John 5:3 – TIPs

lame

The Greek that is translated as “lame” in English is translated in various ways:

Lalana Chinantec: “with a dry foot”
Isthmus Mixe: “with a bad leg”
Chuj: “crippled foot”
Teutila Cuicatec: “withered legs”
Chichimeca-Jonaz: “can’t walk”
Ayutla Mixtec: “legs were drawn up” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Nyongar: maat-wara or “leg bad” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)

blind

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “blind” in English is translated as “(having) eyes dark/night” in Ekari or “having no eyes” in Zarma. (Source: Nida 1964, p. 200)

paralyzed (withered), withered

The Greek that is translated as “paralyzed” or “withered” in English is translated in Huehuetla Tepehua as “dried up in (their) bodies,” in Yanesha’ as “stiff,” in Yatzachi Zapotec as “people whose bodies were dead,” and in Aguaruna as “deformed.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)

complete verse (John 5:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 5:3:

Uma: “There were many sick people there. There were blind people, crippled people, lame people, continually lying in the patios, [[waiting for the stirring-up of the pool water.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Here in these huts were many sick people lying. There were blind ones and lame ones and half paralyzed ones. (They were waiting for the water in the pool to be caused-to-bubble.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There were many sick people who stayed there in the sheltering places. There were blind, there were lame, and there were paralyzed. They were waiting there for the stirring of the water.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “where-sick-people -took-shelter. There were blind, there were lame, and there were also cripples. There were many who were lying there [waiting for the moving/rippling of the water.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Gathered there was a crowd of sick-folk, blind ones, lame ones, and those with paralysis (lit. with a dead part of their body). They were waiting for the water to ripple.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “At the porches were many sick people. There were blind people, those who were lame and those who were paralyzed. They were waiting for the water to be disturbed.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 5:3

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .