The Hebrew, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “soul” in English is translated in Chol with a term that refers to the invisible aspects of human beings (source: Robert Bascom), in Yagaria with oune or “shadow, reflection” (source: Renck, p. 81), and in Elhomwe as “heart” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
The Mandarin Chineselínghún (靈魂 / 灵魂), literally “spirit-soul,” is often used for “soul” (along with xīn [心] or “heart”). This is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32, see also Clara Ho-yan Chan in this article )
In Chichewa, moyo means both “soul” and “life.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
The Greek and Hebrew that is usually translated with “with all (one’s) heart” in English is translated in Newari as “from (one’s) inmost heart” (source: Newari Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 32:41:
Kupsabiny: “I will rejoice in doing good things for them. I will make them get/find a place to stay/live in this land putting down root and I am doing it with a white heart (with mercy).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “I will-rejoice/be-glad in doing good to them, and tight [emphatic] to my heart I will- have them -stay/live in this land.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “I will be happy to do good things for them, and I will surely enable them to return to this land and remain here ; I will do that with all my inner being and all my strength.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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.
I will rejoice in doing them good is more literally “I will rejoice upon them to do good [to] them.” The verb rejoice is found only here in Jeremiah, though it is prominent in Isaiah (35.1 [Revised Standard Version “be glad”]; 61.10; 62.5; 64.5 [Revised Standard Version “joyfully”]; 65.18 [Revised Standard Version “be glad”], 19 [Revised Standard Version “be glad”]; 66.10, 14).
I will plant them: See 1.10; 24.6.
In faithfulness: The meaning is “firmly” (Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible), “permanently” (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), or “truly” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Elsewhere in Jeremiah this same construction is found in 4.2 (Revised Standard Version “in truth”); 26.15 (Revised Standard Version “in truth”); and 28.9 (Revised Standard Version “truly”).
With all my heart and all my soul: This information was evidently unintentionally omitted by Good News Translation. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “with my entire heart and full strength,” while Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “with all my heart and all my being.” In Hebrew psychology these two terms would be a comprehensive expression of a person’s total being.
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 .
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