worship

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Greek terms that are often translated as “worship” (also, “kneel down” or “bow down”) are likewise translated in other languages in certain categories, including those based on physical activity, those which incorporate some element of “speaking” or “declaring,” and those which specify some type of mental activity.

Following is a list of (back-) translations (click or tap for details):

  • Javanese: “prostrate oneself before”
  • Malay: “kneel and bow the head”
  • Kaqchikel: “kneel before”
  • Loma (Liberia): “drop oneself beneath God’s foot”
  • Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “wag the tail before God” (using a verb which with an animal subject means “to wag the tail,” but with a human subject)
  • Tzotzil: “join to”
  • Kpelle: “raise up a blessing to God”
  • Kekchí: “praise as your God”
  • Cashibo-Cacataibo: “say one is important”
  • San Blas Kuna: “think of God with the heart”
  • Rincón Zapotec: “have one’s heart go out to God”
  • Tabasco Chontal: “holy-remember” (source of this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Bariai: “lift up God’s name” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Q’anjob’al: “humble oneself before” (source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. )
  • Alur: rwo: “complete submission, adoration, consecration” (source: F. G. Lasse in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 22ff. )
  • Obolo: itọtọbọ ebum: “express reverence and devotion” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Ngäbere: “cut oneself down before” (“This figure of speech comes from the picture of towering mahoganies in the forest which, under the woodman’s ax, quiver, waver, and then in solemn, thunderous crashing bury their lofty heads in the upstretched arms of the surrounding forest. This is the experience of every true worshiper who sees ‘the Lord, high and lifted up.’ Our own unworthiness brings us low. As the Valientes say, ‘we cut ourselves down before’ His presence. Our heads, which have been carried high in self-confidence, sink lower and lower in worship.)
  • Tzeltal: “end oneself before God.” (“Only by coming to the end of oneself can one truly worship. The animist worships his deities in the hope of receiving corresponding benefits, and some pagans in Christendom think that church attendance is a guarantee of success in this life and good luck in the future. But God has never set a price on worship except the price that we must pay, namely, ‘coming to the end of ourselves.'”) (Source of this and the one above: Nida 1952, p. 163)
  • Folopa: “die under God” (“an idiom that roughly back-translates “dying under God” which means lifting up his name and praising him and to acknowledge by everything one does and thanks that God is superior.”) (Source: Anderson / Moore, p. 202)
  • Chokwe: kuivayila — “rub something on” (“When anyone goes into the presence of a king or other superior, according to native law and custom the inferior gets down on the ground, takes a little earth in the fingers of his right hand, rubs it on his own body, and then claps his hands in homage and the greeting of friendship. It is a token of veneration, of homage, of extreme gratitude for some favor received. It is also a recognition of kingship, lordship, and a prostrating of oneself in its presence. Yet it simply is the applicative form of ‘to rub something on oneself’, this form of the verb giving the value of ‘because of.’ Thus in God’s presence as king and Lord we metaphorically rub dirt on ourselves, thus acknowledging Him for what He really is and what He has done for us.”) (Source: D. B. Long in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 87ff. )
  • In the German New Testament translation Fridolin Stier (1989) it is consistently translated as “bow (to someone) deeply” (tief verneigen)

In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:

Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.

complete verse (Isaiah 19:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 19:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “In those days there shall be road that goes from Egypt to Assyria. The people of Assyria shall go to the people of Egypt and also the people of Egypt shall go to Assyria. The people of these countries shall be praying together in one place.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “On that day there will be a main road from the land of Egypt up to the country of Assyria. There will be a coming and a going, Assyrians in the land of Egypt and Egyptians in the land of Assyria. Egyptians and Assyrians will live in the same place and will worship the LORD.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “At that time, there is a wide road from Egipto to Asiria. The Egiptohanon and the Assyrians will-go-back-and-forth to Egipto and to Asiria, and they will-worship together.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “At that time, there will be a highway between Egypt and Assyria. As a result, the people of Egypt will be able to travel easily to Assyria, and the people of Assyria will be able to travel easily to Egypt. And the people of both countries will worship Yahweh.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 19:23

This verse is the fourth subunit in the section. It describes the excellent relationship between Egypt and Assyria in the future, which were two traditional enemies.

In that day: See the introductory comments on this section [19.16-25].

There will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria: For highway see the comments on 7.3. This was not a modern intercity road connection, but a major road, with people coming and going on it. It points to a high level of communication between the two countries mentioned here. A helpful rendering for highway is “big/busy road.”

And the Assyrian will come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria: Egyptians and Assyrians will travel back and forth between their countries for trade and other reasons. The singular expressions the Assyrian and the Egyptian are better rendered as plurals in English (so Contemporary English Version, New International Version). For come into, Revised English Bible suggests “link up with,” New Jerusalem Bible uses “have access to,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “join with.” It is better to say “travel to.”

And the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians: This clause is problematic because of it ambiguities. The first ambiguity concerns the Hebrew verb rendered worship (ʿavad), which normally means “serve” or “work.” In verse 21 the same verb was used, and the context there made it very clear that it meant “worship.” Does it have the same sense here? The second ambiguity has to do with the function of the Hebrew particle ʾeth that follows the verb. It can mean “together with,” but it can also be the marker of a direct object. These different options in sense and function lead to three possible interpretations of this clause: (1) the Egyptians will serve together with the Assyrians (so New Jerusalem Bible); (2) the Egyptians will serve the Assyrians (so New American Bible); and (3) the Egyptians will worship together with the Assyrians (so Revised Standard Version and the majority of versions). Option (1) is unclear since the text does not say whom they will serve. Option (2) does not fit the context well, so that leaves option (3), the majority opinion. Option (3) supports the overall positive outlook for Egypt in this section, so we recommend it.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• At that time there will be a [busy/big] road from Egypt to Assyria. Assyrians will travel to Egypt and Egyptians [will travel] to Assyria, and both will worship together.

• When that time comes, there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. Assyrians will come to Egypt and Egyptians come to Assyria. Both Egyptians and Assyrians will serve God together.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .