barren

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “barren” in English is translated with two different terms in Sranan Tongo: “unable to get a child” (used in Luke 1:7) and “closed womb/belly” (because of old age) (used in Luke 1:36). (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)

For the translation into Upper Guinea Crioulo, it was not possible to translate with a purely descriptive term. David Frank (in this blog post ) explains:

“The [translation] team is doing a great job, but there were some challenges. Luke 1:7 is supposed to say that Elizabeth was barren, but they said that while their word for barren might be used for animals, it would not be polite to use for people. They translated it as Deus ka da Isabel bambaran, which means ‘God hadn’t given Elizabeth a bambaran,’ which refers to the cloth a woman uses to carry an infant on her back.”

In Southern Zazaki it is translated as “blind chimney.” (Source: Werner 2012, p. 128)

See also heal (from infertility).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Barrenness .

Sarai / Sarah

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Sarai” and “Sarah” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign depicting coins on a headband, referring to women from the Middle East and North Africa who wear a headband decorated with small coins. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Sarai” and “Sarah” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Sarah .

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

complete verse (Genesis 11:30)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 11:30:

  • Kankanaey: “Whereupon there-were-no children of plural Abram, because his spouse was childless.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Sarai was a barren woman. She had no children.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Sarai was- not -able-to-have-children because she was barren.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Sarai was unable to bear any children.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 11:30

Now Sarai was barren: Sarai’s barren condition is mentioned here in the introduction, as it will grow into an essential complication in the story in chapters 15–18. This statement is followed by a second with the same meaning: she had no child. These two statements form a parallelism in which the second emphasizes the content of the first. In this way the narrator uses a poetic device to impress this point on his listeners and readers. In translation the same emphasis may be given in various ways. For example, “Sarai couldn’t have children. She did not have one nursing baby.” “Did Sarai have children? No, not a single one.” “Was Sarai a mother? Whose child did she ever give birth to?”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .