dip finger

The Greek that is translated as “dipped (his) finger” in English is translated in Elhomwe as “dipped (his) fingertip,” which is more natural in that language. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

cool my tongue

The Greek that is translated as “cool my tongue” in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically as “cool my throat.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

feel (terror / pain / suffering / anxiety / thirst)

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “feel (terror, pain, suffering, anxiety, thirst)” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) in association with the verb kumva or “hear,” “as if the feeling is heard in the ear.”

In Psalm 115:7 the stand-alone “feel” is also translated as “hear.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also angry

mercy

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin terms that are typically translated as “mercy” (or “compassion” or “kindness”) in English are translated in various ways. Bratcher / Nida classify them in (1) those based on the quality of heart, or other psychological center, (2) those which introduce the concept of weeping or extreme sorrow, (3) those which involve willingness to look upon and recognize the condition of others, or (4) those which involve a variety of intense feelings.

While the English mercy originates from the Latin merces, originally “price paid,” Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Corsican, Catalan) and other Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Danish — Barmherzigkeit, barmhärtighet and barmhjertighed, respectively) tend to follow the Latin misericordia, lit. “misery-heart.”

Here are some other (back-) translations:

See also steadfast love.

complete verse (Luke 16:24)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 16:24:

  • Noongar: “So he called out, ‘Father Abraham! Pity me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I have great pain in this place!'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “That rich man called out, he said: ‘Father Abraham! Please have pity on me! Order Lazarus to dip his finger in water and to come please drip-it-one my tongue. I feel great suffering/difficulty in this fire!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Immediately he called to Ibrahim. ‘O, Grandfather Ibrahim,’ he said, ‘have pity on me. Send Lasarus here. Let him dip his forefinger in water and-then drop it on my tongue for I am really hurting/I have great pain here in this fire.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he called to Abraham, he said, ‘Oh, Grandfather Abraham, pity me! Send Lazarus here so that he might drip some water into my mouth, because I am greatly tormented by this fire!'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So he raised-his-voice (lit. did-strongly) saying, ‘Sir Abraham, please have-mercy so you (sing.) will send Lazarus to dip his finger in water in order to drip-some-on my tongue so it will thus become-cool. Because here-now excessive is my suffering in this fire.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When he had seen, he shouted out saying, ‘Uncle Abraham, if only you would pity me. Order Lazaro to dip his finger in water and drip it here on my tongue so that it will cool. For it’s true that I’m suffering terribly from the extreme heat of this fire.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Abraham

The name that is transliterated as “Abraham” in English is translated in the vast majority of sign languages, including American Sign Language with the sign signifying “hold back arm” (referring to Genesis 22:12).


“Abraham” in American Sign Language (source )

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with a sign for that demonstrates his new destiny. Previously, he had been called to wander from his home, and the name “Abram” reflected this movement (see here). The new sign name is in one location and stays there, showing Abraham will be given a land to call his own. At this time, Abraham was in the southern part of Canaan, which is shown on the base arm by the location near the elbow. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Abraham” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

In Tira it is transliterated as Abaram. The choice of this, rather than the widely-known “Ibrahim,” as used in the Tira translation of the Qu’ran, was to offset it against the Muslim transliteration which originates from Arabic. (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

Click or tap here to see two short video clips about Abraham (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also our ancestor Abraham and Abram.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Abraham .

Japanese benefactives (ookuri)

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese show different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

Here, ookuri (お送り) or “send” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )