adulterer

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “adulterer” in English would imply “I only take unmarried girls” in Telugu, so it was necessary to be more generic and say “I go after other women” (source: David Clark).

In Central Subanen an “adulterer” is “one who can’t be trusted” (source: Bratcher / Nida) and in Yagaria as “woman-theft man” (source: Renck 1990, p. 139)

See also adulteress and adultery.

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)
  • 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)

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.

mourn

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “mourn” or similar in English is translated in Newari as “have one’s heart broken” or “have a bursting heart” (source: Newari Back Translation).

complete verse (Jeremiah 23:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 23:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “There are not a few people who do not trust in God
    so God has cursed (them).
    And now the pasture is dried up
    and the land is in mourning.
    The prophets are going around committing sin
    and they use their power badly.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The land is very full of the people who worship little-gods, for the prophets are-doing wickedness and abuse their power. Because of this the LORD cursed the land, so it became-dry and the plants withered.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The land is full of people who commit adultery;
    and Yahweh has cursed the land.
    Even the pastures in the desert are all dried up,
    because the people do what is evil,
    and the false prophets use their power to do things that are not just/fair.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 23:10

The Hebrew text does not use quotation marks, and so it is possible to interpret verse 10 as either a continuation of Jeremiah’s words (Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation) or as a part of the message spoken to Jeremiah by the LORD (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant). If the latter is the case, then For is a transition explaining why the LORD says Jeremiah’s heart is broken in the previous verse. But if Jeremiah is speaking here now, as in Good News Translation, then in most languages the transition is not needed.

Full of adulterers: See 3.9 and the discussion on “harlot” in 2.20; the reference is to Israel’s unfaithfulness to the LORD. It is used frequently as a figure, but at times it also actually involved the people in adulterous relationships with the priests and priestesses of the Canaanite fertility cults. However, it is better to emphasize the aspect of being unfaithful to the LORD, as Good News Translation has, than to translate adulterers literally.

The curse is what is found in the Hebrew text; it is followed by most translations and recommended by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. Revised English Bible has “them,” which represents the consonants of the Hebrew text with different vowels. Note that Good News Translation makes it clear that it is the LORD who has placed the curse on the land.

The land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up: The worship of the fertility deities, rather than being a productive endeavor, leads to drought and the loss of a harvest. The land mourns, except for the tense of the verb, is the same expression used in 4.28; 12.4. In some languages, better than saying the land mourns, translators may need to say “the people of this land are in mourning.” However, the meaning seems to be that because of the drought, the land itself is in sorry shape, so that if possible, translators should retain the literal form. See also 12.4. For pastures of the wilderness, see 9.10.

Their course is evil, and their might is not right: Course (or, “running”) is the same word used in 8.6. Good News Translation interprets Their course is evil to mean “they live wicked lives” and understands their might is not right to mean “[they] misuse their power” (New International Version “use their power unjustly”). “They” in Good News Translation thus clearly refers to the people who are unfaithful. Moreover, Good News Translation introduces these two lines immediately following For the land is full of adulterers, to make what seems to be a more logical development within the verse. However, it is equally possible that it is the prophets who are leading wicked lives and misusing their power, in which case it would not necessarily be helpful to restructure as Good News Translation has.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .