save

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The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”

Other translations include:

  • San Blas Kuna: “help the heart”
  • Laka: “take by the hand” in the meaning of “rescue” or “deliver”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “lift out on behalf of”
  • Anuak: “have life because of”
  • Central Mazahua: “be healed in the heart”
  • Baoulé: “save one’s head”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “come out well”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “be helped as to his breath” (or “life”) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida),
  • Matumbi: “rescue (from danger)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Noongar: barrang-ngandabat or “hold life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • South Bolivian Quechua: “make to escape”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “cause people to come out with the aid of the hand” (source for this and one above: Nida 1947, p. 222)
  • Bariai: “retrieve one back” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

See also salvation and save (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (Isaiah 37:35)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 37:35:

  • Kupsabiny: “It is like that because I shall protect this city because of my honor and that of my servant David.’ ’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “For my own sake and for my servant David’s,
    I will defend this city and deliver [it].” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I will-protect and save this city for my honor and because of my promise to David my servant.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “For the sake of my own reputation and because of what I promised King David, who served me well,
    I will defend this city and prevent it from being destroyed.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

David

The name that is transliterated as “David” in English means “beloved.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying king and a sling (referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 2 Samuel 5:4). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


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

In German Sign Language it is only the sling. (See here ).


“David” in German Sign Language (source )

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

The (Protestant) Mandarin Chinese transliteration of “David” is 大卫 (衛) / Dàwèi which carries an additional meaning of “Great Protector.”

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about David (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: David .

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 Isaiah 37:35

The connector For renders the common Hebrew conjunction, which is literally “And.” Here it seems to introduce the reason for what the LORD promises, but most translations do not express it (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

I will defend this city to save it: Yahweh will protect Jerusalem so that the Assyrians will not capture it. This clause may be rendered “I will protect this city and save it.”

For my own sake means that Yahweh will save Jerusalem to protect his own reputation, while and for the sake of my servant David means he will also save it to keep his promises to David (see, for example, 2 Sam 7.8-16). Good News Translation makes these ideas very clear. My servant is a significant title in the second half of this book (see the comments on 20.3 and 22.20). Here it may be rendered “who served me faithfully.”

Some translations examples for this verse are:

• I will protect this city and save it. I will do this because of my own honor/reputation, and because of the promises I made to King David, my servant.’”

• I will protect this city to save it. This is for the sake of my honor, and because of my promises to my servant, King David.’”

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 .