bread, loaf

The Greek term that is translated in English as “bread” or “loaf” is translated in Samo, it is translated as “Sago,” which serves “like ‘bread’ for the Hebrews, as a generic for food in the Samo language. It is a near-perfect metonymy that has all the semantic elements necessary for effective communication.” (Source: Daniel Shaw in Scriptura 96/2007, p. 501ff.)

In Chol it is translated as waj, the equivalent of a tortilla. (Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight)

John Beekman (in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 180f. ) explains: “The word ‘bread’ in Scripture primarily occurs as either a specific term for bread (including the Lord’s Supper), or as a generic term for food. It is not surprising, however, the some aboriginal groups use something other than bread as the staff of life. The Chols, with their cultural focus in the cultivation of corn, use waj, a type of thin corn flake. Since a meal is not complete without this main item of food, the term has been extended to include any other foods which may be served along with waj. While bread is known to them, its use is limited to a few occasions during the year when it functions as a dessert. In translating this term in the Chol New Testament, consistent use has been made of the word waj whenever the function of bread as a basic food was in focus. John 6:35, “I am the bread of life,” was thus translated with this word. If the word for bread had been used, it was feared that the Chol would compare Christ to the desirable, but not absolutely necessary, dessert.”

Robert Bascom adds his thoughts to this in relation to other Mayan languages (in Omanson 2001, p. 260): “In many Mayan languages, ‘bread’ can be translated waj or kaxlan waj. The first term literally means anything made from corn meal, while the second term literally means ‘foreigner’s waj,’ and refers to the local wheat-based sweet breads which are so popular within the broader European-influenced culture of the region. On the one hand, waj would be a better dynamic equivalent in cases where ‘bread’ meant ‘food,’ but in cases where the focus is literal or the reference well-known, kaxlan waj would preserve a flour-based meaning (though in biblical times barley was more in use than wheat) and not insert corn into a time and place where it does not belong. On the other hand kaxlan waj is not the staff of life, but refers to a local delicacy. In cases such as these, it is even tempting to suggest borrowing pan, the Spanish word for ‘bread,’ but native speakers might respond that borrowing a foreign word is not necessary since both waj and kaxlan waj are native terms that cover the meaning (though in this case, perhaps not all that well).”

bread of the presence, consecrated bread, showbread

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “showbread,” “bread of the presence,” or “consecrated bread” in English is translated as “bread set before the face of God” (Luvale), “loaves which are laid before the face (of God)” (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida), “bread to-do-homage” (Tae’), “holy bread” (Pohnpeian, Chuukese), “placed bread” (Ekari), “church-bread” (Sranan Tongo) (source for this and three above: Reiling / Swellengrebel), mikate yoperekedwa kwa Mulungu or “loaves offered to God” (interconfessional Chichewa translation; source: Wendland 1998, p. 110) and “bread that was sitting on the altar” (Low German) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).

See Mark 2:23-28 in Russian Sign Language for the Russian Sign Language translation of “showbread.”

high priest

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “high priest” in English is translated as “the ruler of the priests of our nation” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “very great priest” in Chol (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.), as “first over the priests” in Ayutla Mixtec, and “chief of the priests” in Desano (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).

In Uma it is translated as “Big Priest,” in Western Bukidnon Manobo as “high sacrificer,” and in Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God.” (See here.)

