Sabbath

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “Sabbath” in English is rendered as “day we rest” in Tzotzil, in Mairasi as “Jew’s Rest Day,” in Quiotepec Chinantec as “day when people of Israel rested,” in Shilluk as “day of God,” in Obolo as Usen Mbuban or “Holy Day,” and in Mandarin Chinese as ānxírì (安息日) or “rest day” (literally: “peace – rest – day”). (Sources: Tzotzil: Marion Cowan in Notes on Translation with Drill, p. 169ff; Mairasi: Enggavoter 2004; Quiotepec Chinantec: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.; Shilluk: Nida 1964, p. 237; Obolo: Enene Enene; Chinese: Jost Zetzsche)

In Matumbi it is translated as Sabato ya Ayahudi or “Sabbath of the Jews,” to distinguish it from the Islamic Sabbath (which is Friday) or the Christian Sabbath (which is Sunday). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

In the old Khmer version as well as in the first new translation this term was rendered as “day of rest” (Thngai Chhup Somrak / ​ថ្ងៃ​ឈប់​សំរាក). Considered inadequate to convey its religious meaning (not only about cessation of work, but also in honor of Yahweh as the Creator), the committee for the Today’s Khmer Version (publ. 2005) decided to keep the Hebrew word and use its transliterated form Thgnai Sabath (​ថ្ងៃ​សប្ប័ទ). “The Buddhist word Thngai Seil ‘day of merits’ used by some Catholics was once under consideration but was rejected because it did not receive unanimous support.” (Source: Joseph Hong in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 233ff. )

In Spanish, the translation is either día de reposo (“day of rest”) or sábado (usually: “Saturday,” derived from the Greek and Hebrew original). Nida (1947, p. 239f.) explains that problem for Spanish and other languages in its sphere of influence: “In translation ‘Sabbath’ into various aboriginal languages of Latin America, a considerable number of translators have used the Spanish sábado, ‘Saturday,’ because it is derived from the Hebrew sabbath and seems to correspond to English usage as well. The difficulty is that sábado means only ‘Saturday’ for most people. There is no religious significance about this word as the is with ‘Sabbath’ in English. Accordingly the [readers] cannot understand the significance of the persecution of Jesus because he worked on ‘Saturday.’ It has been found quite advantageous to use the translation ‘day of rest,’ for this accurately translated the Hebrew meaning of the term and resolves the problem in connection with the prohibitions placed upon some types of activities.”

In French Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts closing of the blinds of a store:


“Sabbath” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Sabbath .

Mark 3:1-6 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 3:1-6 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

The house of prayer of the Jews. There was a man there with a dried up hand. The Pharisees were also sitting there. On the Sabbath day Jesus went into the house of prayer. The Pharisees began to say to one another:

— If Jesus heals this man with a dried up hand, then we will rebuke Jesus for breaking the law. Today is the Sabbath, so it is not lawful to heal today.

Jesus looked around, saw a man with a dried up hand, and in full view of everyone called him to the center of the hall. The man approached Jesus. Jesus looked at the Pharisees and said to them:

— Today is the Sabbath. Tell me, what does the law allow you to do on this day? To heal and give health to the man? Or to be indifferent and ignore how he perishes? Tell me.

The Pharisees could say nothing in response. Jesus became angry with the Pharisees and said:

— It is a pity that your hearts are callous.

Jesus’ said to the man with the dry hand:

— Stretch out your hand!

The man stretched out his hand — and it became healthy!

When the Pharisees saw all this, they went out of there with indignation. The Pharisees went to the place where the men, King Herod’s supporters, were. The Pharisees went up to them and began to say to one another:

— How shall we kill this Jesus?

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

Дом молитвы евреев. Там был один человек с высохшей рукой. Также там сидели фарисеи. В день субботний Иисус зашел в дом молитвы. Фарисеи стали говорить друг другу:

— Если Иисус исцелит этого человека с сухой рукой, тогда мы уличим Иисуса в нарушении закона. Сегодня суббота, поэтому исцелять сегодня нельзя по закону.
Иисус посмотрел вокруг, увидел человека с высохшей рукой, и на виду у всех позвал его в центр зала. Этот человек подошел к Иисусу. Иисус посмотрел на фарисеев и сказал им:

— Сегодня суббота. Скажите, что разрешает закон делать в этот день? Исцелить и дать здоровье человеку? Или же быть равнодушным и не обращать внимания, как он погибает? Скажите мне.

Фарисеи ничего не могли сказать в ответ. Иисус разгневался на фарисеев и сказал:

— Жаль, что у вас сердца черствые.

Портом Иисус сказал человеку с сухой рукой:

— Вытяни свою руку!

Человек протянул свою руку — и она стала здоровой!

Фарисеи, увидев все это, с возмущением вышли оттуда. Фарисеи пошли в то место, где были люди, сторонники царя Ирода. Фарисеи подошли к ним и стали говорить друг другу:

— Как же нам убить этого Иисуса?

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

<< Mark 2:23-28 in Russian Sign Language
Mark 3:7-12 in Russian Sign Language >>

Mark 3:1-6 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 3:1-6 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)

Después Jesús otra vez fue al templo, y allá había un hombre enfermo, con un mano deforme.

Jesús lo miró y los Fariseos lo vieron y pensaron: Es el día de descanso, si Jesús lo sana lo podemos acusar.

Mientras estaban viendo, Jesús (dijo al hombre): “Ven, hombre, parate para que ellos lo vean.” El hombre con el mano deforme se paró y se acercó a él.

Jesus dijo: “Hoy es el sábado, debemos descansar. ¿Podemos matar o salvar una vida, cuál? ¿Qué piensan? Diganme.

¿Piensan uds que Dios da permiso que hagamos bien o que hagamos mal? ¿Cuál? Diganme.”

Todas las personas no dieron ninguna respuesta, estaban callados, no dijeron nada.

Jesús los miraba y adentro se enojó porque los corazones de la gente estaban negros, se sintió muy triste.

Dijo: “Tu puedes extender tu mano deforme, adelante.” El hombre extendió su mano deforme y podía mover sus dedos, fue sanado.

Los fariseos se paraban uno por uno y salían caminando y se alejaron en un grupo, y miraron alrededor unos judíos que siempre daban soporte al Rey Herodes Antipas (los herodianos): ¡bien! Y junto dialogaban cómo podían matar a Jesús.


Afterwards Jesus again went to the religious building and there was a man who was ill, with a deformed hand.

Jesus looked at him and the Pharisees saw it and thought: It’s the day of rest, if Jesus heals him we can accuse him.

As they were watching, Jesus looked (and said to the man): “Come here, man, get up so that they see it.” The man with the deformed hand got up and went up to him.

Jesus said: “Today is Saturday and we have to rest. Can we kill or save a life, which? What do you think? Tell me.

“Do you think that God gives us permission to do good or to do bad, which? Tell me.”

All the people did not answer anything, they were silent and did not say anything.

Jesus looked at them and he got angry inside because the hearts of the people were black, he felt very sad.

He said: “You can stretch out your deformed hand, go ahead.” The man stretched out his deformed hand and could move his fingers, he was healed.

The Pharisees got up one by one and walked out, and they left as a group, and they looked and saw around them some Jews who always were in support of King Herod Antipas (the Herodians): good! And they discussed together how they could kill Jesus.

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

<< Mark 2:23-28 in Mexican Sign Language
Mark 3:7-12 in Mexican Sign Language >>

save

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The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”

Other translations include:

  • San Blas Kuna: “help the heart”
  • Laka: “take by the hand” in the meaning of “rescue” or “deliver”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “lift out on behalf of”
  • Anuak: “have life because of”
  • Central Mazahua: “be healed in the heart”
  • Baoulé: “save one’s head”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “come out well”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “be helped as to his breath” (or “life”) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida),
  • Matumbi: “rescue (from danger)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Noongar: barrang-ngandabat or “hold life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • South Bolivian Quechua: “make to escape”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “cause people to come out with the aid of the hand” (source for this and one above: Nida 1947, p. 222)
  • Bariai: “retrieve one back” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

See also salvation and save (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (Mark 3:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 3:4:

  • Uma: “After that, he said to the Parisi people: ‘According to the customs of our religion, which may we do on the worship day: do good or evil? Help others or kill others?’ But the Parisi people, they refused to answer him, they were just silent.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then Isa asked the people, he said, ‘According to the law, what is right to be done on a day of-no-work? Doing good or doing bad/evil? Saving people or killing?’ But nobody answered.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then he asked the persons who were his enemies, he said, ‘What does our law permit us to do on the Day of Rest? Is it to help people who are having difficulty or it is to do harm to people? Is it to help people so that they don’t die or is it to kill them?’ They didn’t answer.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘What does our law allow us to do on the day for-resting? To do good or bad? To save a fellow-man or kill?’ But they kept-quiet.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And then he questioned those people, saying, ‘Which is in accordance with the law, to do good or to do evil on the Day of Rest? Is it to save life or to kill?’ But none of those people there answered him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )