sparrow

While the Greek word strouthion is certainly the name for the sparrow, the Hebrew tsippor is actually an inclusive word that refers to sparrow-sized birds in general. These small birds, especially sparrows, were caught in nets and traps and were an important part of the diet of poor people.

There are three types of sparrow that are common in Israel, the House Sparrow Passer domesticus, the Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis, and the Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus. All three are small speckled brown birds. Additional small birds that abound around towns and settlements are members of the bunting, finch, and tit families. Sparrows in particular are usually found in fairly large numbers roosting and nesting together. All are seed eaters and live mainly on grass seeds and grain.

Sparrows were considered clean birds and were associated with the poor.

Sparrows or sparrow-like small birds are found all over the world. Finding a local word is not usually difficult. The reference to “a lonely bird on the housetop” in Psalms 102:7 takes on additional meaning if the sparrow was intended, since it is a bird that is seldom seen alone. It would then indicate the psalmist’s sense of loneliness at being separated from those with whom he belongs.

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

complete verse (Genesis 15:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 15:10:

  • Kankanaey: “And Abram got those and took (them) to God. Then he halved (technical term used in butchering) the bodies of the animals and arranged them in two lines parallel-to-each-other. But as for the bodies of the pigeons, he did not divide-them-in-two.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Abram brought [them] all. Then he cut them exactly in half making two pieces and laid them out right and left. The dove and the pigeon, however, he did not cut in half.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Therefore Abram brought all these to the LORD. Then Abram cut- (them) -in-two and arranged each half facing-each-other. Only the pigeon and the dove he did- not -cut-in-half.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So Abram brought all of them and killed them and cut each of the animals in half. He arranged the halves of each one, side by side. But he did not cut the pigeon and dove in half.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 15:10

At this point of the story, if not in verses 7-9, the setting must surely be daytime, since the activities now described are daytime activities, and birds of prey only fly around during the day. A considerable amount of time would also be required to do all that is described here.

And he brought him all these: he refers to Abram and him to God. Good News Translation says clearly “Abram brought the animals to God.”

Cut them in two means to cut the animals (but not the birds) by dividing them down the middle. Translators should avoid a word for “cut in two” that means cut through the middle so that the head and front legs are on one part and the hind quarters are on the other. In some languages readers may be confused if it is not stated that Abram killed the animals before cutting them in two. One translation, for example, says “Then Abram went and brought all these to the LORD; then he killed them all, and split each of the three animals into two halves.”

Laid each half over against the other: or as Good News Translation says more clearly, “placed the halves opposite each other in two rows.” In some cases it may be necessary to say “He laid the left half of an animal on one side, and on the other side he laid the right half of that animal.”

But he did not cut the birds in two: here again it may be necessary to say “Abram killed the birds, but did not cut them in two.”

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 .