offering (qorban)

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 neologism) Darnahung.

See also burnt-offering and offering.

grain

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “corn”) 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. )

offering

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)

See also offering (qorban).

fat, oil

The different Hebrew 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)

complete verse (Leviticus 2:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 2:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “And/But if a person wants to take/bring to God bread which has been baked in a sauce-pan, he must make it from wheat flour that is ground fine which has been mixed with olive oil.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If your grain offering is baked in a pan, it must be of good wheat flour [baked] with oil.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If the bread which will-be-offered was-cooked in a pan/frying-pan, (it) must also be-made from a good kind of flour and also mixed-with oil.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “If your offering that is made from grain is cooked in a pan, it must be made of finely-ground flour mixed with olive oil.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Leviticus 2:7

It will be advisable in many languages to restructure the first part of this verse to say something like “if the offering you bring is bread cooked in a pan” or “if what you offer is pan-baked bread” or “if your grain offering is one made into bread in a pan….”

Cooked in a pan: a metal disk, slightly rounded or bent upward at the edges, something like a frying pan. In some cases an instrument was made so that it could serve as a pan when held one way and a griddle (verse 5) when turned over.

It shall be made: an impersonal passive form such as this is often used in giving instructions. In the previous verses (4-6) as well as in the beginning of this verse the pronouns are second person singular. But both the second person singular and the passive forms are used for giving directions of a general nature. In some receptor languages an impersonal third person (singular or plural) may be used, but others may retain the second person singular or use a second person plural everywhere—including those places where the source text has the impersonal passive. The most important question the translators must ask themselves is “How do we normally speak when giving general instructions?” The same forms should then be used in this context.

This verse does not explicitly state that the bread is prepared without yeast (is unleavened), but verse 11 leaves no doubt that this is the case. So this information should probably be supplied, if there is any danger that the reader might think that yeast would be used in this case.

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 .