The Hebrew in Hosea 5:2 that is translated in various ways in English translations (see here ), including “sin,” “slaughter,” “deceitfulness,” “rebel,” and “Shittim” as a place name (see Numbers 25:1, 33:49, Joshua 2:21, 3:1, Joel 3:18, and Micah 6:5 for other references to the place name), is translated by the Good News Translation and the New Living Translation as “Acacia City (or: Valley).” “Shittim” is a word for the Acacia tree and the translators chose “Acacia” since “Shittim,” especially as part of “pit dug deep in Shittim” or similar resembles a rude expression in English, especially when read aloud. (Source: de Blois / Dorn / van Steenbergen / Thompson, 2020)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that are translated as “wine” in English is translated into Pass Valley Yali as “grape juice pressed long ago (= fermented)” or “strong water” (source: Daud Soesilo). In Guhu-Samane it is also translated as “strong water” (source: Ernest L. Richert in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. ), in Noongar as “liquor” (verbatim: “strong water”) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Hausa as ruwan inabi or “water of grapes” (with no indication whether it’s alcoholic or not — source: Mark A. Gaddis), in sar as kasə nduú or “grape drink” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin), or in Papantla Totonac and Coyutla Totonac as “a drink like Pulque” (for “Pulque,” see here ) (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. ).
In Swahili, Bible translations try to avoid local words for alcoholic drinks, because “drinking of any alcohol at all was one of the sins most denounced by early missionaries. Hence translators are uncomfortable by the occurrences of wine in the Bible. Some of the established churches which use wine prefer to see church wine as holy, and would not refer to it by the local names used for alcoholic drinks. Instead church wine is often referred to by terms borrowed from other languages, divai (from German, der Wein) or vini/mvinyo (from ltalian/Latin vino/vinum). Several translations done by Protestants have adapted the Swahili divai for ‘wine,’ while those done by Catholics use vini or mvinyo.” (Source: Rachel Konyoro in The Bible Translator 1985, p. 221ff. )
The Swahili divai was in turn borrowed by Sabaot and was turned into tifaayiik and is used as such in the Bible. Kupsabiny, on the other hand, borrowed mvinyo from Swahili and turned it into Finyonik. (Source: Iver Larsen)
In Nyamwezi, two terms are used. Malwa ga muzabibu is a kind of alcohol that people specifically use to get drunk (such as in Genesis 9:21) and ki’neneko is used for a wine made from grapes (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
In some Hindi translations (such as the Common Language version, publ. 2015 ), one term (dākharasa दाखरस — grape juice) is used when that particular drink is in the focus (such as in John 2) and another term (madirā मदिरा — “alcohol” or “liquor”) when drunkenness is in the focus (such as in Eph. 5:18).
In Mandarin Chinese, the generic term jiǔ (酒) or “alcohol(ic drink)” is typically used. Exceptions are Leviticus 10:9, Numbers 6:3, Deuteronomy 29:6, Judges 13:4 et al., 1 Samuel 1:15, and Luke 1:15 where a differentiation between weak and strong alcohol is needed. The Mandarin Chinese Union Version (2010) translates that as qīngjiǔ lièjiǔ (清酒烈酒) and dànjiǔ lièjiǔ (淡酒烈酒), both in the form of a Chinese proverb and meaning “light alcohol and strong drink.” (Source: Zetzsche)
Click or tap here to see a short video clip about wine in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)
The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joel 3:18:
Kupsabiny: “When that day comes, there will be much sweet wine on the mountains. Milk in/on the hill will be much and there will be water in all the valleys of Judah. A spring will come up/forth from the Homestead of God and pour its water into the valley of acacia.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “On that day, sweet wine will flow down from the mountains and hills will flow with milk. All the rivers of Judah will flow with water. A fountain will burst forth from the temple of the Lord and will wet the valley of Shittim. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “In that time I will-bless you (plur.). Your (plur.) new wine will-be-abundant from many grapes in mountains. Your (plur.) milk will- also -be abundant from many cows and goats that graze on the hills/[lit. small-mountains]. Your (plur.) streams will- never -dry-up. And the spring from the temple of the LORD will-flow and it will-cause-to-be-watered in the dry place-where- water -flows that has acacia-(trees).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “At that time, the mountains will be planted with grapes and cows will become-many on the hills. There will also be much water in Juda and there-will-be a spring that comes-from the Temple of God which waters the valley/plain Acacia (i.e. plain called Acacia or Acacia Valley).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
English: “At that time, there will be vineyards covering the hills, and your cattle and goats on those hills will produce plenty of milk. The streams in Judah will never dry up. And a stream will flow from my temple into the Acacia Valley northeast of the Dead Sea.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
3:18a And in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine,
“On that day, the mountains will give/produce much wine, -or-
⌊Yahweh says/said,⌋ “At that time, ⌊you (plur.) will receive/obtain⌋ plenty of fresh grape juice/wine ⌊from the vineyards/plantations⌋ in the mountains.
3:18b and the hills will flow with milk.
the hilly lands will give/produce lots of milk, -or-
⌊You (plur.) will receive/obtain⌋ abundant milk ⌊from the herds/cattle⌋ in the hills.
3:18c All the streams of Judah will run with water,
and all the streams of Judah will have plenty of water. -or-
The wadis in Judah will always be full of water.
3:18d and a spring will flow from the house of the LORD
A spring of water will flow/come from the house of Yahweh, -or-
A spring will open in the temple where Yahweh is worshiped. Water will gush/flow out,
3:18e to water the Valley of Acacias.
and it will bring/give water to the valley where acacia trees grow. -or-
watering/irrigating ⌊even⌋ the dry valley of acacia trees.
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