In Khoekhoe the translation for “high priest” is only capitalized when it refers to Jesus (as is Hebrews 2:17 et al.). (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)

See also priest and chief priest.

it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat

The Greek that is translated as ” it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat” or similar in English was translated in Tsafiki with the addition of “and you don’t say that he sinned in doing it.” Bruce Moore (in: Notes on Translation 1/1992, p. 1ff.) explains: “To say ‘David ate the showbread, which was lawful only for the priests to eat’, implied in Tsafiki that Jesus should not be criticized for doing wrong because even good people like David sin at least a little bit. The addition of the clause ‘and you don’t say that he sinned in doing it’ clarified the meaning.”

priest

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that are typically translated as “priest” in English (itself deriving from Latin “presbyter” — “elder”) is often translated with a consideration of existing religious traditions. (Click or tap for details)

Bratcher / Nida (1961) say this:

“However, rather than borrow local names for priests, some of which have unwanted connotations, a number of translations have employed descriptive phrases based on certain functions: (1) those describing a ceremonial activity: Pamona uses tadu, the priestess who recites the litanies in which she describes her journey to the upper or under-world to fetch life-spirit for sick people, animals or plants; Batak Toba uses the Arabic malim, ‘Muslim religious teacher;’ ‘one who presents man’s sacrifice to God’ (Bambara, Eastern Maninkakan), ‘one who presents sacrifices’ (Baoulé, Navajo), ‘one who takes the name of the sacrifice’ (Kpelle, and ‘to make a sacrifice go out’ (Hausa); (2) those describing an intermediary function: ‘one who speaks to God’ (Shipibo-Conibo) and ‘spokesman of the people before God’ (Tabasco Chontal).”

In Obolo it is translated as ogwu ngwugwa or “the one who offers sacrifice” (source: Enene Enene), in Mairasi as agam aevar nevwerai: “religious leader” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Ignaciano as “blesser, one who does ritual as a practice” (using a generic term rather than the otherwise common Spanish loan word sacerdote) (source: Willis Ott in Notes on Translation 88/1982, p. 18ff.), and in Noongar as yakin-kooranyi or “holy worker” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

For Guhu-Samane, Ernest Richert (in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. ) reports this:

“The [local] cult of Poro used to be an all-encompassing religious system that essentially governed all areas of life. (…) For ‘priest’ the term ‘poro father’ would at first seem to be a natural choice. However, several priests of the old cult are still living. Although they no longer function primarily as priests of the old system they still have a substantial influence on the community, and there would be more than a chance that the unqualified term would (in some contexts particularly) be equated with the priest of the poro cult. We learned, then, that the poro fathers would sometimes be called ‘knife men’ in relation to their sacrificial work. The panel was pleased to apply this term to the Jewish priest, and the Christian community has adopted it fully. [Mark 1:44, for instance, now] reads: ‘You must definitely not tell any man of this. But you go show your body to the knife man and do what Moses said about a sacrifice concerning your being healed, and the cause (base of this) will be apparent.'”

For a revision of the 1968 version of the Bible in Khmer Joseph Hong (in: The Bible Translator 1996, 233ff. ) talks about a change in wording for this term:

​​Bau cha r (បូជា‌ចារ្យ) — The use of this new construction meaning “priest” is maintained to translate the Greek word hiereus. The term “mean sang (មាន សង្ឃ)” used in the old version actually means a “Buddhist monk,” and is felt to be theologically misleading. The Khmer considers the Buddhist monk as a “paddy field of merits,” a reserve of merits to be shared with other people. So a Khmer reader would find unthinkable that the mean sang in the Bible killed animals, the gravest sin for a Buddhist; and what a scandal it would be to say that a mean sang was married, had children, and drank wine.

Mark 2:23-28 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 2:23-28 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

It was the Sabbath. Here was a field where wheat was growing. There was a path through the field where people were walking. Jesus and the disciples were walking along the path. The disciples plucked the ears, took the grain out of them, peeled them and ate them. A group of Pharisees saw this, and they were greatly angered.

They said to Jesus:

— Look at this! Today is the Sabbath! And your disciples are picking ears. It is forbidden to do that on the Sabbath. The law forbids it. Look at what your disciples are doing!

Jesus answered them:

— Do you know the story of David? There was a priest named Abiathar. He brought bread to the Temple of God and offered it as a gift to God. Then Abiathar and the other priests were allowed to eat that bread. Ordinary people were not allowed to eat this bread because it was only for the priests. And this is what happened to David. He was traveling with his soldiers and they were very hungry. David entered the Temple where the bread that was meant for God was lying, and he ate that bread. He also gave pieces of this bread to his soldiers because they were all very hungry. Were they allowed to do this?

