sheep

“Sheep are known throughout most of the world, even though, as in Central Africa, they are a far cry from the fleecy wool-producing animals of colder climates. Where such animals are known, even by seemingly strange names, e.g. ‘cotton deer’ (Yucateco) or ‘woolly goat’ (Inupiaq), such names should be used. In some instances, one may wish to borrow a name and use a classifier, e.g. ‘an animal called sheep.’ In still other instances translators have used ‘animal which produces wool’, for though people are not acquainted with the animals they are familiar with wool.” (Source: Bratcher / Nida)

In Dëne Súline, it is usually translated as “an evil little caribou.” To avoid the negative connotation, a loan word from the neighboring South Slavey was used. (Source: NCEM, p. 70)

Note that the often-alleged Inuktitut translation of “sheep” with “seal” is an urban myth (source Nida 1947, p. 136).

See also lamb and sheep / lamb.

complete verse (Hebrews 11:37)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 11:37:

  • Uma: “Others had rocks thrown at them till they died, others were cut-in-two with a saw, others were slaughtered. Others had very pitiful lives [i.e., lived in poverty or hardship], their clothes were just the skins of sheep and the skins of goats. They were persecuted and tortured.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Some also died being stoned (lit. being thrown at with stones), others had their bodies sawn in two, some were killed being slashed (impl. with bladed weapon). Others also had as clothing always the skin of sheep and goats. They were really poor and they were persecuted and beaten by the people.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There were also others who were killed by throwing stones at them, and there were others who were cut in two; and there were also who were killed by hitting with a sword, and others because they would not give up their faith, the only clothing they had was the skins of sheep and goats; they were very poor; they were abused and scorned by people.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Others, they threw-at-them with rocks until they died, others they sawed, still others they killed with swords. They caused-others -to-leave their towns and excessively hardshipped them, so they were extremely to-be-pitied. They wore only skins of sheep and goats” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “There were (those) killed by the throwing at them of stones/rocks, there were (those) sawn-up in which they were split-open-lengthways, there were (others) killed-by-a-bladed-weapon. There were some for whom all they had for clothing was, the hide of sheep and goats. They were extremely-poor, being-deceived/made-fools-of too and being treated badly as well.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Others died from stoning. Others were sawn in two by a saw. Others were encouraged to do what was evil. Others were killed by swords. Others walked in the wilds here and there not having a resting place. For clothing they had the skins of sheep or of goats. Others suffered, being poor. And they were hurt, all was sadness in which they lived.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

goat

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “goat” in English is translated in Cherokee as ahwi dinihanulvhi or “bearded deer.” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 18)

Translation commentary on Hebrews 11:37

The speed of the sentence increases with a series of short phrases or single words. This effect should be kept in translation if possible.

Stoned implies that these victims were killed by stoning, not that they merely had a few stones thrown at them. Stoning was a recognized form of execution, and as in Acts 7.58-60, mobs sometimes took the law into their own hands. In order to indicate clearly that stoning resulted in death, it may be necessary to translate They were stoned as “They died because people hurled stones at them” or “Stones were thrown at them until they died.”

Many manuscripts add “they were tempted (or, tested)” before or after they were sawn in two; there are other variants. These words are omitted by the UBS Greek New Testament and the text of most modern translations. It is difficult to say whether “they were tempted” was omitted because it is similar in Greek to the expression for they were sawn in two, or whether it was added by a scribe who misread the same word a second time. New English Bible‘s footnote “they were put to the question” is an old way of saying “they were tortured to make them confess.”

They went around may be translated “they wandered about,” indicating the nature of their persecution. The point is that they had no clothes in the usual sense of the word.

Clothed in skins of sheep or goats may be rendered as “their only clothes were the skins of sheep or goats.” The reference here is to skin with the hair on it and probably untanned.

Poor: Barclay‘s “they had not even the bare necessities of life” is too long and heavy but gives the exact meaning of the word used. “They were desperately poor” may be an appropriate equivalent.

Persecuted translates a word which suggests oppression, the opposite of freedom of action, or living in a confined space. “Under constraint” is an English equivalent, though not in common language.

The word for mistreated is a general term, but since it is an unusual word in the Bible (13.3; compare 11.25) and occurs here near the climax of the sentence, a stronger translation such as “tormented” would be possible. The word is common in this sense in ancient writings outside the New Testament.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .