The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated “boat” or “ship” in English is translated in Chichimeca-Jonaz as “that with which we can walk on water” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.), in Chitonga as a term in combination with bwato or “dugout canoe” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 72), and in Tangale as inj am or “canoe-of water” (inj — “canoe” — on its own typically refers to a traditional type of carved-out log for sleeping) (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).
In Kouya it is translated as ‘glʋ ‘kadʋ — “big canoe.”
Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains how the Kouya team arrived at that conclusion:
“Acts chapter 27 was a challenge! It describes Paul’s sea voyage to Italy, and finally Rome. There is a storm at sea and a shipwreck on Malta, and the chapter includes much detailed nautical vocabulary. How do you translate this for a landlocked people group, most of whom have never seen the ocean? All they know are small rivers and dugout canoes.
“We knew that we could later insert some illustrations during the final paging process which would help the Kouya readers to picture what was happening, but meanwhile we struggled to find or invent meaningful terms. The ‘ship’ was a ‘big canoe’ and the ‘passengers’ were ‘the people in the big canoe’; the ‘crew’ were the ‘workers in the big canoe’; the ‘pilot’ was the ‘driver of the big canoe’; the ‘big canoe stopping place’ was the ‘harbour’, and the ‘big canoe stopping metal’ was the ‘anchor’!”
In Lokạạ it is translated as ukalangkwaa, lit. “English canoe.” “The term was not coined for the Bible translation, but rather originated in colonial times when the English arrived in Nigeria on ships. The indigenous term for a canoe was modified to represent the large, ocean-going ship of the English.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
The following is a representation of the story of Jesus calming the sea in Shor with traditional throat singing. The singers are Lubov Arbachakova (with no instrument) and Irena Kiskurova:
A translation of the Russian subtitles into English:
0:11 Once Jesus was at the sea with his disciples.
0:24 A multitude of people gathered, and he began to teach them.
0:36 When evening came, He said to His disciples:
0:45 “Let’s move to the other side.”
0:48 The disciples asked the people to leave,
0:56 they were all in the boat together in Jesus and set out on the other side of the sea.
1:22 Suddenly there was a strong storm.
1:30 The waves beat the boat so that it was filled with water.
1:42 And Jesus at this time slept in the stern of the boat, laying his head on the steersman’s seat.
1:58 The disciples woke him up and said:
2:08 “Teacher! Do you really care that we are dying?”
2:11 Jesus stood up, calmed the wind, and said to the sea:
2:20 «Hush, shut up!»
2:23 The wind died down, and there was a complete calm on the sea.
2:35 And Jesus rebuked the disciples:
2:46 “Why are you so timid? Do you have absolutely no faith?”
2:52 They continued sailing, and the disciples spoke to each other with fear:
3:11 “Who is He, that even the wind and the sea listen to Him?”
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 8:24:
Uma: “A big wind came suddenly stirring-up the lake, with the result that waves struck their boat. At that time, Yesus was asleep.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then suddenly a strong wind blew, that’s why the boat was in danger of soon sinking but all the while Isa slept.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when they were in the middle (of the lake), suddenly the wind blew hard, and the boat was filling up with water from the waves. But Jesus was asleep.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When they were riding, he fell-asleep. That being so, a swift wind suddenly-arrived and the waves repeatedly-splashed-into the boat and they were close to sinking.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Suddenly/unexpectedly the wind blew with such force, when they were crossing over that lake. Their boat almost filled because of the size of the roughness. But as for Jesus, he was emph. asleep.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “But there on the lake there arose a fierce wind. The waves arose, entering the boat. But Jesus was sleeping away.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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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 rare (られ) 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, nemutteo-rare-ru (眠っておられる) or “sleeping” is used.
The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
And behold (see comments on 1.20) is translated “Suddenly” by Good News Translation. Both Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible render “Without warning,” and New English Bible has “All at once.”
A great storm (so also New English Bible) is translated “a fierce storm” by Good News Translation and “a violent storm” by New American Bible; New Jerusalem Bible restructures: “a storm broke over the lake, so violent that….” The word rendered storm may also mean “earthquake,” as it does in all of its other occurrences in the New Testament (24.7; 27.54; 28.2; Mark 13.8; Luke 21.11; Acts 16.26; Rev 6.12; 8.5; 11.13, 19; 16.18), but of course in this context it can only mean storm.
Arose … on (Good News Translation “hit”) is more literally “happened in (or, on).” The meaning may be represented translationally in a number of ways; for example “broke over” (New Jerusalem Bible) and “blew up on” (Barclay). Other ways are “came up on,” “started to blow,” or “came suddenly.”
Sea has usually been translated as “lake.” See comments on 4.18.
So that the boat was being swamped by the waves appears in Good News Translation as “and the boat was in danger of sinking.” Each language offers a variety of idiomatic possibilities. Note “and the boat began to be swamped by the waves” (New American Bible) and “till the waves were breaking right over the boat” (New English Bible; Jerusalem Bible is similar).
Some translators begin a new sentence here: “The storm was so big that waves were splashing into the boat,” or “… were filling the boat with water,” or “… so that the waves were making the boat be close to sinking.”
He of the Greek text is translated “Jesus” by Good News Translation. But here again the choice of a noun or pronoun is dependent upon the requirements of the receptor language (New American Bible: “Jesus was sleeping soundly…”).
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 .
The storm probably occurred while Jesus and the disciples were far from shore. In some languages, the danger will be made clearer by including some implied information. For example:
⌊When they were far from shore, then⌋
-or-
⌊In the middle of crossing the lake,⌋
-or-
⌊While crossing the lake⌋
Suddenly: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Suddenly indicates that something extraordinary is going to happen. Here, it is a storm that is unexpected.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
And behold (English Standard Version)
-or-
Unexpectedly
-or-
Without warning (New International Version)
a violent storm: In this context, the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a violent storm refers to a storm with very strong winds. This storm quickly blew the water into big waves.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
a severe storm (God’s Word)
-or-
a big/strong wind
came up: The expression came up is a figurative way of saying that the storm began.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
came/arrived
-or-
blew
-or-
occurred/happened
on the sea: The phrase on the sea refers to lake Galilee.
8:24b
so that: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that introduces a result of 8:24a. The storm was so great that, as a result, waves were entering the boat.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
with the result that
-or-
and so
In some languages, it is more natural to leave this conjunction untranslated. See the examples below.
the boat was engulfed by the waves: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was engulfed means “covered.” Here, this phrase indicates that the waves were higher than the boat. The waves were coming over the top of the boat and filling it with water.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
The waves were covering the boat (God’s Word)
-or-
and waves started splashing into their boat (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
and the boat was in danger of sinking (Good News Translation)
8:24c
but: It is surprising and unexpected that Jesus was sleeping in the boat during the furious storm. The Berean Standard Bible indicates this unexpected event with the conjunction but.
Here are some other ways to indicate that the following event is unexpected:
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