abomination

The Hebrew that is translated as “abomination” or similar in English is translated in Vidunda as “hated thing” and in Kwere as zitibusa which means “evil” but also something that causes horror or disgust and revolts people. (Source for both: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

in Ngambay it is nékɔb or “taboo.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also detestable in the sight of God and holy.

shepherd

The Greek, Latin, Ge’ez, and Hebrew that is translated as “shepherd” in English is translated in Kouya as Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ — ” tender of sheep.”

Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains:

“Then one day they tackled the thorny problem of ‘shepherd’. It was problematic because Kouyas don’t have herdsmen who stay with the sheep all the time. Sheep wander freely round the village and its outskirts, and often a young lad will be detailed to drive sheep to another feeding spot. So the usual Kouya expression meant a ‘driver of sheep’, which would miss the idea of a ‘nurturing’ shepherd. ‘A sheep nurturer’ was possible to say, but it was unnatural in most contexts. The group came up with Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ which meant ‘a tender of sheep’, that is one who keeps an eye on the sheep to make sure they are all right. All, including the translators, agreed that this was a most satisfactory solution.”

Other translations include:

  • Chuj: “carer” (there was no single word for “shepherd”) (source: Ronald Ross)
  • Muna: “sheep guard” (dhagano dhumba) (there was no immediate lexical equivalent) (source: René van den Berg),
  • Mairasi: “people who took care of domesticated animals” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: “sheep worker” (kookendjeriyang-yakina) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Kwakum: “those-who-monitor-the-livestock” (source: Stacey Hare in this post )

See also I am the good shepherd, complete verse (Psalm 23:1), and sheep / lamb.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Shepherds in the Bible .

complete verse (Genesis 46:34)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 46:34:

  • Kankanaey: “tell (him) that you have pastured-animals starting-from back in your childhood (lit. smallness) until today like just the same the work of our ancestors in the past. That is what you are to say so that he will give-permission that you stay here-in Gosen, because those-from-Egipto dislike all who pasture-animals.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “say, ‘We are shepherds, from the first we have been ones who graze sheep.’ Then he will give you a place to live in Goshen.’ Joseph caused them to speak like that because those who live in Egypt do not like people who graze sheep.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[you (pl.)] tell (him) that you (pl.) (are) one(s)-who-watch-over animals from/ever-since when you (pl.) (were) still small just-like your (pl.) parents, so-that he will-cause- you (pl.) -to-live in Goshen. For the ones-from Egipto have-bad-(feelings) towards the one(s)-who-watches animals.'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “answer him by saying, ‘From the time when we were young, we have taken care of livestock, just as our ancestors did.’ If you tell him that, he will let you live in the Goshen region.’ Joseph told them to say that because the people of Egypt despised all shepherds.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
  • Wubuy: “You tell him this, ‘We (habitually) look after sheep and goats and cattle. Our tribe has done that from a long time ago.’ You tell the king that. Afterwards, the king will let you go, and you will live in this land Goshen, by yourselves. Because, the people of Egypt, they don’t go near people who look after sheep.’ That’s what Joseph said, he told his tribe that.” (Source: Michael Hore in The Bible Translator 2004, p. 448ff. )

servants (Japanese honorifics)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a humbling plural suffix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, the Hebrew and Aramaic that is translated as “servants” in English is translated as shimobe-domo (しもべども) or shimobe-ra (しもべら), combining “servant” (shimobe with the humbling plural suffix -domo or ra.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Japanese benefactives (kotaete)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, kotaete (答えて) or “answer” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Genesis 46:34

You shall say: this has the force of a command. It is rendered in some translations as “this is what you must say” or “make sure you tell him.”

Your servants … our youth even until now: Your servants may need to be modified, as in some languages this expression may mean the people who are employed by the king. We may sometimes adjust this to say, for example, “We who honor you, sir, have been…,” or if using an indirect quote, “… that you [plural] have taken care of….” See Good News Translation. From our youth even until now may also be expressed as “through all our lives.”

Both we and our fathers: our fathers or “our ancestors” does not fit with until now, as these ancestors are no longer living. Therefore it is necessary to adjust this clause by saying, for example, “that you [plural] have taken care of livestock [been herders or herdsmen] all your lives, the same as your ancestors did.” Spoken in the “we” form (direct speech) this may be “We have been herdsmen all our lives, just like our ancestors were.”

In order that you may dwell in the land of Goshen: see Good News Translation “in this way he will let you live….” It is expressed more fully in some translations as “When you say that, the king will let you live….”

For every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians: for abomination see 43.32. Although Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation correctly translate the Hebrew text, even the king of Egypt had a herd of livestock (see 47.6). Driver comments that, according to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, swineherds and cowherds were looked down upon by the Egyptians, but that shepherds were not. Anchor Bible thinks that the term shepherd is here a play on the popular interpretation of the Hyksos dynasty as “shepherd kings.” The Hyksos were Asians who ruled Egypt from about 1660 B.C. for a hundred years; and the descendants of Jacob were in Egypt before, during, and after the Hyksos period.

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 .