chameleon

This word appears in the list of unclean birds as well as in the list of lizards, and it seems quite clear that an owl and a reptile had the same name. Giving quite different creatures the same name is a common phenomenon in many languages. For instance, in English the word “cob” is used for a male swan as well as for a type of riding horse, and “sable” is the name of a small carnivorous animal as well the name of a large antelope; in Dutch “duiker” is the name of both the cormorant (a bird) and a type of antelope.

The Hebrew name tinshemeth is derived from a verb that means “to pant or to breathe loudly”. This makes it very likely that the reference is to the chameleon. When annoyed, hurt, or in danger, the chameleon turns black, inflates its large lungs, making itself look bigger, and then opens its mouth, puffing and hissing like a snake. See also tinshemeth / barn owl.

The Chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon is a very interesting lizard. It lives in vegetation. It is basically green but can change color to match its environment. It can become brown, pale yellow, or gray, and can vary the shade at different points of its body so as to become mottled or to have patches of dark and light color. This gives it good camouflage in vegetation. It is slow moving, often moving only one limb at a time in a series of wavering movements, mimicking the movement of twigs in the breeze. It has opposed claws on each foot, enabling it to hold very tight and to walk along thin twigs.

It has small scales and many small wart-like lumps on its tough skin. It has a row of pointed scales down its spine. Some species of chameleon have horn-like protrusions on their heads and faces.

The chameleon’s eyes are unique. It has an eyelid that completely covers the eye except for a small hole for the chameleon to see through. The chameleon can move this aperture around with each eyelid working independently of the other, and this enables it to look in two directions at once. It feeds on insects by catching them with its long, sticky, elastic tongue, which it flicks at the prey. The chameleon is also able to use its tail to wrap around twigs and other things to support itself when the wind blows or when climbing at a steep angle. It can hang by this tail from a twig or small branch and often uses this technique to move from a higher branch to a lower one.

It is listed as an unclean animal.

Chameleons are found all over Africa except in desert areas, and in some parts of tropical Asia. Where chameleons are not known, it may be necessary to borrow a word from the dominant language of the area, or from Hebrew, as Jerusalem Bible has done. A phrase such as “slow lizard” or “puffer lizard” is another option.

Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Wikimedia Commonsb

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

gecko

Translations generally agree that ’anaqah indicates the gecko. There are many different species of gecko in the land of Israel, ranging from the fairly large Rock Gecko Ptyodactylus hasselquistii to the small Turkish Gecko or Mediterranean Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus, which is only about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long. ’Anaqah is probably a general word for all kinds of gecko. The word is related to a verb meaning “to cry out”, and it is this that gives the clue to the identification of the name.

Geckos are the only lizards that call. The name “gecko” is borrowed from the Malay word getjok, which mimics the call of one type of gecko. In many languages the names for the different kinds of gecko also mimic their two syllable calls. For instance, in Thai the giant gecko is called tuk-gae (ตุ๊กแก) and the house gecko ching-chok (จิ้งจก).

Besides their distinctive calls, all geckos are characterized by the knobs on the end of their toes. These pads are covered in microscopic hairs that catch on any slight roughness of the surface and enable the geckos to walk upside down on ceilings and overhangs.

Geckos feed on ants, moths, beetles, flies, mosquitoes, and other insects. The males often fight, and one may end up with the detached tail of the other in its mouth. This too may be eaten. Some of the larger geckos also eat small lizards and small snakes.

Geckos are listed as unclean. In the context of Proverbs 30:28 the gecko is a symbol of an insignificant creature that associates freely with royalty.

Geckos are found throughout Africa, the Middle East, southeastern Europe, Asia, and the tropical parts of Australia. In these areas it will not be hard to find a local word. In areas where they are not found, a word borrowed from Hebrew or the dominant language of the area can usually be combined with the word for lizard; for example, “anaka lizard” or “gecko lizard”.

While King James Version has “spider” for semamith at Proverbs 30:28, other translations and commentators are unanimous in interpreting this word as “lizard”. It probably is a reference to the house gecko, which is the most common lizard found inside houses. Most modern commentators take the verb to be a passive in this verse, that is, “the lizard, which can be held [or, caught] in the hand.”

