Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Habakkuk 3:17:
Kupsabiny: “Even if the fig tree has no flowers and the vines do not produce fruits, or the olive tree (does not) produce fruits, and also the fields do not produce something to eat, or sheep are lost/missing in the pen and cows are missing in the grazing ground,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Though the fig trees are not blossoming, though the vineyards produce no grapes, though there is no fruit on the olive trees, though there is no grain in the fields, though there are no flocks of sheep and goats in the pen, neither any cattle in the shed,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Even-though the fig tree, the grape vine, or the olive tree does not bear-fruit, or even the ground will- not -produce, and even the animals in the pen will-die,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Even though the figs, grapes and olives (all Sp. loans) have no fruit, in the fields, nothing is to be harvested, even though all sheep and cattle die,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
English: “Therefore, even if there are no blossoms on the fig trees, and there are no grapes on the grapevines, and even if there are no olives growing on the olive trees, and there are no crops in the fields, and even if the flocks of sheep and goats die in the fields, and there are no cattle in the stalls/barns,” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Two types of fig trees are mentioned in the Bible, the Common Fig Ficus carica (Hebrew te’enah) and the Sycomore Fig Ficus sycomorus (Hebrew shiqmah; see “Sycomore fig”). They are closely related. The common fig tree grows not only in Israel, but throughout the world in warm climates. In the Holy Land it was a common source of food; the fruit was eaten both fresh and dried. Sometimes the dried ones were pressed together to form flat “cakes” or blocks (Hebrew develah). But, just as important, the large leaves of the fig make it an excellent shade tree. However, the first use of the fig mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 3:7) was not for food or shade but for clothing; Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves for themselves to cover their nakedness.
The fig was probably domesticated in northwestern Turkey from a wild variety that grew there around 5000 years ago. Greek, Roman, and Egyptian records indicate that the fruits were popular. Figs are now grown especially in Israel, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Portugal, as well as in the warm parts of the United States.
The fig is believed to be indigenous to western Asia and to have been distributed by humans and birds throughout the Mediterranean area. Remnants of figs have been found in excavations of sites traced to at least 5000 B.C.
The domesticated fig grows to about 5-8 meters (17-26 feet) and has a round crown and very deep and round roots. The trunk may grow to be more than 70 centimeters (2 feet) thick. Fig trees may grow to be several decades old, if they are well cared for. Figs are usually propagated by planting cuttings. The pollination of the flowers is an amazingly intricate process closely linked to the life cycle of a tiny wasp, and the fact that fig trees, like papayas and date palms, are male or female. (There are now some kinds of figs that produce fruit without pollination.) The fruits are about the size of a hen’s egg and can be green, yellow, purple, or brown depending on the type. They are sweet and soft and difficult to transport. For that reason most farmers dry the fruits before shipping them. The “fruit” of the fig is technically a strangely shaped flower. Noting the absence of a “real” flower, the ancient people of India called it a flowerless tree.
The common fig tree, along with the vine and the olive, is one of the three “top trees” for the Jews. The Bible refers to the fig over 270 times. The image of peace and happiness in Israel was “every man under his vine and under his fig tree” (1 Kings 4:25).
Wild figs are common throughout the tropical world; there are at least eight hundred species of Ficus, thirty-two in southern Africa alone. The banyan, peepul, and bo are all types of fig. The fruits of wild fig trees are not nearly as juicy or sweet as those of the domesticated ones. In many places people eat the fruit when they find it in the wild, but do not market it or cultivate the trees. Translators are urged to use the local word, and, if necessary, use a footnote to indicate the difference between the local one and the biblical one. Where it is not known at all, transliterations from a major language may be used in nonfigurative contexts.
The olive family has over four hundred species in the world. Many of them grow in Africa, India, and Australia, but it is the one in the Bible, the European Olive Olea europaea, that has become famous. It is likely that the olive was domesticated in Egypt or the eastern Mediterranean basin in the third millennium B.C. The botanist Newberry argued that Egypt was its original home. We know from the Bible that olives grew in the hills of Samaria and in the foothills. There is a wild variety, called Olea europaea sylvestris, that is smaller than the domestic one; it produces a smaller fruit with less oil. The Apostle Paul refers to this wild variety in Romans 11:17 and 11:24. Olives are easily propagated by cuttings and by grafting fruitful species into less fruitful ones. They grow best on hillsides where the rain drains off quickly. The fruit forms by August but does not ripen until December or January.
