The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “wheat”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).
Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “millet” (Lambya) (source: project-specific notes in Paratext), “food” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext) or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated as “granary” or “barn” in English is translated in Chichewa as nkhokwe or “storage bin,” “the difference is that the biblical variety was usually found underground, while the Chewa nkhokwe is normally built above ground.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 72)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “survive,” “escape,” “save,” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) in these verses with pulumuka, describing someone whose life was in danger but who has freed himself or herself. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 50:26:
Kupsabiny: “Attack/raid (it/her) from all sides and break open the food stores. Turn over everything until they are heaped up. Destroy that land completely, so that nothing at all remains!” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “‘Enemies of Babilonia who came from far place, [you (plur.)] now attack Babilonia! [You (plur.)] open-up her storehouses. [You (plur.)] gather-into-piles what you (plur.) have-taken like gathering- wheat -into-piles. [You (plur.)] destroy completely those from-Babilonia and do- not [intensifier] -leave anyone (alive).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Come against usually has the sense of “attack.” See verse 3.
From every quarter is a difficult construction, but Hebrew Old Testament Text Project proposes the meaning “from every part.” We could then translate the first line as “Attack it from every side” (Good News Translation).
Granaries are “the places where its grain is stored” (Good News Translation). Her in the construction pile her up like heaps of grain is best taken collectively as the “loot” (Good News Translation) taken from the city. In the other two places where her occurs in this verse, we may substitute “the nation.”
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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