thistles

The Hebrew in Genesis 3:18 that is translated as “thistles” in English is translated in Elhomwe as epullathi or “bitter fruit” (which cannot be eaten). (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also thorns.

Genesis 3:17-19 (image)

Image taken from the Wiedmann Bible. For more information about the images and ways to adopt them, see here .

For other images of Willy Wiedmann paintings in TIPs, see here.

The Promise of a Redeemer

Artwork by Sister Marie Claire , SMMI (1937–2018) from Bengaluru, India.

For more information about images by Sister Marie Claire and ways to purchase them as lithographs, see here .

For other images of Sister Marie Claire paintings in TIPs, see here.

God Judges Adam and Eve

The following is a stained glass window from the Three choir windows in the Marienkirche, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, of the 14th century, depicting God judging Adam and Eve:

Source: Der gläserne Schatz: Die Bilderbibel der St. Marienkirche in Frankfurt (Oder), Neuer Berlin Verlag, 2005, copyright for this image: Brandenburgisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologisches Landesmuseum

Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )

See also other stained glass windows from the Marienkirche in Frankfurt.

complete verse (Genesis 3:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 3:18:

  • Kankanaey: “because there-will-come-to-be thorns and all kinds of bad weeds and you will eat from plants that just grow.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “It will bear thorns and nettles for you. Nevertheless you will still get to eat grain and green vegetables.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “From the land will-grow thorny plants, and you (sing.) will-eat what have-been-planted in the field.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Thornbushes and thistle plants and other weeds will grow and prevent what you have planted from growing. And for food, you will have to eat things that just grow in your fields.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Genesis 3:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 31:8:

  • Newari: “Your father said ‘As many as are spotted will be your wages,’ [and] the cattle all gave birth to spotted ones. He said, ‘As many as are striped will be your wages,’ [and] the cattle all gave birth to striped ones.'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If Laban will-say that the spotted goats are my wages, all the young of the goats are also spotted.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Laban said, ‘The speckled animals are the ones that I will give you to be your wages,’ then all the animals gave birth to young ones that were speckled. When he changed and said, ‘The ones that have black and white stripes on them will be your wages,’ then all the animals gave birth to young ones that were striped.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 3:18

Still speaking of the ground as cursed, God continues his judgment: thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you.

Thorns and thistles occurs again as a word pair in Hos 10.8. The exact plants named here are not certain. They are said to grow profusely in the dry ground of Palestine. In most areas of the world there are briars and other thorny plants that grow in abundance. The effect of these plants is to form an overgrowth and thus crowd out and hinder food crops from growing. Accordingly terms for any kinds of obstructive weeds are more important than their physical qualities. One translation expresses this clause as “Prickly vines and weeds will grow and cover your food garden.” If a descriptive phrase is required for thorns, it may be possible to say, for example, “plants with points,” “plants with sharp barbs,” or “plants that stick the fingers.” Bring forth means that the ground, the soil, will “produce, cause to grow” these obstacles to raising crops or food. However, the translation should not give the impression that these are all that the ground will produce.

To you or “for you” keeps the man in focus as the object of this punishment. It may not need to be represented in translation.

And you shall eat the plants of the field: plants (as in 1.29-30) is a general term including vegetables, grass, cereal, grains, and weeds, but the focus is upon those plants that are used for human food. These plants were grown formerly in the garden, but now they are called plants of the field, as they will have to be grown in “fields” in contrast to “in the garden of Eden.” Good News Translation and others understand “fields” to mean the open country, and so these are “wild plants,” or as one translation says, “things that grow by themselves in the bush.” Others take “fields” to mean areas where agriculture is carried on, and so the plants are “field crops,” that is, food that comes from harvesting in the fields. Either sense is suitable.

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 .