atonement

The Greek and Hebrew that is usually translated in English as “atonement” is translated in Luchazi with minina mata: “to swallow another’s spittle.” “The human bite [is traditionally thought of] as being the most poisonous and dangerous and the poison lies in the saliva. So in swallowing another’s spittle, one takes into oneself all the poison or evil of the other and thus actually ‘becomes sin’ on behalf of the other. The substitute then proceeds to deal with the case as though he were the guilty one.” (Source: E. Pearson in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 160ff. )

See also propitiation / atoning sacrifice and sacrifice of atonement / expiation / propitiation.

complete verse (Ezekiel 45:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 45:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “On the seventh day of that month do like this for any person who has done a sin that he is not aware of. In this way, you shall make the House of God clean.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This is what you will-do also on the seventh day of the same month for anyone who had-sinned which was not intentional or had-sinned which he did- not -know. In this way the temple will-be-cleansed” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He must do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for any people who sin without intending to sin or without realizing that what they did is sinful. By doing that you will purify the temple.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 45:20

You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month for any one who has sinned through error or ignorance: You shall do the same refers to the same process of sacrificing a bull and daubing its blood on the entrance to the Temple, on the altar, and on the east gateway’s entrance. The seventh day of the month refers to the seventh day of the first month of the year. The repetition of the ritual after seven days is for any one who has sinned through error or ignorance. One who has sinned through error is someone who sins “unintentionally” (Good News Translation), “accidentally” (Contemporary English Version), “without meaning to” (New International Reader’s Version). The Hebrew verb rendered sinned through error is also used to describe how sheep stray and wander away from the straight path (see 34.6, where it is translated “wandered”). Any one who has sinned through … ignorance refers to a person who is immature and inexperienced, a person who does not know better, who sins “without knowing it” (New Century Version; compare Pro 1.4, where the Hebrew word for ignorance is translated “simple”).

So you shall make atonement for the temple: By doing the ritual a second time, especially on behalf of those who have not sinned deliberately, the Temple will be made ritually clean. The Hebrew pronoun for you is plural, referring to the Israelites. For make atonement, see 43.20. This clause may be rendered “By doing this, you will make the Temple ready for my [God’s] service.”

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 .