The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “witness” in English is translated as “truly have seen” in Highland Popoluca, as “telling the truth regarding something” (Eastern Highland Otomi), as “know something” in Lalana Chinantec, as “verily know something to be the truth” in San Mateo del Mar Huave, as “we ourselves saw this,” in Desano, as “tell the truth about something” in Eastern Highland Otomi, as “know something is true because of seeing it” in Teutila Cuicatec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
sin
The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated as “sin” in English has a wide variety of translations.
The Greek ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) carries the original verbatim meaning of “miss the mark.” Likewise, many translations contain the “connotation of moral responsibility.” Loma has (for certain types of sin) “leaving the road” (which “implies a definite standard, the transgression of which is sin”) or Navajo uses “that which is off to the side.” (Source: Bratcher / Nida). In Toraja-Sa’dan the translation is kasalan, which originally meant “transgression of a religious or moral rule” and has shifted its meaning in the context of the Bible to “transgression of God’s commandments.” (Source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21ff. ).
In Shipibo-Conibo the term is hocha. Nida (1952, p. 149) tells the story of its choosing: “In some instances a native expression for sin includes many connotations, and its full meaning must be completely understood before one ever attempts to use it. This was true, for example, of the term hocha first proposed by Shipibo-Conibo natives as an equivalent for ‘sin.’ The term seemed quite all right until one day the translator heard a girl say after having broken a little pottery jar that she was guilty of ‘hocha.’ Breaking such a little jar scarcely seemed to be sin. However, the Shipibos insisted that hocha was really sin, and they explained more fully the meaning of the word. It could be used of breaking a jar, but only if the jar belonged to someone else. Hocha was nothing more nor less than destroying the possessions of another, but the meaning did not stop with purely material possessions. In their belief God owns the world and all that is in it. Anyone who destroys the work and plan of God is guilty of hocha. Hence the murderer is of all men most guilty of hocha, for he has destroyed God’s most important possession in the world, namely, man. Any destructive and malevolent spirit is hocha, for it is antagonistic and harmful to God’s creation. Rather than being a feeble word for some accidental event, this word for sin turned out to be exceedingly rich in meaning and laid a foundation for the full presentation of the redemptive act of God.”
In Kaingang, the translation is “break God’s word” and in Sandawe the original meaning of the Greek term (see above) is perfectly reflected with “miss the mark.” (Source: Ursula Wiesemann in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 36ff., 43)
In Warao it is translated as “bad obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ). See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.
Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the Danish Bibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “We would explain terms, such that e.g. sin often became ‘doing what God does not want’ or ‘breaking God’s law’, ‘letting God down’, ‘disrespecting God’, ‘doing evil’, ‘acting stupidly’, ‘becoming guilty’. Now why couldn’t we just use the word sin? Well, sin in contemporary Danish, outside of the church, is mostly used about things such as delicious but unhealthy foods. Exquisite cakes and chocolates are what a sin is today.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )
See also sinner.
Translation commentary on Leviticus 5:1
If …: it is equally possible to begin with “For example…” or “Suppose that….” See the introductory paragraph above.
If any one sins: literally “And a soul (or, person), if she sins.” This formula is used with slight variations to introduce each of the four examples in verses 1-4. The mention of “sin” is left implicit in Good News Translation because the context makes it clear that these are cases where “Sin offerings are required.” If this word must be made explicit in the receptor language, this may be done by saying something like “If a person commits sin by not giving information when called to give evidence….”
Hears a public adjuration: the term translated public adjuration may refer to a court case in a more restricted legal sense, or more generally to any public palaver where a person would be solemnly charged to tell others what he had seen or heard. New International Version, for example, has “public charge.” But the courtroom setting seems preferable, as in Good News Translation. After a witness had been called into court, the judge pronounced a curse on him if he should lie or fail to give important information. This was a formal, official way of requiring a person to tell what he had seen or heard about a particular case. It is very similar to the modern practice of requiring a person to swear that he will tell the truth in a court of law.
Yet does not speak: that is, the person fails to testify in court what he knows about the case in spite of the fact that he has been required to do so by the judge.
He shall bear his iniquity: this frequently-used expression usually emphasizes a person’s guilt and the fact that he must suffer the consequences and be punished. Most languages have expressions that communicate easily the idea of “suffering the consequences of one’s actions.” Some say “he must bear the weight of his deed” or “he will not escape the punishment for what he has done.” Others have still more idiomatic ways of rendering this idea. What is important is that the meaning be conveyed as naturally as possible.
This verse seems out of place to some scholars because it says nothing about the sin being committed unintentionally (in contrast with the cases mentioned in verses 2-4). But the translator should simply translate the text as it stands. When the text was compiled, there was apparently some connection between this sin and the others that follow.
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 .