bear child / give birth

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “bear (a child)” or “give birth to” is translated in Mairasi as “go to the forest,” reflecting the traditional place of childbirth for Mairasi women. (Source: Enggavoter 2004)

In Spanish it is translated as dar a luz, literally “to give to light.” Likewise, in Portuguese (dar à luz) and Italian (dare alla luce). (Source: Mark Terwilliger)

See also in childbirth / travail and birth.

daughter of

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “daughter of” in English is translated in all Icelandic Bible versions of the Icelandic Bible Society (latest edition 2007) in parallel with the Icelandic patronymic or matronymic naming system . This means that for instance in Luke 2:36 the name that is transliterated and translated in English as “Anna the daughter of Phanuel” becomes “Anna Fanúelsdóttir” or in Jeremiah 52:1 “Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah” becomes “Hamútal Jeremíadóttir” where in both cases the “-óttir” means “daughter of.

In cases where “daughter of” does not refer to a literal father or perhaps stepfather but to lineage (or is uncertain), however, this system is not used. So in 1 Chronicles 1:50 “Mehetabel daughter of Matred daughter of Me-zahab” is translated as “Mehetabeel, dóttir Matredar, dóttur Mesahabs.” (Source: Halldór Elías Guðmundsson)

See also son of.

complete verse (Hosea 1:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 1:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, Hosea married Gomer daughter of Diblaim who later bore a boy to Hosea.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “So he went and married Gomer, daughter of Diblaim. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son by him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So Hoseas married Gomer the child of Diblaim. Gomer became-pregnant. And when their male child/(son) was-born,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When that was so, he married Gomer the child of Diblaim and she become-pregnant (lit. passive of existential). When she gave-birth-to (lit. caused-to-come-out) their child, (it-was) a male.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “So I married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. She became pregnant and gave birth to my son.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Hosea 1:3

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim: The conjunction So indicates a causal relationship, which is not explicitly present in Hebrew. The Hebrew connector at the beginning of this verse simply introduces the next event, so it may be rendered “Then” in many languages. The double verbs, went and took, reflect the command in 1.2. In translation use the terminology that was used in 1.2, if possible. In English narrative style it is normal to introduce a person’s name with an identifier, when the name is first mentioned, so Good News Translation renders Gomer as “a woman named Gomer.” Not all languages will need such a device. Other languages have to be more elaborate by translating this clause as “So he married a woman whose name was Gomer, a child of Diblaim.”

And she conceived and bore him a son: Hebrew style calls for the mention of conception, but English style does not. So Good News Translation has “After the birth of their first child, a son.” Translators should employ an appropriate expression or idiom. The words bore him a son indicate that Hosea was the true father of this child. In other languages the natural expression may be “gave him a son.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• So he married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. She became pregnant and bore him a son.

• Then Hosea married a woman called Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. She conceived and gave him a son.

Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 1:3

Paragraph 1:3

1:3a

So: Verses 1:2 and 1:3 are connected by a Hebrew word that English versions translate as So. In this context, this word expresses result. Hosea married Gomer as a result of the LORD’s command to him in 1:2b. Use a natural way in your language to introduce a result.

Hosea went and married: The Hebrew verbs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Hosea went and married are literally “he went and he took.” These repeat the verbs of the LORD’s command to Hosea in 1:2b, “Go, take.” Many English versions follow the Hebrew pattern of repeating the same verbs in both places. For example, the Revised Standard Version has “Go and take” for the command in 1:2b and “he went and took” in 1:3. Other versions have “marry” in both places. You may wish to repeat the same verbs here that you used in 1:2b in order to highlight Hosea’s complete obedience to the LORD’s command.

Gomer daughter of Diblaim: This is the first time that Gomer is mentioned in this book. In some languages, it may be more natural to introduce her in a slightly different way. For example:

a woman named Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim (Good News Translation)

Use a natural way in your language to introduce a new participant in the story.

1:3b

and she conceived and bore him a son: This clause implies that Hosea was the child’s father. There are different ways to make this clear and at the same time to express the idea of conceiving a child. For example:

she became pregnant and gave birth to Hosea’s son (New Century Version)
-or-
After the birth of their first child, a son (Good News Translation)

In languages that do not use a gender-specific word such as son, you may need to use a phrase such as “male child.”

If you referred to Hosea in 1:1–2 with “I” or “me,” you may be able to translate this verse as the Contemporary English Version has done:

So I married Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and we had a son. (Contemporary English Version)

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