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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 (Judges 21:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 21:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “And then, the clan of Benjamin returned home. Those people of Israel gave to the young men of the house/family of Benjamin to marry those virgins they had brought from Jabesh-gilead. But those girls were not enough.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “So at that time the Benjaminites came back and the ones the Israelites brought from Jabesh-gilead were given to them [as] brides. They had kept those women alive without killing them. But all those women were not enough for the Benjaminites.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So the Benjaminhon went-home and were-given to them by the Israelinhon the ladies who come-from-Jabesh Gilead. But the ladies were still not enough for them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So the men came back from Rimmon Rock. The Israelis gave to them the women from Jabesh-Gilead whom they had not killed. But there were only 400 women. But there were not enough women for those 600 men.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Judges 21:14

One unusual feature of the Hebrew text here is the many pronominal references referring to distinct groups. Clarifying who is referred to by each pronoun is vital to understanding and translating this verse meaningfully.

And Benjamin returned at that time: The 600 Benjaminite soldiers who had hidden at Rimmon Rock now went back home. The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And may be translated “So” (Contemporary English Version, New International Version), since it introduces a result of the peace proclamation. Returned renders the key Hebrew verb shuv (see verse 2.19), which is often used elsewhere in the Old Testament to mean “restore.” Here the Benjaminites are clearly returning home. The phrase at that time marks the time of their return as significant, so we might emphasize it in a sentence-initial position: “So at that time the Benjaminites went back home.”

And they gave them the women …: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered and indicates that the virgins were given to the Benjaminites after they returned home. Another possible connector is “Then.” The pronoun they refers to the Israelites, who handed over the captured women to the Benjaminites (them). If there is any confusion with these pronouns, they may be replaced by full nouns (see second model below). In this context the verb gave means “gave in marriage,” which Contemporary English Version makes clear by saying “the Israelites let them marry the young women from Jabesh.” Instead of women, translators may say “virgins” or “brides” if that is more appropriate in this context. During those times, women captured in war were regularly given to other men as wives or slaves, as made clear in the Song of Deborah (see verse 5.30).

Whom they had saved alive of the women of Jabesh-gilead: The pronoun they refers to the Israelites. Had saved alive renders the Hebrew verb meaning “be alive,” but here it might be translated “had spared” ( NET Bible). Good News Translation says “had not killed.” The phrase of the women of Jabesh-gilead may seem redundant, but it underlines the fact that most of the women in this town were killed. Good News Translation reduces Jabesh-gilead to “Jabesh,” which is an acceptable change.

But they did not suffice for them is a dynamic rendering of the Hebrew, which is literally “and they did not find for them so.” Since there were only 400 virgins found, obviously there were not enough for each of the remaining 600 soldiers. The Hebrew verb for “find” forms an inclusio with “found” in verse 21.12, closing off this subsection. The pronoun they refers to the young women, and the pronoun them points to the Benjaminites. Again it may be necessary to use nouns rather than pronouns here. We might say “but there were not enough women for every man to have a wife.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• So at that time the Benjaminite soldiers went back home. The Israelites gave them the young women from Jabesh-gilead whom they had spared. However, there were not enough women for everyone to have a wife.

• At that time the Benjaminites returned home. Then the Israelites gave the young women taken from Jabesh to the Benjaminites to marry, but there were not enough young women for each of them.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .