21It shall be made with oil on a griddle; you shall bring it well soaked, as a grain offering of baked pieces, and you shall present it as a pleasing odor to the Lord.
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)
Targumim (or: Targums) are translations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic. They were translated and used when Jewish congregations increasingly could not understand the biblical Hebrew anymore. Targum Onqelos (also: Onkelos) is the name of the Aramaic translation of the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) probably composed in Israel/Palestine in the 1st or 2nd century CE and later edited in Babylon in the 4th or 5th century, making it reflect Jewish Babylonian Aramaic. It is the most famous Aramaic translation and was widely used throughout the Jewish communities.
In many, but not all, cases the translation of Targum Onqelos avoids anthropomorphisms (attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions) as they relate in the original Hebrew text to God.
The Hebrew of these verses that is translated in English as “sweet savour” or “pleasing odor” and refers to God’s reaction to an offering. These cases are translated in Targum Onqelos as “a sacrifice which is being accepted.” (Source: Schochet 1966, p. 29ff.)
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)
The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “bronze” in English is translated in Newari as “bell-metal,” since bells are made of bronze in Nepal (source: Newari Back Translation).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 6:21:
Kupsabiny: “The flour must be mixed with olive oil and cooked in frying pan. They shall break the food into pieces to become flour and offer it as a sacrifice that smells sweet towards God.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “It must be mixed with oil, baked in a baking pan. And it must be broken into pieces and offered as a grain offering a pleasing fragrance to the LORD.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “This flour is-to-be-mixed with oil and is-to-be-cooked on a metal-utensil. And if (it is) already cooked, cut- this -in-pieces and offer (it) to the LORD as a gift offering. The fragrant-aroma of this offering will-cause- him -to-be-glad/pleased.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “He must mix it well with olive oil and bake it in a shallow pan. He must then break it into small pieces to be burned on the altar. And the aroma while it burns will be pleasing to Yahweh.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The structure of this verse in Hebrew is unusual, and the meaning of some words is uncertain. This has given rise to a number of very different interpretations.
It shall be made: this may also be understood in the active sense, “You shall make.” And in those languages where passive forms are difficult or impossible, it must be changed to an active construction in any case. The subject should then be the same as in the second part of the verse, you shall bring, referring to the priest.
With oil on a griddle: on oil see 2.1; and on griddle see 2.5.
Well mixed: the structure of the Hebrew is such that these words can go with “It shall be made (or prepared, or cooked)” (as Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation interpret) or with you shall bring (interpretation of Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Logically, it seems to fit better with the preparation of the offering rather than with its presentation.
In baked pieces: the word translated baked in Revised Standard Version and some other English versions is difficult and uncertain. A number of other translations and commentaries have understood the word to mean “broken” or “crumbled” (Good News Translation, New English Bible, New International Version, New American Bible, An American Translation, and Moffatt). Still others, following the Septuagint, see it as referring to a kind of pastry (Jerusalem Bible, Traduction oecuménique de la Bible). Translators should probably look for an equivalent to the idea of breaking or crumbling into small pieces. But it may be advisable to add a footnote explaining the uncertainty concerning this term and the different possible translations of it.
A pleasing odor to the LORD: see 1.9.
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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