The olive is not a big tree, reaching up to perhaps 10 meters (33 feet), but with pruning it is usually kept to around 5 meters (17 feet) tall. The leaves are grayish green above, and whitish underneath. The bark of young trees is silvery gray but gets darker and rougher as the tree ages. The trunk also gets twisted and hollow and may reach over a meter in thickness. Olives grow for hundreds of years, and some in Israel have possibly reached two thousand years.
The fruit of the olive is about 2 centimeters (1 inch) long and a bit more than a centimeter (1/2 inch) thick. It has a hard stone inside and a soft skin that covers the oily flesh. Today a mature tree may yield 10-20 kilograms (22-44 pounds) of fruit, which, when processed, will yield 1.3-2.6 kilograms (3.6 pounds) of oil.
For the Jews the “big three” trees were the vine, the fig, and the olive. People ate olive fruits, but more importantly, they squeezed the oil from the fruits, and used it for cooking, for lamps, for rubbing on the body, for medicine, and in religion. Jacob poured olive oil on the stone where he saw a vision of angels, declaring it a holy place (Genesis 28:18). Moses, similarly, anointed the Tabernacle and its equipment with olive oil mixed with sweet-smelling resins (Exodus 40:9). Aaron and the priests who served in the Tabernacle were also anointed (Exodus 29:21).
Some types of wild olive grow in Africa, India, and Australia, but are not well-known. The so-called “African olive” produces a black, oil-bearing fruit much like an olive. It is common as a snack in northern Nigeria. The “Chinese olive” is also a species of Canarium and may be a possible cultural substitute, if it produces edible fruit and oil. The “Russian olive” grown in dry regions of the world is a member of the Elaeagnus family and not a true olive. A variety of olive (Olea cuspidate) is used for building in India and Nepal, but it is probably not possible to use it in the Bible except perhaps in a study Bible where you could say that the biblical olive was related to this tree.
Since most of the kinds of olive trees in the world do not have edible fruit, it may not be possible to substitute a local variety. If it is done, however, a footnote would be required saying that the Palestinian kind produced edible fruit and oil. If a variety of Canarium is eaten in your area, you could use the local name for it. Otherwise transliterate from a major language.
The Hebrew, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated in English typically as “vine” is translated in Lak as къюмайтӀутӀул мурхьра: “the (grape-) cluster tree.”
Vitaly Voinov tells this story: “Laks (who live in the mountainous regions of Dagestan) historically have had no experience with planting and tending vineyards. They buy grapes at the market or the store, but that’s about all they know of grape growing. Thus, in field testing, none of the readers could picture the primary image of this chapter. The translator’s initial attempt of rendering ‘vine’ as ‘grape stalk’ met with complete non-understanding. After much discussion of the problem and potential solutions, we settled on what one of the field testing respondents suggested to remedy the problem: ‘vine’ was rendered as ‘the (grape-)cluster tree’ (къюмайтӀутӀул мурхьра). Technically grapes of course don’t grow on trees, but something had to be put in the text, and it had to be said in a way that the average reader/hearer could understand it. The Lak team could have borrowed the Russian word for ‘vine’ (лоза), but since this is a very low-frequency word in the Russian language, it’s likely that many Laks wouldn’t know the Russian word either. So the team settled for a reduction of accuracy in order to achieve greater clarity. After all, the primary point of importance in this passage is not a horticultural analysis, but a metaphorical comparison to the spiritual world, to the relationship between the Father, His Son, and the followers of Jesus. This rendering allows readers to get to the core of this meaning without getting tangled up in unknown terms.”
The Common Grape Vine Vitis vinifera is mentioned more often than any other plant or tree in the Bible. Excavations in Greece have discovered grape seeds dating to 4500 B.C. Egyptian records document the existence of cultivated vines in Canaan as early as 2375 B.C., and subsequent records report trade in vine products around 1360 B.C. and many times thereafter.
The vine is a creeping plant that develops a woody stem when it matures. It grows along the ground until it finds a tree or other object to climb, using tendrils. It bears bunches of small round fruit that are sweet and juicy. Today farmers grow them commercially throughout the Mediterranean area, in South Africa, in North America, and in many other countries. The first reference to the vine in the Bible (Genesis 9:20) tells us that Noah planted a vineyard (Hebrew kerem) and that he made an alcoholic drink from the fruit. Farmers since then have improved on the size, color, and quality of the fruit by careful pruning and selection until now there are at least 65 kinds of grapevines. Like many other plants in temperate areas, the vine has leaves that appear in early spring. After the fruit is picked and the weather gets cold, the leaves drop off and the plant is bare until the following spring. A typical vineyard in Bible times was surrounded by a stone fence. It had a stone tower from which the owner could watch for predators, and a place to squeeze the juice out of the fruits.
