desert / wilderness

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The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “desert” or “wilderness” in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Mairasi: “a place where noisiness is cut off (or: stops)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Muna: pandaso bhalano pr “big barren-field” (source: René van den Berg)
  • Balinese: “barren field” (source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • Wantoat: “uninhabited place” (source: Holzhausen 1991, p. 38)
  • Umiray Dumaget Agta: “where no people dwell” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “where no house is” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Amri Karbi: “waterless region/place” (source: Philippova 2021, p. 368)
  • Ocotlán Zapotec: “large empty place” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Pa’o Karen: “jungle” (denoting a place without any towns, villages and tilled fields) (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. )
  • Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “steppe”
  • Yakan: “the lonely place” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a land where no people lived” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “the place with no inhabitants” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Cherokee: inage or “far away downstream” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 16)
  • Matumbi uses various term: lubele (desert, sandy place without water) — used in John 11:54, lupu’ngu’ti (a place where no people live, can be a scrub land, a forest, or a savanna) — used in Mark 1:3 et al.), and mwitu (a forest, a place where wild animals live) — used in Mark 1:13 et al.) (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Chichewa Contemporary translation (2002/2016): chipululu: a place uninhabited by people with thick forest and bush (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Adioukrou: loj or “savannah” — “land that is not village, nor forest, nor field (source: Hill 2006)

Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place,” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

See also wilderness and desolate wilderness.

complete verse (Hosea 2:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 2:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, I shall beg/implore (her) and take her by hand to the wilderness
    and speak well to her.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “‘Since it is like that, I will entice her
    and take her away to the wilderness again.
    And I will speak to her tenderly.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘But now, I will-take her to the desolate-place and (I) will-court her again until I cause- her -to-like (me).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Hosea 2:14

The conjunction Therefore again marks a major change in perspective. It introduces a judgmental decision by Yahweh, as in 2.6 and 2.9, but this time the judgment is a positive one, a turning point: salvation instead of condemnation.

Behold, I will allure her: The word behold calls attention to what Yahweh is about to announce, as in 2.6. Good News Translation expresses it somewhat by beginning this clause with “I am going to…,” and so does New Revised Standard Version with “I will now….” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh expresses it more strongly with the word “Assuredly,” which is slightly archaic in English. “Certainly” sounds more common. The pronoun I refers to Yahweh. If a section heading is inserted before this verse, it may be helpful to the reader to make this explicit by saying “I, Yahweh.”

The Hebrew word for allure can mean “entice,” “seduce,” or “persuade.” Although the term can refer to logical persuasion, it commonly means attracting someone sexually. It is highly unusual for a prophet to apply such a sexual figure to something that Yahweh does, but this seems to be the prophet’s intent in this case. After all, this book is about a marriage. Each translator will want to use a term that is most fitting for this context.

And bring her into the wilderness reminds the hearers of the wilderness in which Israel once wandered on the way from Egypt to Canaan. 2.15 shows clearly that Yahweh has that event in mind: “when she came out of the land of Egypt.” Good News Translation adds the word “again” to reflect this idea of a return to the wilderness. The verb bring is better translated “lead” ( NET Bible). The verb “lead” combines well with allure in the preceding clause. Good News Translation combines both clauses, saying simply “I am going to take her into the desert again.” This model is not recommended, since it does not give expression to the intended romantic connotations of the context. Moreover, there is a significant difference between “taking someone” and “leading someone” into the desert. A term for wilderness should be used that will cause today’s reader to think of the Exodus wanderings (see comments on 2.3). But from the context it seems that God is not thinking of the geographical place as much as he is thinking of the religious experiences that took place in the wilderness, especially the establishing of a covenant between his people and him.

And speak tenderly to her is literally “and I will speak to her heart.” The Hebrew expression here is used of a man speaking to a woman when he wants to win her love (Gen 34.3; Jdg 19.3; Ruth 2.13; compare Isa 40.2). Good News Translation has “there I will win her back with words of love.” The receptor language may offer idioms or figures of speech to express this clause properly.

A translation model for this verse is:

• Now, for that reason I, the LORD, will seduce her.
I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak to her heart.

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 2:14

Section 2:14–23

The LORD promised to renew his covenant with them

The purpose of the punishment in 2:1–13 was to make the people of Israel realize that their worship of false gods would result in harm. In this section, 2:14–23, the LORD showed that he continued to love the people of Israel. If they worshiped him, he would bless them and not harm them. In spite of their past sins, he would reestablish a covenant with them. In this section, the tone switches from negative to positive, so there is a sharp contrast between the previous section and this one.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

Future Repentance and Restoration of Israel (NET Bible)
-or-
The Lord’s Love for Unfaithful Israel (New Living Translation (2004))

Paragraph 2:14–15

In this paragraph, the LORD described his intention to reestablish a covenant relationship with Israel. He used the image of a man courting a woman in the desert to illustrate it. This image referred to Israel’s past. After the Israelites left Egypt, they wandered for forty years in the desert of Sinai. It was there that the LORD first established his covenant with the Israelites.

2:14a

Therefore, behold, I will allure her: In Hebrew, the word Therefore introduces the result of something that was said previously. It indicates here that because she (Israel) forgot the LORD 2:13b, he would respond by winning her back to himself. This gracious response is not expected. It is a surprising contrast to Israel’s bad behavior.

There are two main ways to translate this result and contrast:

• Keep explicit (as in the Hebrew) that the response of the LORD is a direct result of Israel’s bad behavior. Leave implied the contrast between the bad behavior of Israel and the gracious response of the LORD. For example:

Therefore, I will now allure her… (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-

That is why I’m going to win her back. (God’s Word)
-or-

So I am going to take her into the desert again… (Good News Translation)

• Make explicit the contrast between the bad behavior of Israel and the gracious response of the LORD. Leave implied that the response of the LORD is a direct result of Israel’s bad behavior. For example:

But now I shall woo her… (Revised English Bible)
-or-

However, in the future I will allure her… (NET Bible)

If possible, translate in a way that indicates both result and contrast. If it is not possible to indicate both these relationships in a natural way in your language, it is recommended that you choose the first option above.

behold: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as behold is hinneh. The usual function of hinneh is to direct the attention of the reader or listener to what follows. Some versions leave this word implied. Here, it probably draws attention to something that is new or unexpected that will happen immediately or in the near future. For example:

I will now allure her (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
behold, I will allure her (New American Standard Bible)

allure her: The Hebrew verb used here means “entice, seduce, persuade.” The New Jerusalem Bible has “seduce,” which has a bad (negative) connotation. Here, however, it is used in a positive, honorable way. It means “to court a woman in order to win her affection.” For example:

speak coaxingly to her (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
attract her (New Century Version)

Choose a term in your language that expresses this positive use.

2:14b

and lead her to the wilderness, and speak to her tenderly: This clause describes in more detail how the husband will allure his wife. He will persuade her to love him again by leading her into the desert and speaking to her lovingly.

wilderness: The word refers to a dry desert or wilderness. Here it is a historical reference to the desert of Sinai. If you have translated the book of Exodus or other verses that refer to that desert you should translate it the same way here.

speak to her tenderly: The Hebrew clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as speak to her tenderly is literally “I will speak to her heart.” It describes a man who uses kind and affectionate words to win the love of a woman.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

and speak kindly to her (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
and speak gently to you (Contemporary English Version)

General Comment on 2:14a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder some parts of this verse. For example:

14b So I am going to take her into the desert again; 14a there I will win her back 14b with words of love. (Good News Translation)

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