There are no lions in Bawm country, so the Bawm Chin translation uses “a tiger with a mane” where the Greek term for “lion” is used and in Sranan Tongo the “roaring lion” in 1 Peter 5:8 is a krasi tigri, an “aggressive tiger.”
In the Kahua culture, lions are not known either so the Kahua translation used “fierce animal.”
In 1 Peter 5:8, the Uripiv translation uses “a hungry shark” instead of a roaring lion.
Sources: David Clark for Bawm Chin and Kahua, Japini 2015, p. 33, for Sranan Tongo, and Ross McKerras for Uripiv)
The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 49:9:
Kankanaey: “You-are-illustrated by a lion (loan layon) that kills what it catches then it returns to its hiding-place. You (sing.) are like a lion that stretches-out to lie-down and no one/nothing dares to disturb-it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Newari: “Judah is the child of a lion, and [he] has prospered in hunting, like a lion [he] has kneeled and lain down. Who would have the courage to rouse him?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “You (sing.) are-like a young lion that/[linker] after he has-looked for something-to-devour, he returns to his hiding-place and there lies-down. And no-one ever dares to disturb him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Judah is like a young lion that has returned to its den satisfied after eating the animals that it has killed. He is like a lion that lies down and stretches out after eating; no one would dare to disturb it.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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 show different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.
In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples.
Verse 9 is the first in a series of verses that make use of animal metaphors. All of the animal figures in this verse are war images. For a very helpful discussion about lions and lion behavior, translators are advised to refer to the article by Edward R. Hope, 1991.
Judah is a lion’s whelp: lion’s whelp is used to suggest youthful strength and agility. It does not intend to give the impression of a lion cub that still depends upon its mother. Good News Translation avoids the image of an immature lion by using a simile and saying “Judah is like a lion.” If the second person is used, we may say, for example, “Judah, you are like a young lion.” In some languages it is an insult to say that someone is “like a lion.” In such cases it may be necessary to say “powerful like a lion.”
From the prey, my son, you have gone up: the picture is that of the lion that has killed its victim, eaten it, and gone away. Gone up translates a Hebrew verb that may mean to return to a place where the lion was before (New International Version has “return from the prey” and Revised English Bible “returned from the kill”), or it may mean to stand up after crouching to eat (New Jerusalem Bible “stand over your prey”). Good News Translation has introduced the idea of returning to a “den.” This line may require some restructuring to make it clear. My son is addressed to Judah and therefore may fit best in the first line, if it is included. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch make this adjustment by saying in the first line “Judah, my son, you are like a young lion.” The second line may then follow with “who has devoured its victim and gone away” or “who has killed and returned from eating its prey.”
He stooped down: the poet has now switched to third person. Good News Translation avoids the change of person by using verbal forms “killing,” “returning,” “stretching,” and “lying.” Revised English Bible has “you crouch and stretch like a lion.”
As a lioness: the picture of the lion continues. Anchor Bible says the various biblical words for lion refer to “various breeds … or stages of growth”; many versions do not render the Hebrew word used here as “a female lion.” It is not always necessary to find an equivalent term for “lion” in these verses. It may be possible to replace the noun with a pronoun in some places.
Who dares rouse him up?: the poet has dropped the thought of a female lion and speaks of him. If it is more convenient to avoid him in this context, we may say, for example, “Who dares rouse a lion up?” The question is rhetorical and may be expressed as “No one dares to stir up a lion.” See Good News Translation.
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 .