John the Baptist

The name that is transliterated as “John (the Baptist)” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language and Mexican Sign Language as “baptize” (source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. ).


“John the Baptist” in Mexican Sign Language (source: BSLM )

In German Sign Language (Catholic) it is translated with the sign for the letter J and the sign signifying a Catholic baptism by sprinkling on the head.


“John” in German Sign Language (catholic), source: Taub und katholisch

In American Sign Language it is translated with the sign for the letter J and the sign signifying “shout,” referring to John 1:23. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“John” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

Similarly, in French Sign Language, it is “prepare the way.” (Source: Lexique – Explications en langue des signes)

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign for leaping in the womb (see Luke 1:41) and baptism. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“John” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

A question of cultural assumptions arose in Tuvan. The instinctive way to translate this name denotatively would be “John the Dipper,” but this would carry the highly misleading connotation that he drowned people. It was therefore decided that his label should focus on the other major aspect of his work, that is, proclaiming that the Messiah would soon succeed him. (Compare his title in Russian Orthodox translation “Иоанн Предтеча” — “John the Forerunner.”) So he became “John the Announcer,” which fortunately did not seem to give rise to any confusion with radio newsreaders! (Source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. )

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

In Noongar it is translated as John-Kakaloorniny or “John Washing” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

A new oral translation into Yao / Ciyawo, spoken in Mozambique, uses John the one who ceremoniously washes/pours water, using a term (kusingula) that “indicates a ceremonial washing or pouring of water on a person in the Yawo’s expression of Islam which can be used for an act done in repentance of sin.” (Source: Houston 2025, p. 236)

See also John the Baptist (icon) and learn more on Bible Odyssey: John the Baptist .

John the Baptist (icon)

Following is a Syriac Orthodox icon of John the Baptist from the 18/19th century (found in the Cathedral of Saints Constantine and Helen, Yabrud, Syria).

 
The wings are often depicted in icons of John the Baptist because of his status as a messenger. The scroll that John the Baptist holds quotes John 1:29 and reads (translated into English): “I saw and witnessed concerning him, ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’”

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 )

See also John the Baptist.

Mark 11:27-33 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 11:27-33 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

Jesus and his disciples came back to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking in the Temple courtyard. The older priests and the scribes and elders came up to him in a crowd. They asked Jesus:

— Behold, you recently drove the merchants out of here, overturning the tables. Who authorized you to do such things?

Jesus said to them:

— I’m going to ask you one question first. If you answer it to me, I will also tell you who authorized me to do such things. John the messenger was performing the rite of immersion over a multitude of people. Who commanded him to do this? God or people? Answer me!

The chief priests, scribes, and elders began to discuss among themselves how to answer:

— If we say that God commanded John the messenger, then Jesus would ask: “Why then did you not believe John the messenger?” No, we won’t say that. Or say that people commissioned John the messenger? No. Scary! Everyone around them thinks that John was a prophet.

They thought, they thought, how to answer — God or people? — and finally they said:

— We don’t know who commanded John the messenger, God or men.

Jesus said:

— Then I will not tell you who authorized me to do these things.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

Иисус вместе с учениками снова пришли в Иерусалим. Иисус прохаживался по двору Храма. Там к нему подошли толпой старшие священники, а также книжники и старейшины. Они спросили Иисуса:

— Вот ты недавно выгнал отсюда торговцев, столы перевернул. Кто тебе разрешил делать такие вещи?

Иисус им сказал:

— Я сначала задам вам один вопрос. Если вы мне на него ответите, то и я скажу вам, кто мне разрешил делать такие вещи. Иоанн вестник совершал обряд погружения в воду над множеством людей. Кто ему повелел это делать? Бог или люди? Ответьте мне!

Первосвященники, книжники и старейшины стали между собой совещаться, как ответить:

— Если скажем, что Бог велел Иоанну вестнику, тогда Иисус спросит: «Почему же вы тогда не поверили Иоанну вестнику?» Нет, так говорить не будем. Или сказать, что люди поручили Иоанну вестнику? Нет. Страшно! Все кругом считают, что Иоанн был пророк.

Думали они, думали, как ответить — Бог или люди? — и наконец, сказали:

— Мы не знаем, кто повелел Иоанну вестнику, Бог или люди.

Иисус сказал:

— Тогда и я вам не скажу, кто мне разрешил делать такие вещи.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

<< Mark 11:20-25 in Russian Sign Language
Mark 12:1-12 in Russian Sign Language >>

Mark 11:27 - 33 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 11:27-33 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)

Jesús y los discípulos fueron otra vez a Jerusalén y cuando Jesús estaba caminando frente al templo algunos líderes de los sacerdotes y maestros de la ley y ancianos vinieron hacia él.

Dijeron: “Jesús, ¿quién te dio permiso, te mandó a quitar las mesas y tirarlas y a predicar y enseñar diferentes cosas? ¿Quién te entregó la autoridad? Dinos.”

