envy / envious

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated as “envy” or “envious” in most English translations is, according to Nida (1952, p. 134), translated into Tzeltal and Tabasco Chontal in the following manner:

“Envy is bred of covetousness and self-centeredness. The Tzeltals, who recognize a covetous man as having a ‘small heart,’ say that an envious person has ‘a greedy heart.’ ‘Small hearts’ and ‘greedy hearts’ go together, and the soul shrinks in direct proportion to its greediness. The envious person is never satisfied, for he can never keep step with his own insatiable ego.

“The Chontal Indians, living in the low, swampy delta land of Tabasco in southern Mexico, regard envy in a more subtle way. They say of the man who is envious of his neighbor, ‘He did not want to see his neighbor.’ This describes the end result of envy. People cannot bear to see others enjoying the privileges which they insist should be their own. The envious man has acquired such a self-directed stare that he cannot take his eyes off self to see another’s enjoyment.”

Other translations include:

  • Central Mazahua: “jealous of each other, their fellow people”
  • Sayula Popoluca: “hate those who have something” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Chol: “resent the well-being of others” (source: John Beekman & Harwood Hess in Notes on Translation, March 1963, p. 1ff.)
  • Matumbi: sukya, which means “envy” but also “hate” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Kupsabiny: “blackstomached” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)

See also envy.

Philistines

The term that is transliterated as “Philistines” in English means “(from) the land of wanderers,” “(from the) land of strangers” (same as “Palestinian”). (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

It is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the helmet the Philistine warriors wore was decorated with feather-like objects. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Philistines” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Philistines (source: Bible Lands 2012)

complete verse (Genesis 26:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 26:14:

  • Kankanaey: “His sheep, cattle and slaves became-many, so the Filisteo became-jealous-of (him).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Because he became prosperous [having] many sheep, goats and male and female servants, the Philistines became envious of him [lit.: seeing him, became envious].” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The Filistinhon were-jealous of him because his sheep, goats, cows, and servants were now many.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He had large herds of sheep and goats and cattle, and many slaves. Because of that, the Philistine people envied him.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 26:14

Verse 14 explains in detail what it means for Isaac to be described as a very rich man. The first part of the verse gives the reason why the Philistines envied Isaac. Note that Good News Translation begins with “Because….”

He had … flocks and herds is literally “He came to have possessions of flocks and cattle.” Since the Hebrew word tson, rendered flocks by Revised Standard Version, includes both sheep and goats, we may say “He had flocks of sheep and goats and herds of cattle.”

And a great household: household translates a Hebrew term, used here and in Job 1.3, referring to all Isaac’s servants, which Speiser calls “a large retinue”; Good News Translation has “many servants,” Revised English Bible “many slaves.” For discussion of “slave” see 9.25. As a general expression we may say, for example, “and all the people who served in Isaac’s camp.” One typical translation of the first part of verse 14 is “Isaac bred up very many sheep and goats and cattle, and he had a great many workers….”

So that the Philistines envied him: so that is used by Revised Standard Version to make this statement a consequence of Isaac’s wealth. Note that Good News Translation made the first part of the verse a reason clause. We may also begin this clause as a consequence by saying “and for that reason,” “because of that,” “therefore.” Envied means that the people of Gerar, here called Philistines, are unhappy about the success and wealth that Isaac has acquired. They may also be called “jealous.”

In some languages envied is expressed idiomatically; for example, “Their hearts were hot for the things that Isaac possessed.”

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 .