gentiles / nations

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).

Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).

In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also nations.

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Neh 5:17)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Adamawa Fulfulde translation uses the exclusive pronoun, excluding the reader.

complete verse (Nehemiah 5:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 5:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “I always fed 150 Jewish leaders/officials, without counting all the visitors who came from other countries.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I even regularly feed the 150 Jews who were officers aside from the visitors from the surrounding nations.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Also, every day I was responsible to feed 150 Jewish officials, and also official visitors who came from nearby countries.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 5:17

Moreover: This adverb translates the Hebrew connective conjunction, which introduces an explanation or justification here.

There were at my table a hundred and fifty men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations which were about us: Although the Hebrew says men, the emphasis is not on men as opposed to women. Good News Translation therefore refers to them as “people” and in many languages there will be a general term that is appropriate here. According to Persian custom, the heads of families and officials were fed at the table of the king. In the same way the governor fed at his table the Jews, probably referring to the family heads (see Ezra 8), and his officials. Officials could also be in apposition to Jews explaining who is meant by them: Jews, that is, officials. In addition, Nehemiah was responsible to feed the Persian officials who were visiting or passing through from the nations which were about us. On the basis of a textual emendation, New Jerusalem Bible has “magistrates” in place of Jews. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project has a B rating for the Hebrew text and this is the text that should be followed by translators.

The Hebrew expression rendered at my table means to eat with someone. The implication here is that it was Nehemiah’s responsibility to feed these people (so Good News Translation). In cultures where tables are not used, this may be restated as “I gave food” or “they ate with me.” One translation has “ate from my spread,” that is, from a cloth laid on the floor for the meal.

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 .