grain

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “corn”) 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. )

threshing floor

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “threshing floor” in English is translated in Kim with twal or “termite mound” which are used to build threshing floors. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also thresh.

complete verse (Job 39:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 39:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “Can you trust (it) to bring your crop
    to the granary?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Can you trust him to bring your grain from the field to the storeroom and come back?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Can- you (sing.) -trust on him that he will-gather and carry your (sing.) produce going to the place-of-threshing?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Humble those proud people just by looking at them angrily
    Crush wicked people quickly!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Job 39:12

In verse 12 there are two forms of the Hebrew text, one having the intransitive form of the verb shub, meaning “return” in the sense of “come back,” and the other the transitive form, which means “to bring something back.” Revised Standard Version follows the first, while Good News Translation follows the second, which requires an object such as “harvest.” Revised Standard Version has changed the text very slightly but gives clear sense and is recommended as a translation model.

Threshing floor is the level ground or platform on which the grain is removed from the cut plants by beating or dragging a heavy object over them. The grain and seed coverings are then tossed into the air so that the light straw (chaff) is blown away from the grain. Verse 12 may be rendered, for example, “Can you count on him to come back and bring your harvest (grain) to your threshing floor?”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .