eunuch

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “eunuch” in English is translated in Low German as “man (or: person) who does not have male strength” (Minsch, de ehr Mannskraft nicht hebt) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006). Similarly, in the German Luther Bible it is translated as Entmannter or “de-masculated.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

In Bislama it is “a person who has been castrated.” (Source: Bill Camden in The Bible Translator 1995, p. 240ff. )

When the mentioning of “eunuch” does not play an important part of the story, such as in Esther 2:3 or Esther 1:15, the Elhomwe translation uses “servant or “someone working at the palace” “because otherwise element of being castrated too much emphasis.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Jeremiah 41:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 41:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, Johanan and his soldiers got up and led all the people who were left in Mizpah those he had rescued from the hands of Ishmael. Those people were soldiers, women, children and people who had worked in the home/palace of the king. Johanan led all those people to return to Gibeon” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then Johanan and his fellow/companion officials gathered all who were-taken-captive by Ishmael from Mizpa after he had-killed Gedalia the child of Ahikma. From there at Gibeon,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Johanan and the men who were with him gathered together all the people whom they had rescued at Gibeon. They included soldiers and women and children and some of the king’s palace officials. They were all people whom Ishmael and his men had captured after they had killed Gedaliah.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 41:16

Took: The sense is “took charge of” (New American Bible, Good News Translation) or “took responsibility for” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Whom Ishmael … had carried away captive represents a slight alteration of the Hebrew text, and is followed also by New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Luther 1984. However, the Hebrew actually has “whom he had rescued from Ishmael,” and this is the proposal of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. Translators who follow this proposal will have a rendering such as “whom he had recovered from Ishmael” (New International Version).

The people are further identified as soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs. Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation make the identification by setting off these four groups by a dash. However, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch uses a complete sentence: “There were men, women, and children, and among the men also officials and men of war.” For the possibility that eunuchs may be rendered “officials,” see 29.2.

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 .