bear child / give birth

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “bear (a child)” or “give birth to” is translated in Mairasi as “go to the forest,” reflecting the traditional place of childbirth for Mairasi women. (Source: Enggavoter 2004)

In Spanish it is translated as dar a luz, literally “to give to light.” Likewise, in Portuguese (dar à luz) and Italian (dare alla luce). (Source: Mark Terwilliger)

See also in childbirth / travail and birth.

birth pangs

The Greek that is translated as “birth pangs” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with Endzeitwehen or “end-time labor pains.”

complete verse (Matthew 24:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 24:8:

  • Uma: “But all those things are just the beginning, like the suffering of a woman who is about to give birth.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But all this is only the beginning of the difficulties, figuratively as if a woman soon will give birth and begins to have pain.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But these things which happen are like a woman giving birth whose birth pangs have just started.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But all these are like just the twinging of a woman’s stomach when she is beginning to give-birth.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “However as for all of this, it’s only the beginning of hardshsip/suffering.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Thus is how begins the suffering which people must pass through afterwards.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 24:8

All this refers to the natural disasters and wars that will be happening all over the world. Translators can say “All these things” (Good News Translation) or “All these events.” The function of this verse is to turn the Christian community away from empty speculation regarding the end. At the most, the presence of wars, famines, and earthquakes may be compared to the first pains of childbirth and are not to inspire anxious predictions and details of coming events.

Rendering this verse as a simile, as Good News Translation has, will be helpful for many readers: “All these events are like the first pains of childbirth of the new age.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .