moth

The Greek, Ge’ez, and Hebrew that is translated into English as “moth(s)” was translated as “cockroach(es)” in Gola “since moths are not seen as destroying things but cockroaches are” (source: Don Slager). The same translation was chosen for Uripiv (source: Ross McKerras).

In Yakan it is translated as “termites” (source: Yakan Back Translation) and in Tagbanwa as “chewing-insects” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

 

There is general consensus that ‘ash refers to a moth, and sas to its larva stage in the Hebrew Bible, and that sēs in the New Testament also refers to a moth. The moth referred to is always in contexts of destroyed or damaged clothing, so the reference is obviously to a moth that lays its eggs on human clothing. This limits the type of moth to one of the clothes moths of the Tineidae family, probably Tineola biselliella. Although the damage is blamed on the moth in the Bible, it is actually its larvae that cause the damage. It is possible that both moth and larva are meant when ‘ash is used.

Clothes moths are smallish brown or gray moths that lay eggs in clothing or other forms of cloth. The eggs hatch into very small caterpillars, which almost immediately begin to feed on the fibers. They make small silken cocoons from which only the heads protrude, and later finally emerge as moths.

Moths are symbols of decay, ruin, and slow destruction.

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

See also let them be overthrown before you.

Judah, Judea

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)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

Ephraim

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Ephraim” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “palm tree” referring to the palm of Deborah in the land of Ephraim (see Judges 4:5. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Ephraim” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

For Deborah, see here.

More information about Ephraim and the Tribe of Ephraim .

complete verse (Hosea 5:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 5:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, I shall make Israel suffer
    and inflict wounds on Judah.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Since it is like that, I will become like a moth for Ephraim and
    like rotten wood for the house of Judah.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Its-as-if I (am) like an insect that gnaws Israel and Juda.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I will destroy the people of Israel like larvae of moths/cockroaches destroy wool,
    and I will cause the people of Judah to be like rotten wood.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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 5:12

Yahweh now uses two similes to picture himself as a destructive force against both the northern and the southern kingdoms.

Therefore renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which Good News Translation and many other versions omit. Here it does not appear to introduce a semantic relationship, so it may be left untranslated.

I am like a moth to Ephraim: The moth is an insect with large wings, belongs to the same family as the butterfly, lays its eggs in woolen cloth, and the larvae eat the wool before they, in turn, mature into adult moths. The damage to unprotected clothing can be severe. According to the lexicon by Koehler and Baumgartner, the Hebrew word here means “pus,” which is the discharge from a festering wound. The immediate context (5.13) also points in that direction. Others suggest this word means “larvae,” which are maggots that infest open wounds and devour the flesh.

And like dry rot to the house of Judah: The Hebrew word for dry rot refers to any kind of rottenness or decay, especially the kind that attacks trees or articles made of wood (compare Job 41.27). The moral corruption of the people and their leaders makes this figure especially appropriate. For the house of Judah, see 1.7.

Good News Translation does not use the similes in this verse but gives their implied meaning. “I will bring destruction on Israel” reflects the activity of the moth, while “and ruin on the people of Judah” reflects the effect of dry rot. There is no specific or significant difference in meaning in the way the two similes are applied to the two kingdoms, since they are used in parallel lines that are nearly synonymous in meaning, but some of the appeal of the original figures is lost in Good News Translation. In any case, most translators will understand the damage from moths and dry rot, so the images should be easy to understand in many languages.

A translation model for this verse is:

• I am like maggots in a festering wound to Ephraim,
like rottenness in wood to the people of Judah.

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 5:12

Paragraph 5:12–15

5:12a–b

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

12a So I am like a moth to Ephraim,

12b and like decay to the house of Judah.

These lines contain parallel similes. In these similes, the LORD compares himself to things that destroy. He will destroy the people of Ephraim and Judah like a moth destroys clothing or like wood or other things weaken and decay. See the General Comment on 5:12a–b for other ways to translate these parallel similes.

moth: The word moth refers here to a destructive kind of moth that makes holes in clothing. In some languages, there may not be a word for this kind of moth. If that is true in your language, you may use a word that refers to something with a similar function. For example:

worm/insect

decay: There are two ways to interpret the parallel word decay here:

(1) It refers to something that causes wood to decay, become soft, or fall apart. For example:

wood rot (NET Bible)
-or-
rot that destroys wood (God’s Word)

(2) It refers to something that causes a part of the body to decay or become weak. For example:

gangrene (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions. The Display will follow this interpretation. However, you may also follow interpretation (2). In three out of five other verses that use the same Hebrew for “rot/rottenness,” it refers to rottenness of the bones.

Ephraim…the house of Judah: The word Ephraim has the same meaning here as in 5:11a. The parallel phrase refers to the people of the nation of Judah.

General Comment on 5:12a–b

If these similes are not clear in your language, here are some other translation options:

• Make explicit the way in which the LORD is like a moth and like rot. For example:

12a I will destroy Ephraim as a moth destroys clothing. (God’s Word)

12b I will destroy the nation of Judah as rot destroys wood.

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

I will bring destruction on Israel and ruin on the people of Judah. (Good News Translation)

• Use similar figures of speech that convey the right meaning in your language. For example:

12a I will cause the people of Israel to be destroyed like locusts/grubs destroy plants.

12b I will destroy the people of Judah like termites destroy wood.

In some languages, it may be clearer or more natural to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts, using one or more of the preceding options. For example:

I will destroy the nations of Israel and Judah like moths destroy clothes or dry rot weakens wood.

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