In Ghari different words are used for a husband divorcing a wife and a wife divorcing a husband. (Source: David Clark)
In Mairasi the term that is used means “discard.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
complete verse (Matthew 19:7)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 19:7:
- Uma: “The Parisi people replied/argued: ‘If thus, why did Musa give-opportunity for a man to give a letter of divorce to a woman, if he wants to divorce her?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “So-then the Pariseo said to him, ‘Na, why does Musa in the law allow a man to sign a letter of divorce and then he can divorce his wife?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the Pharisees asked again, ‘Then why does Moses permit a man to give his wife a document of separation if he wants to divoce that wife of his?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “‘Yes granted perhaps,’ they said. ‘But why then does the law of Moses permit a man to give his wife a writing that confirms that they divorced, then he makes-her-leave?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “He was again questioned by the Pariseo, ‘Well why did Moises command that a man just give his wife a writing as a sign that they are now divorced, and then it’s possible/acceptable for them to be separated?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “The Pharisees said: ‘But how come Moses said that a man can make out a paper to divorce his wife?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Moses
The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English is signed in Spanish Sign Language in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff.)
“Moses” in Spanish Sign Language (source)
Another depiction in Spanish Sign Language (source: Carlos Moreno Sastre):
The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).
Even at the time of his translation, Jerome likely was not the only one making that decision as this recent article alludes to.