save

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The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”

Other translations include:

  • San Blas Kuna: “help the heart”
  • Laka: “take by the hand” in the meaning of “rescue” or “deliver”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “lift out on behalf of”
  • Anuak: “have life because of”
  • Central Mazahua: “be healed in the heart”
  • Baoulé: “save one’s head”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “come out well”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “be helped as to his breath” (or “life”) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida),
  • Matumbi: “rescue (from danger)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Noongar: barrang-ngandabat or “hold life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • South Bolivian Quechua: “make to escape”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “cause people to come out with the aid of the hand” (source for this and one above: Nida 1947, p. 222)
  • Bariai: “retrieve one back” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

See also salvation and save (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (Job 5:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 5:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “But God rescues the weak
    and he saves those without power to escape those who have power.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He delivers the needy from the swords in their mouths
    and the poor from the hands of the strong.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “God saves the poor-ones from death and from the mighty people who oppress them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("save")

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, sukuw-are-ru (救われる) or “save” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Job 5:15

But he saves the fatherless from their mouth: the Hebrew reads “But he saves from the sword from their mouth” and lacks the words the fatherless. Many interpreters believe that an object of the verb saves is needed in line a to match the needy in line b. It may have been left implicit in the Hebrew in order to keep the number of words the same in the four poetic lines of verses 15-16. Therefore some modify the word “sword” to get the fatherless. Gordis understands the Hebrew to mean “from the sharp tongue,” and that without any change. Numerous other suggestions have been made, but most of these differ as to deliverance being from the sword or from the mouth. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project suggests “from a sword,” “from their mouth,” or “from their sharp mouth.” This solution leaves unanswered the question who is delivered or saved in line a. Most modern translations name the object of the verb saves (fatherless, poor, helpless, destitute, ruined), and New Jerusalem Bible has “the bankrupt.” Most have a note saying “Hebrew unclear.” From their mouth is to be taken as referring to the tyrants who are pictured as wild animals devouring the poor, as in Proverbs 30.14, and this is matched in line b by the mighty. Good News Translation has “saves the poor from death,” where “death” means destruction at the hands of the powerful.

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 .