Rock gecko, Wikimedia Commons

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

power / strength

The Hebrew that is typically translated in English as “power” or “might” or “force” is translated in the English translation by Goldingay (2018) as energy or energetic.

lizard

There is a reasonably strong consensus among scholars that leta’ah refers to the lacertid and agama lizards, both of which are common and fairly obvious in Israel. The lacertids are soft-skinned lizards that live in close proximity to roads and houses. One of the more colorful is the Syrian Green Lizard Lacerta trilineata, which lives in orchards and woods. The most common of the agamas is the Rainbow Agama Agama stellio, which is very common around houses and on walls and rocks.

Most scholars agree that tsav is the name for the dab or thorn-tailed lizards of which there are many species in Israel. Two of the most common are the Egyptian Thorn-tailed Lizard Uromastyx aegyptius and the Colored Thorn-tailed Lizard Uromastyx ornatus. The name “dab” is an English version of their Arabic name dhabb (ضب), which is reflected in the Hebrew tsav.

Lacertid lizards (leta’ah) are fairly small, about 15-20 centimeters (6-8 inches) long, and they have a shiny smooth skin. Syrian green lizards have dark green spots on a lighter green background, with a yellow-green belly. They feed on flies, gnats, mosquitoes, and ants.

The rainbow agama is much larger, reaching 50-60 centimeters (20-24 inches) in length. In the breeding season the male develops bright colors, with a blue tail, green body, and bright orange or bright green head, dependent on the subspecies. The females and non-breeding males are a dull gray color. All agamas are characterized by the fact that they bob their heads vigorously by doing “push-ups” with their front legs. They have long, fairly stiff tails, which they raise when they run. They feed on a wide variety of insects and also prey on smaller lizards. In most of the Arab-speaking world they are known as hardoun lizards. Some agamas have the ability to change color to match their surroundings in the same way that chameleons do.

The thorn-tailed lizards (tsav) are relatively large desert lizards with a length of about 65 centimeters (26 inches). They have a fairly thick, squat appearance and have a thick short tail covered with sharp spikes, which are actually cone-shaped scales. They use this tail for defense. They often crawl into holes or cracks in rocks and then block the entrance with their thorny tail. They are vegetarian, eating various succulent desert plants. Even though they are on the list of unclean foods, they are commonly eaten by Arabs and Bedouin, who keep them in cages and fatten them.

They are listed as unclean.

Agamas are found throughout Africa and in tropical Asia. Lacertids are found all over Europe. Elsewhere a general word for lizard can be used.

For tsav a phrase, such as “big thorny lizard” or “big lizard with a thorny tail”, is usually the best option. Where languages differentiate between smaller lizards and monitor lizards, “thorny monitor” or “monitor with a thorny tail” will better convey the idea of large size.

Egyptian thorn-tailed lizard, Wikimedia Commons

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

complete verse (Leviticus 11:30)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 11:30:

  • Kupsabiny: “geckos, all other lizards and chameleons.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “All [those] that creep on the ground, such as the gecko, the mouse, the lizard [and] the badger are unclean for you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) are-to-consider these animals that crawl dirty/unclean just-like rats, mice, geckos, house-lizard, monitor lizards, crocodile/alligator, sand-lizards, and the chameleon. Whoever touches their dead bodies is-considered dirty/unclean until (it) becomes-dusk/twilight.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “geckos, skinks, and chameleons.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Leviticus 11:29 - 11:30

New Jerusalem Bible again transliterates several of these difficult terms (“the various kinds of lizards: gecko, koah, letaah, chameleon and tinshamet”), which is not very helpful to the common language translator or to the average Bible reader.

Even if these animals were easily identified, they are not always easy to translate into the languages of the world. It may be necessary to summarize as in Good News Translation, using general and well-known terms that cover the intention of the writer, rather than trying to find an exact equivalent for each one. In some languages these animals may not be seen as significantly different from the other four-footed animals already mentioned, but for the people of Israel they are in a different category called swarming things. The list is probably intended to be representative of the whole group.

As in the list of birds (verses 13-19), the singular form is used in its collective sense and will have to be translated as a plural in many languages.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .