rabbi

The Hebrew word that is transliterated in Greek and typically in English as “rabbi” is translated in Indonesian and Malay as guru — “teacher” — or bapak guru — “father teacher” in recent translations. (The only exception that is the Alkitab Versi Borneo of 2015 that transliterates as rabi.) (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 335ff. )

See also teacher.

fig tree

The Greek that is translated in English as “fig tree” is translated in Lokạạ with figi, an indigenized transliteration of the English “fig.”

“The Lokạạ translators noted that they could not use the name of their local fig kẹkamati, which is very close to the fig family but only a shrub. This is because of the appearance of the Greek term for fig tree in verses such as John 1:48, where the fig tree is an enjoyable place for sitting in the shade. The Lokạạ translators decided to use an iconic translation of the English “fig”, which they indigenised as figi in Lokạạ. Since the term figi could not easily be connected to the indigenous term kẹkamati, readers would not have difficulty with passages such as John 1:48, in which people sit under the fig tree.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

See also fig, fig tree in leaf and Can a fig tree yield olives or a grapevine figs.

Peter

Following is a Armenian Orthodox icon of Peter (found in the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shusha, Azerbaijan).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

Following is a hand colored stencil print on momigami of Peter by Sadao Watanabe (1970):

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “key” (referring to Matthew 16:19). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Peter” or “Cephas” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “rock,” referring to the meaning of the Greek word for “Peter.”


“Peter” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Peter – rock.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Peter .

Chorazin

The name that is transliterated as “Chorazin” in English means “a furnace of smoke.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “close to Capernaum ” and “river” because of the location in proximity to Capernaum and a river. (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Chorazin” in Libras (source )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Chorazin (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also Capernaum.

formal pronoun: disciples addressing Jesus

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, individual or several disciples address Jesus with the formal pronoun, expressing respect. Compare this to how that address changes after the resurrection.

In most Dutch as well as in Western Frisian, Gronings, and Afrikaans translations, the disciples address Jesus before and after the resurrection with the formal pronoun.

See also this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Mark 11:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 11:21:

  • Uma: “Petrus remembered Yesus words. So he said to Yesus: ‘Teacher, look at the ara tree you cursed yesterday, it’s withered!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then Petros remembered what Isa had said about the tree. He said to Isa, ‘Uy, Sir, look. The igira tree you cursed is already withered.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Peter remembered this, and he said to Jesus, ‘Look at it! That fig tree which you cursed has dried up.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Pedro remembered what Jesus had said, and he said, ‘Lord, look! The tree you cursed, it truly dried-up!'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Pedro remembered that event and said to Jesus, ‘Master, just look. That igos which you cursed is already dead.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Mark 11:20 - 26 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 11:20-26 into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath:


© La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)

La siguiente mañana Jesús y los discípulos estaban camiando y los discípulos vieron un árbol de higos secado, sus raíces secados.

Pedro se recordó y dijo: “Maestro, sólo ayer tú maldijiste el árbol y mira, está secado.”

Jesús dijo: “Uds deben tener fe, creer en Dios; yo les digo la verdad, si tienen fe y no hay dudas, pueden mandar a una montaña que se tira en el agua del mar.

Por eso cuando oran y piden y sienten que creen con una fe segura que Dios les dará, entonces pasará.

Les advierto: cuando uds oran, si recuerdan a alguien que tienes algo en su contra, mejor olvidenlo, y perdonenlo en la misma manera como el padre Dios en el cielo perdona a uds y borra sus pecados.

Si uds no lo perdonan, en la misma manera el padre Dios en el cielo no les perdonará y no borrará sus pecados.”


The next morning Jesus and the disciples were walking and the disciples saw a withered fig tree, its roots all dried up.

Peter remembered and said: “Teacher, just yesterday you cursed the three, and look it is withered.”

Jesus said: “You need to have faith, to believe in God; I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, you can order a mountain that it takes itself off into the water of the sea.

“Therefore when you pray and ask for something and you feel that you believe with a sure faith that God will give it to you, then it will happen.

“I warn you, when you pray, if you remember someone that you hold something against, better forget it and forgive him, in the same way as our heavenly father God forgives you and wipes out your sins.

“If you don’t forgive him, then in the same way the heavenly father God will not forgive you or wipe out your sins.”

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

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