desert, wilderness

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The Greek that is translated as “desert” or “wilderness” in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Mairasi: “a place where noisiness is cut off (or: stops)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Muna: pandaso bhalano pr “big barren-field” (source: René van den Berg)
  • Balinese: “barren field” (source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • Wantoat: “uninhabited place” (source: Holzhausen 1991, p. 38)
  • Umiray Dumaget Agta: “where no people dwell” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “where no house is” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Ocotlán Zapotec: “large empty place” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Pa’o Karen: “jungle” (denoting a place without any towns, villages and tilled fields) (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. )
  • Yakan: “the lonely place” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a land where no people lived” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “the place with no inhabitants” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Matumbi uses various term: lubele (desert, sandy place without water) — used in John 11:54, lupu’ngu’ti (a place where no people live, can be a scrub land, a forest, or a savanna) — used in Mark 1:3 et al.), and mwitu (a forest, a place where wild animals live) — used in Mark 1:13 et al.) (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Chichewa Contemporary translation (2002/2016): chipululu: a place uninhabited by people with thick forest and bush (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

See also wilderness and desolate wilderness.

elder (of the community)

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated as “elders” in English is translated in the Danish Bibelen 2020 as folkets ledere or “leaders of the people.”

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators, explains: “The term ‘elder’ turned out to pose a particularly thorny problem. In traditional bibles, you can find elders all of over the place and they never pose a problem for a translator, they are just always elders. But how to find a contemporary term for this semi-official, complex position? This may have been our longest-standing problem. A couple of times we thought we had the solution, and then implemented it throughout the texts, only to find out that it didn’t work. Like when we used city council or village council, depending on the context. In the end we felt that the texts didn’t work with such official terms, and throughout the years in the desert, these terms didn’t make much sense. Other suggestions were ‘the eldest and wisest’, ‘the respected citizens’, ‘the Israelites with a certain position in society’, ‘the elder council’ –- and let me point out that these terms sound better in Danish than in English (‘de fremtrædende borgere,’ ‘de mest fremtrædende israelitter,’ ‘alle israelitter med en vis position,’ ‘de ældste og de klogeste,’ ‘ældsterådet’). In the end we just said ‘leaders of the people.’ After a lot of hand-wringing, it turned out that we actually found a term that worked well. So, we had to give up conveying the fact that they were old, but the most important point is that they were community leaders.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

The German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022) translates likewise as “leader of the people” (Anführer des Volkes).

Translation commentary on Judges 8:16

The actions here are quick and decisive. The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And at the beginning of this verse is a good connector, because Gideon goes into action immediately.

He took the elders of the city and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers is literally “he took the elders of the city and the thorns of the wilderness and the briers.” There is only one verb here in Hebrew, but many languages will need two verbs, one for seizing the elderly leaders of Succoth and another for gathering thorns and thistles. For example, New Jerusalem Bible uses the verbs “seized” and “taking.” In 8.6 Gideon spoke to “the officials” of Succoth, and in verse 8.14 to “the officials and the elders.” Here the narrator refers only to the elders, the elderly leaders. Contemporary English Version seems to combine the two, speaking of “the town officials,” and Good News Translation is similar with “the leaders of Succoth.” However, it is better to follow the text and say “the town elders.” In many cultures elders are the most respected leaders, so physically punishing the oldest leaders of the community is without any doubt an incredible humiliation of the entire town. For the thorns of the wilderness and briers, see verse 8.7.

And with them taught the men of Succoth: This literal rendering is somewhat awkward in English. The pronoun them refers to the thorns and briers. Taught renders the causative form of the Hebrew verb meaning “learn,” but in this context it refers to punishment. In English there are similar idiomatic expressions, such as “taught [them] a lesson” or “taught/showed [them] a thing or two.” However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project and many scholars believe a textual change is needed here. By changing the last letter of the Hebrew verb for taught, it becomes “flailed” or “threshed,” the word Gideon used in his threat in verse 8.7. So New Revised Standard Version has “trampled” in the text and puts “taught” in a footnote. However, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh puts “punished” in the text, and “threshed” in a footnote. Translators should choose the reading they prefer, and include a footnote if desired. Whichever reading is followed, there is no significant difference in meaning. The men of Succoth refers back to the elders of the city. Referring to the elderly leaders again emphasizes that justice has been done. Those who deserved to be punished are punished. Many languages have the same stylistic device, so this repetition will be appreciated. If not, these two noun phrases can be combined (see models below).

Translation models for this verse are:

• After this Gideon rounded up the elderly leaders of Succoth. Then he took thorns and thistles and taught them a lesson.

• Then Gideon gathered the elders of the town together, and with a whip of thorns, he beat 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 .