tall and had long [or, spreading] branches.”

The tree was so beautiful for its roots went down to abundant waters, that is, “Its roots went down deep to where there was plenty water” (New International Reader’s Version). This abundance of water is a recurring theme in this chapter (see verses 4-5). A possible model here is “That was because its roots reached down to much water” (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 .