witness

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and and Greek that is translated as “witness” in English is translated in these ways:

  • “truly have seen” in Highland Popoluca
  • “telling the truth regarding something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
  • “know something” in Lalana Chinantec
  • “verily know something to be the truth” in San Mateo del Mar Huave
  • “we ourselves saw this” in Desano
  • “tell the truth about something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
  • “know something is true because of seeing it” in Teutila Cuicatec (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • “ones who will confirm that these-things that you have seen are true” in Kankanaey (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • “ones who are to testify about these things, because it all happened before your eyes” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Genesis 31:52)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 31:52:

  • Newari: “I will not come to harm you, by passing over this heap of stones and [this] pillar. And [it] is a witness saying that you will not come to harm me by passing over this heap of stones.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “These piled-up stones and the stone which (is) a remembrance is-the-one-that will-testify-to our (incl.) agreement that I am- not -to-go-beyond these piled-up stones in-order to-attack you (sing.), and you (sing.) also are- not -to-go-beyond these piled-up stones and the stone which (is) a remembrance in-order to attack me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Both this pile of rocks and this large stone will remind us, that I will not go past these rocks to harm you, and you will not go past these rocks to harm me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 31:52

This verse gives the words of a treaty between the two men: neither side will cross the boundary to do the other harm. This is different than the words of the treaty given in verse 50.

This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness: see Good News Translation, which reduces these two clauses to one.

That I will not pass over this heap to you: this statement is completed in Revised Standard Version only at the end of the verse, where the words for harm are found. It will often be necessary to move the purpose forward by saying, for example, “I will never go beyond this pile to injure you.” See Good News Translation. New English Bible says “… to do an injury,” which Revised English Bible has revised to “with evil intent.” In many languages this is most simply expressed as “to cause you harm.” Some languages have special terms or expressions for crossing over tribal or national borders, or markers for ownership of land; such terms and expressions will generally be appropriate in this context.

And you [Jacob] will not pass over …: here the pillar is added. Otherwise the only change from the statement before is the change of the pronoun, you (singular).

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 .