The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “wheat”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).
Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “millet” (Lambya) (source: project-specific notes in Paratext), “food” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext) or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
The Hebrew that is translated as “offering” in English is translated in Venda as nduvho. J. A. van Rooy (in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 439ff. ) explains: “It is derived from the verb u luvha (‘to pay homage to; to acknowledge the superiority of; at the same time usually asking for a favour’). It is sometimes used as a synonym for ‘asking something from a chief. The noun nduvho means ‘a gift of allegiance,’ which corresponds closely with minchah (מִנְחָה) as ‘offering of allegiance.’ This term nduvho has in it the elements of subjugation, of reciprocity (asking for a favor), of being taken up into the same community as the chief in allegiance to him. Only the element of expiation is missing.”
In Northern Emberá, it is translated as “given to God freely.” (Source: Loewen 1980, p. 108)
The Hebrew qorbān (קָרְבָּ) originally means “that which is brought near.” Most English Bibles translate it as “offering.” The Hebraic English translation of Everett Fox uses near-offering and likewise the German translation by Buber-Rosenzweig has (the neologisms) Darnahung or Hinleitnahung.
The different Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 2:5:
Kupsabiny: “If a person wants to take/bring to God bread which has been baked on a frying (pan) as a gift it is necessary that he makes it from wheat flour that is ground fine which have been mixed with olive oil without an ingredient/herb that causes it to rise.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “If your sacrifice is a grain offering baked in a little frying pan, it must be of good, unleavened good wheat flour mixed with oil.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “If the bread which will-be-offered was-cooked on a metal-utensil, (it is) necessary that this was-made from a good kind of flour and mixed-with oil, but that-which-causes-to-expand was-not put-in-(it).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “If your offering is cooked on a griddle/in a shallow pan, it must be made from finely-ground flour mixed with olive oil and without yeast.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Baked on a griddle: a thick plate made of pottery (and later of metal) with small depressions similar to a modern waffle iron. In some languages one may have to say “a flat cooking pan” or “a flat iron for baking.” This object was placed on three stones between which a fire was built. The dough was then put on the surface of the pan or disk and cooked.
Fine flour: see verse 1.
Mixed with oil: see verse 4.
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 .
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