The vine is the most frequently cited plant in the Bible, and that alone makes it special. Vines, grapes, raisins, and wine were a major element of Jewish life, so it is not a surprise that the vine and its products are used figuratively probably more than any other Bible plant. After the flood purified the earth at the time of Noah, the vine became the means by which the human race was plunged again into sin (Genesis 9:20). We know from Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49:11f. and other passages that the vine was the symbol of blessing, prosperity, and happiness. The fact that there were groups like the Nazirites and Rechabites who abstained from drinking wine simply shows the radical self-denial that these people imposed on themselves. A drink offering of wine was an important part of worship (Exodus 29:40), and the image of contentment was “every man under his vine and under his fig tree” (Micah 4:4). Jotham includes the vine in his well-known Parable of the Trees (Judges 9:7ff.). In the New Testament, Jesus rescued a man from humiliation at a wedding party by miraculously providing a fresh supply of wine (John 2:1ff.). Wine becomes a major symbol in the Christian community when Jesus foreshadows his crucifixion by comparing the wine poured out in the Passover celebration to his blood (Matthew 26:27f. et al.). He speaks of the need for Christians to be like the branches of the vine, drawing their nourishment from him, the True Vine (John 15.:1ff.). Nearly every New Testament writer makes some metaphorical reference to the vine or its products.
There are around 65 kinds of grapevines (Vitis vinifera) found in the Northern Hemisphere. They belong to a larger family of creeping plants called Vitaceae, which has over 800 species throughout the world including many in the tropical and warm climates of the world.
Grapevines have occasionally been grown in West Africa (for example, in The Gambia and in northern Nigeria) but are not well known even where they are grown commercially. Attempts at substituting a local tree name have not been entirely successful because the species chosen is usually not cultivated and/or does not have the same economic or social function that the grape had in Israel.
Thus it is probably best to use a transliteration from a major language. However, in parts of Nigeria and perhaps elsewhere, the word grep refers to “grapefruit” and should be avoided in translation. A transliteration from “vine” or “wine” is preferred, although a translator needs to be careful. The English word “vine” refers to any creeping plant, but it also refers to a particular kind of vine that produces grapes (Vitis vinifera). This can be confusing. Furthermore, translators in English-speaking countries should think carefully about what they are going to do with the word “wine.” In The Gambia, Mandinka translators first used “wayini tree” but later concluded that it may be better to have a word for “vine” that is not necessarily identical with “wine.” Bine, from binekaro (“vinegar”), was considered, as was inabi (“grape”) from Arabic.
Languages that borrow the Arabic word inabi must deal with the fact that this word bears an unfortunate resemblance to annabi (“prophet”) and new readers reading “water of inabi” in a context of prophecy may associate it, for better or worse, with prophets and prophecy. In northern Nigeria church people have gotten used to inabi in the New Testament even though many of them don’t know what it is. Basa in Nigeria uses a wild grape-like plant (afwafwa), and Igala has used the same species (achiwebetema) for years. Likewise, two translations in Mali and Burkina Faso use their local name for a wild vine (Lannea microcarpa) for the biblical vine. There is a species (Rhoicissus tridentata) in southern and eastern Africa known as “African grape” (locally called “bobbejaantou”). In such cases translators should write a footnote (or glossary item) stating that the grapes of Bible times were larger and sweeter than the local variety, and that they were cultivated extensively as a source for producing beverages. Other possibilities for transliteration are: vinyola/videra (Portuguese), vitis (Latin), and inab (Arabic).
Fruit of the vine (Hebrew ‘enav; Greek botrus, staphulē): There is some evidence that botrus refers to a bunch of grapes, while staphulē refers to individual grapes. According to Louw and Nida (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains, 1988), however, both words may refer to individual grapes as well as bunches of grapes. The Hebrew word tirosh is equivalent to the word “vintage” in English, that is, the grape harvest and possibly the first squeezing of the grapes. It is normally used along with the words referring to the olive harvest (yitshar) and grain harvest (dagan).
These two verses form one long sentence in Hebrew and also in most English translations. Verse 17 contains a series of six clauses introduced by Though (Revised Standard Version), and verse 18 gives two more clauses introduced by yet. There are two problems that must be resolved before we discuss the details: (1) how is this sentence related to its context; and (2) how is the translator to handle such a long sentence as this?
(1) Some scholars understand that verse 17 describes a series of facts rather than a series of possibilities. This has led them to regard the verse as a kind of side remark which is not closely related to the preceding and following verses. Thus Jerusalem Bible puts verse 17 in brackets, and implies that verse 18 both follows on from verse 16 and develops the expression of faith with which verse 16 ends. This makes verses 16-19 as a whole rather disjointed and robs verse 17 of any real relevance.
Even if verse 17 does describe facts rather than possibilities, in the context of this psalm, it is very reasonable to interpret them as possibilities which seem so vivid to the prophet that he describes them as if they had already happened. On this interpretation it is legitimate to translate verse 17 as a series of possibilities, to which verse 18 gives the prophet’s reaction. This makes verse 17 stand apart from verse 16, but gives a cohesion to the whole of verses 17-19 which enables them to be seen as a fitting climax to the psalm, and indeed to the whole book.
This second interpretation is found in most versions (King James Version, Revised Version, Revised Standard Version, Moffatt, New American Bible, New English Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible) and is definitely to be recommended to translators.
(2) If the above interpretation is accepted, there still remains the problem of how to handle such an unusually long and complex sentence. The Though of Revised Standard Version introduces no less than six clauses, before the yet of verse 18 introduces the balancing half of the sentence. Most English versions simply accept this, and indeed the structure remains clear in English, even in Revised Standard Version. Several versions repeat the word “though” at the beginning of the third and fifth clauses (New American Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). This helps to make the structure even clearer and also indicates that the clauses go together as pairs in Hebrew.
One alternative is to do as the French Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has done, that is, to make verse 17 a separate sentence (“Yes, the fig tree does not blossom” and so on), then to begin again in verse 18 with “As for me, I will nevertheless rejoice in the LORD…” (compare Bible en français courant).
Another alternative is as follows: As already noted, the six clauses of verse 17 go together in pairs. In some languages it may be clearer to give the first line of verse 18 after each of the first two pairs of clauses in verse 17. This will necessitate combining the verses into one and numbering them as 17-18. It will also lead to some repetition which is not in the Hebrew. However, such repetition may help to increase the poetic effect in some languages. If this suggestion has to be adopted, a possible translation model for the two verses is:
• Even if there are no figs on the fig trees and no grapes on the vines, yet I will be joyful because of the LORD. Even if there are no olives on the olive trees, and no grain grows in the fields, yet I will be joyful because of the LORD. Even if there are no sheep in the sheep pens and no cattle in the cattle stalls, yet I will be glad because God protects me.
Once translators have decided how to handle the overall structure of the sentence, they can begin to examine the details. The verse is speaking of complete economic disaster, but it does so in the specific terms of the economy of Palestine. This was based on patterns of agriculture and animal use which may be unfamiliar in many cultures. However, the prophet is here speaking of things which are central features of his own culture, and these should be retained in translation if at all possible. If there is no way to speak of particular items like figs, grapes, olives, or grain, translators should not substitute other items (such as bananas, oranges, pineapples, and rice) which would have been unknown in Palestine in Habakkuk’s time. In such cases translators may have to use generic terms and perhaps combine each pair of clauses into one. A possible translation model in this kind of situation is:
• Even if the fruit trees do not bear any fruit and the gardens (or, fields) do not have any crops, yet I will be happy because of the LORD. Even if the animals that provide meat all die, yet I will be joyful and glad because God protects me.
In situations where it is possible to speak of the specific items of Palestinian culture, translators should note that the food items listed here seem to be mentioned in ascending order of importance. Figs were perhaps the most luxurious items in the list. They were important as a source of sugar but were not essential. See Nahum 3.12 for a detailed discussion on the translation of fig tree, which will also apply to other fruit trees. “Grapes” produced wine, the normal daily drink. To be without it was a hardship but would not kill anyone. “Olives” gave oil which was used for cooking and lighting, and the lack of this oil would be a serious inconvenience. “Grain” (primarily wheat and barley) provided the staple food for the entire population, and the loss of the grain crop would mean starvation on a large scale (compare Gen 42.2).
The death of all the “sheep” and goats would mean no meat, since these were the animals most often eaten. It would also mean no wool from the sheep, with which to make warm clothes for the winter, and no milk or other dairy products like butter and cheese from the goats. “Cattle” were eaten rarely and only as a luxury, but without them there would be no help with plowing to prepare the ground for a crop the following year.
Though the fig tree do not blossom: Good News Translation instead of blossom translates “have no fruit.” This appears to follow the Septuagint and implies a change of one letter in the traditional Hebrew text. But there is no real difference in meaning since, if the trees have no flowers, they cannot bear any fruit. The Good News Translation wording may have been chosen for translation reasons and may not in fact follow the Septuagint.
Nor fruit be on the vines: Good News Translation mentions the specific fruit that is to be expected on vines, namely, “grapes” (compare New International Version); but many languages will translate in a similar way to Revised Standard Version and say, “and the vines produce no fruit.” In cultures where grapevines do not exist, one may need to use a generic word for vines or vine-like plants, along with the English word “grape.” However, when choosing a word for a vine-like plant, one must avoid terms which may give the reader the wrong picture. One should identify the grapevine as a vine which produces fruit, and avoid types of vine which produce such things as pumpkins.
The produce of the olive is expressed more simply as “the olive crop” in Good News Translation (compare Moffatt, New English Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). In many languages this will be expressed as “there is no fruit on the olive tree.”
The fields yield no food: this is a generic statement which in this context obviously refers to the main crops grown in the fields, wheat and barley. These were the most important items of diet and were used in making bread. Good News Translation makes the meaning of food explicit by saying “grain” (British edition “corn”). In many languages the generic term for food will be identical with the name of the staple crop, such as rice, yam, sago, or sweet potato.
The flock be cut off from the fold: the word flock was used in Hebrew of both sheep and goats. Some English versions retain the ambiguity by keeping the word flock, which may refer to both sheep and goats (Revised Standard Version, Moffatt, New American Bible, New English Bible). Other versions give the name of one particular animal; all the available English versions which do this say “sheep” (Good News Translation, Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Presumably this is because sheep are much more common than goats in English-speaking countries. In areas where goats are more common, there is no reason why translators should not say goats rather than sheep, or else “goats and sheep.”
Be cut off is a common Hebrew expression for death or destruction (compare Nahum 1.12, 14, 15; 2.13; 3.15; Zeph 1.3, 4, 11; 3.6; and many other Old Testament passages). Good News Translation translates the plain meaning as “even though the sheep all die.”
The fold (“pen” in New International Version) and New Jerusalem Bible was a walled enclosure where sheep and goats were kept at night for safety from wild animals and robbers. In areas where this method of looking after sheep and goats is not known, there is no need to mention the fold (compare Good News Translation).
And there be no herd in the stalls: the term herd refers to “cattle” (Good News Translation, Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). This means mainly cows and oxen, and in languages with no generic term equivalent to “cattle,” it may be necessary to mention by name whichever species is better known.
Stalls were places where cattle could be kept and fed. As most people possessed few cattle, the stalls were often near, or even inside, the house where the family lived. Again the emphasis is on the animals rather than their accommodation, and in areas where stalls are unknown, there is no need to mention them. Compare the two possible translation models suggested above for variation in this respect.
In the Hebrew verse 18 says the same thing twice in different words: I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Most English versions retain this parallel structure, as it has some poetic value in English. However, in some languages this may not be desirable. Good News Translation has restructured the verse as “I will still be joyful and glad, because the LORD God is my Savior.”
The God of my salvation (compare Psa 18.46; 24.5; 25.5; 27.9; Isa 17.10; Micah 7.7) is expressed in Good News Translation as “God is my Savior.” In some languages this may need to be expressed with a verb such as “the God who saves me,” “the God who protects me,” or “the God who delivers me” (compare New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
3:17a Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines,
⌊Many bad things may happen.⌋ Fig trees may not blossom, and vines may not produce any fruit. -or-
When/though the fig trees do not blossom and there is no fruit on the vine, ⌊I will still celebrate because of Yahweh⌋ . -or-
It may happen that the fruit plants do not give/produce any fruit.
3:17b though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
Olive trees may not produce, and there may be no crops in the field. -or-
When/though olive trees do not have fruit, and the fields produce no harvest, ⌊I will still celebrate because of Yahweh⌋ . -or-
It may happen that the gardens/fields do not have any crops.
3:17c though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls,
It may happen that there are no more sheep in the pens and no cattle in the barns/stalls. -or-
When/Though there are no sheep and no cattle on the farms, ⌊I will still celebrate because of Yahweh⌋ . -or-
Even all the animals that provide food may die.
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