Today is the Sabbath. God set this day for the people to rest. But you have turned the Sabbath into a set of harsh rules. I am the master and ruler of the Sabbath.

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

Была суббота. Вот поле, на котором росла пшеница. Через это поле шла тропинка, по которой ходили люди. Иисус и ученики шли по этой тропинке. Ученики срывали колосья, доставали из них зерна, очищали их и ели. Группа фарисеев увидела это, и они были сильно возмущены.

Они сказали Иисусу:

— Посмотри на это! Сегодня суббота! А твои ученики собирают колосья. Это запрещено делать в субботу. Закон запрещает. Ты посмотри, что делают твои ученики!

Иисус им ответил:

— Вы знаете историю о Давиде? Был священник по имени Авиафар. Он приносил в Храм Бога хлеб и приносил его в дар Богу. Потом этот хлеб разрешено было есть Авиафару и другим священникам. Обычным людям запрещено было есть такой хлеб, потому что он предназначался только для священников. И вот что случилось с Давидом. Он шел со своими воинами, они были очень голодны. Давид вошел в Храм, где лежал хлеб, предназначенный для Бога, и ел этот хлеб. Также он дал куски этого хлеба своим воинам, потому что все они были очень голодны. Им можно было это делать?

Сегодня суббота. Бог установил этот день, чтобы люди отдохнули. Но вы превратили субботу в набор суровых правил. Я есть хозяин и властелин субботы.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

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Mark 3:1-6 in Russian Sign Language >>

Mark 2:23-28 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 2:23-28 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)

Un sábado, el día de descanso, Jesús y sus discípulos estaban caminando en el campo y los discípulos estaban recogiendo trigo.

Los fariseos lo vieron y dijeron a Jesús: “Ellos están trabajando, tu sabes que es prohibido, según la ley de Dios el sábado es el día de descanso. ¿Cómo es que lo hacen?”

Jesús los paró (diciendo): “Mira, les explico. Hay una ley que dice que los sacerdotes pueden tomar del pan santo y comerlo, pero gente de afuera, gente extraño no puede comer el pan santo, está prohibido.

¿Uds todavía no han leído la historia de David y del sumo sacerdote de antes, Abiatar, uds no la conocen?

David y los soldados tenían hambre y David fue sólo al tabernáculo y tomó el pan santo y lo distribuyó y los soldados lo comieron.

Les pregunto: ¿Dios hizo las personas para la ley, para que el sábado a fuerzas descansaran y la obedecieran? No, al contrario, Dios dio el sábado en su gracia para ayudar a la gente.

Por eso Dios ha entregado al hijo del hombre la autoridad, él puede no hacer caso al sábado como día de descanso si personas necesitan ayuda.”


On a Saturday, the day of rest, Jesus and his disciples were walking in the fields and the disciples were gathering wheat.

The Pharisees saw it and said to Jesus: “They are working and you know that it is prohibited, according to the law of God the Saturday is the day of rest. How is is they do this?”

But Jesus stopped them (and said): “Look, I’ll explain. There is a law that the priests can take the holy bread and eat it, but people from outside, strangers, cannot eat the holy bread, it is prohibited.

“Have you not yet read the story of David and the former high priest Abiatar, do you not know it?

“David and his army were hungry and David went alone to the tabernacle and took the holy bread and handed it out and the soldiers ate it.

“Let me ask you a question: Did God make the people for the law, so that on Saturday they would obligatorily rest and obey it? No, on the contrary, God graciously gave the Saturday, to help the people.

“Therefore God has given authority to the Son of man, he can ignore that the Saturday is a day of rest if people need help.”

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

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Mark 3:1-6 in Mexican Sign Language >>