Jesú (dijo): “Alto, primero yo tengo una pregunta, uds diganme (la respuesta) y después yo les diré. Oigan, ¿quién mandó a Juan el Bautista a que bautizara con agua? ¿Dios o personas? Diganme.”

¡Caray! Fueron a dialogar juntos. “¿Cómo (vamos a responder)? Si nosotros decimos que Dios mandó a Juan el Bautista a que bautizara con agua a la gente sabemos que seguramente Jesús nos insultará (preguntandonos) porqué no hemos creído a Juan el Bautista.

Si decimos que un hombre le mandó…..” Dijeron: “No sabemos.” Jesús (dijo): “Si uds no me dicen, yo tampoco les diré nada.”

Porque tenían miedo porque todas las personas creían que Juan el Bautista era un verdadero profeta.


Jesus and the disciples went again to Jerusalem and when Jesus was walking in front of the temple some leaders of the priests and teachers of the Law and elders came up to him.

They said: “Jesus, who gave you permission, who ordered you to throw over the tables and to preach and teach all kinds of things? Who gave you the authority? Tell us.”

Jesus (said): “Stop, first I have a questions, you tell me (the answer) and then I will tell you. Listen, who ordered John the Baptist to baptize with water? God or people? Tell me.”

Oh no! They went to discuss it together. “How (are we going to answer)? If we say that God ordered John the Baptist to baptize people with water we know that Jesus will surely insult us by asking us why we haven’t believed John the Baptist.

“If we say that a man ordered him….” They said: “we don’t know.” Jesus (said): If you don’t tell me then I won’t tell you anything either.”

Because they were afraid because all the people believed that John the Baptist was a true prophet.

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

<< Mark 11:15-19 in Mexican Sign Language
Mark 12:1-12 in Mexican Sign Language >>

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Mark 11:32)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the chief priests, elders, and scribes talking among themselves).

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

complete verse (Mark 11:32)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 11:32:

  • Uma: “Yet it would be difficult if we said that his power was just from mankind.’ The Yahudi leaders were afraid to disparage Yohanes the Baptizer, for they feared the crowd, for all the crowds thought Yohanes was indeed a prophet.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But if we say, ‘From mankind,’ na that is also frightening.’ They were afraid of the people because all the people believed that Yahiya was truly a prophet of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And if we say it was only a person, the people will be angry at us.’ (They were afraid of the people because the people believed that John the Baptist was a prophet of God.)” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But if we say that only a person gave it to him, how-dangerous!’ That’s what they said, because they were afraid of the many-people, because they all believed that Juan was a true prophet.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But then if we say, ‘From people,’ what might be done to us by the all-the-people?’ They were afraid of the people because Juan was recognized by all as being a prophet.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

prophet

Click here to view graphically

Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:

“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)

Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):

  • San Blas Kuna: “one who speaks the voice of God”
  • Central Pame and Vai: “interpreter for God”
  • Kaqchikel, Navajo (Dinė), Yaka: “one who speaks for God”
  • Northern Grebo: “God’s town crier” (see more about this below)
  • Sapo: “God’s sent-word person”
  • Shipibo-Conibo, Ngäbere: “one who speaks God’s word”
  • Copainalá Zoque: “one who speaks-opens” (a compound meaning “one who discloses or reveals”)
  • Sierra Totonac: “one who causes them to know” (in the sense of “revealer”)
  • Batak Toba: “foreteller” (this and all the above acc. to Nida 1961, p. 7)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “one who is inspired of God” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Alekano: “the true man who descended from heaven” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation June 1986, p. 36ff.)
  • Aguaruna: “teller of God’s word” (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)
  • Ekari: “person who speaks under divine impulse”
  • Mandarin Chinese: 先知 xiānzhī — “one who foreknows” (or the 1946/1970 translation by Lü Zhenzhong: 神言人 shényánrén — “divine-word-man”)
  • Uab Meto: “holy spokesman” (source for this and two above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Kouya: Lagɔɔ gbʋgbanyɔ — “the one who seeks God’s affairs” (source: Saunders, p. 269)
  • Kafa: “decide for God only” (source: Loren Bliese)
  • Martu Wangka: “sit true to God’s talk” (source: Carl Gross)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “word passer” (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Obolo: ebi nriran: “one with power of divine revelation” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Mairasi: nonondoai nyan: “message proclaimer” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Highland Totonac: “speaker on God’s behalf”
  • Central Tarahumara: “God’s preacher” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Coatlán Mixe: “God’s word-thrower”
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
  • French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)

In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)

About the translation into Northern Grebo:

“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)

In American Sign Language it is a person who sees into the future:


“Prophet” in American Sign Language (source )

In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

See also prophesy and prophesy / prophetic frenzy.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: How to Recognize a Biblical Prophet .

See also seer.