interest

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “interest” (as in payments for a loan) in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) as chiwongoladzanja which literary means something that stretches the hand. The understanding is that an interest is paid to thank the hand that was stretched out in the process of giving a loan. Since a person gets a loan to be helped from their problems, thanking the hand that has given (stretched out in giving) is considered to be an important way of expressing one’s gratitude. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

grain

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “grain” (or: “wheat”) is translated in Kui as “(unthreshed) rice.” Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) explains: “Padddy [unthreshed rice] is the main crop of the country and rice the staple diet of the people, besides which [grain] is unknown and there is no word for it, and it seemed to us that paddy and rice in the mind of the Kui people stood for all that corn meant to the Jews.” “Paddy” is also the translation in Pa’o Karen (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).

Other translations include: “wheat” (Teutila Cuicatec), “corn” (Lalana Chinantec), “things to eat” (Morelos Nahuatl), “grass corn” (wheat) (Chichimeca-Jonaz) (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “millet” (Lambya) (source: project-specific notes in Paratext), “food” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext) or ntimumma lujia / “seeds for food” (Lokạạ — “since Lokạạ does not have specific terms for maize and rice that can be described as grains”) (source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

complete verse (Nehemiah 5:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 5:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “I and my brothers together with all my relatives have been lending out food and money, but now let us stop this mentality of mortgaging out things.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I myself and my blood-relatives and men(-under-me) loaned-out money and food to our (incl.) fellowmen. But we (incl.) no-longer have- them -pay their debts!” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “My fellow Jews and I and my servants have lent money and grain to people without charging interest. So you all should stop charging interest on these loans.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 5:10

I and my brethren and my servants are lending them money and grain: Nehemiah included himself, his close kinsmen, and officials among those who were engaged in giving loans and should stop taking interest, but he did not mention that he had any involvement in taking property and forcing children into slavery to pay off debts. In Hebrew the syntax begins with the mention of Nehemiah himself in the first person and then the others in the third person. Translators should use the normal pattern of personal reference in their own language.

Lending in this context means to let someone else use one’s personal possession on the condition that they will return it with a payment of interest. Here Nehemiah and his relatives and officials were lending both money and grain. The text does not specify what kind of grain this was.

Let us leave off this interest probably refers to making loans against pledges. Similarly to Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible says “Let us cancel these pledges.” New English Bible renders it “Let us give up this taking of persons as pledges for debt.” For the whole verse New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “I, my brothers, and my servants also have claims of money and grain against them; let us now abandon those claims.” According to this translation, the creditors are renouncing their right to claim repayment, but they “are only deferring their rightful claims due to the crisis” (Gross).

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .