fool, insane

The Greek that is translated as “fool” (in Matthew 5:22) or “insane” is translated in Mairasi as “(your/their) vision has dried up.” The opposite (“sane”) is “vision is well-split” (see right mind / sound-minded).

In Elhomwe it is idiomatically translated as “not grasping the head.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also You are out of your mind!.

angry

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “(was or became) angry” in English is translated in Kwere as “saw anger.” In Kwere, emotions are always paired with sensory verbs (seeing or smelling or hearing). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Bariai it is “to have grumbling interiors” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

See also anger and feel (terror, pain, suffering, anxiety).

hell

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The Greek that is translated in English versions as “hell” (or “Gehenna”) is translated (1) by borrowing a term from a trade or national language (this is done in a number of Indian languages in Latin America, which have borrowed Spanish “infierno” — from Latin “infernus”: “of the lower regions”), (2) by using an expression denoting judgment or punishment, e.g. “place of punishment” (Loma), “place of suffering” (Highland Totonac, San Blas Kuna) and (3) by describing a significant characteristic: (a) the presence of fire or burning, e.g. “place of fire” (Kipsigis, Mossi), “the large bonfire” (Shipibo-Conibo), or (b) the traditionally presumed location, e.g. “the lowest place” (a well-known term in Ngäbere), “the place inside” long used to designate hell, as a place inside the earth (Aymara). (Source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)

In Noongar it is translated as Djinbaminyap or “Punishing place” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang) and in Tagbanwa as “the fire which had no dying down” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

The Mandarin Chinese dìyù (地獄 / 地狱), literally “(under) earth prison,” is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Hell .

council

The Greek that is translated as “council” or “Council” in English is (back-) translated in a variety of ways:

anger

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The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “anger” or similar in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied”).

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • Chichewa: “have a burning heart” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) (see also anger burned in him)
  • Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)

In Akan, a number of metaphors are used, most importantly abufuo, lit. “weedy chest” (the chest is seen as a container that contains the heart but can also metaphorically be filled with other fluids etc.), but also abufuhyeε lit. “hot/burning weedy chest” and anibereε, lit. “reddened eyes.” (Source: Gladys Nyarko Ansah in Kövecses / Benczes / Szelid 2024, p. 21ff.)

See also God’s anger and angry.

brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”

See also brothers.

complete verse (Matthew 5:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 5:22:

  • Uma: “But I say: whoever gets angry at someone, definitely his case will be sat/heard. Whoever curses his companion, he will definitely be carried to the big judged. And whoever calls-a fool/stupid his companion, it is very fitting that he be thrown into the fire of hell.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But I, I say: whoever is angry towards his companion shall be judged, and whoever says to his companion, ‘You are stupid (slow minded)!’ shall be brought to the judge (next higher instance) and whoever says to his companion, ‘You are really stupid/wicked, you are of no use!’ he is in danger of being judged of being put in the fire of hell.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And I tell you also that he who is only angry with his companion, God will also sentence him, and he who insults his companion saying, ‘You are a worthless person,’ he will be brought to trial. And he who insults his companion saying, ‘You are a stupid worthless person,’ he will be worthy of being taken to the fire of hell.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But I say to you that even the one who becomes-angry-with his companion will be judged and sentenced to be punished. The person also who shames his companion saying, ‘You (sing.) are useless,’ will have charges-filed-against-him before the leaders. And the person also who says to his companion, ‘You (sing.) are foolish,’ is going to the fire in hell.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But now/today I am the one saying to you that even if you (sing.) just get angry with your companion, it’s certain that you will answer for it to the Judge. For if you (sing.) are insolent, it’s acceptable/possible that you be sentenced by the tribal-judge. If you say to your companion, ‘You are crazy!’ it’s acceptable/possible that you be put there in the fire that never dies down, which is God’s punishment.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But I tell you that the person who hates his brother must be judged. The person who speaks evil words to his brother must have the judges gather to judge his case. He who says that his brother is a fool will go to hell where it burns.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.