sin

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is typically translated as “sin” in English has a wide variety of translations.

The Greek ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) carries the original verbatim meaning of “miss the mark” and likewise, many translations contain the “connotation of moral responsibility.”

  • Loma: “leaving the road” (which “implies a definite standard, the transgression of which is sin”)
  • Navajo (Dinė): “that which is off to the side” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: kasalan, originally meaning “transgression of a religious or moral rule” and in the context of the Bible “transgression of God’s commandments” (source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21ff. )
  • Kaingang: “break God’s word”
  • Bariai: “bad behavior” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Sandawe: “miss the mark” (like the original meaning of the Greek term) (source for this and above: Ursula Wiesemann in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 36ff., 43)
  • Nias: horö, originally a term primarily used for sexual sin. (Source: Hummel / Telaumbanua 2007, p. 256)
  • Mauwake: “heavy” (compare forgiveness as “take away one’s heaviness”) (source: Kwan Poh San in this article )

In Shipibo-Conibo the term is hocha. Nida (1952, p. 149) tells the story of its choosing: “In some instances a native expression for sin includes many connotations, and its full meaning must be completely understood before one ever attempts to use it. This was true, for example, of the term hocha first proposed by Shipibo-Conibo natives as an equivalent for ‘sin.’ The term seemed quite all right until one day the translator heard a girl say after having broken a little pottery jar that she was guilty of ‘hocha.’ Breaking such a little jar scarcely seemed to be sin. However, the Shipibos insisted that hocha was really sin, and they explained more fully the meaning of the word. It could be used of breaking a jar, but only if the jar belonged to someone else. Hocha was nothing more nor less than destroying the possessions of another, but the meaning did not stop with purely material possessions. In their belief God owns the world and all that is in it. Anyone who destroys the work and plan of God is guilty of hocha. Hence the murderer is of all men most guilty of hocha, for he has destroyed God’s most important possession in the world, namely, man. Any destructive and malevolent spirit is hocha, for it is antagonistic and harmful to God’s creation. Rather than being a feeble word for some accidental event, this word for sin turned out to be exceedingly rich in meaning and laid a foundation for the full presentation of the redemptive act of God.”

In Warao it is translated as “bad obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ). See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the Danish Bibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “We would explain terms, such that e.g. sin often became ‘doing what God does not want’ or ‘breaking God’s law’, ‘letting God down’, ‘disrespecting God’, ‘doing evil’, ‘acting stupidly’, ‘becoming guilty’. Now why couldn’t we just use the word sin? Well, sin in contemporary Danish, outside of the church, is mostly used about things such as delicious but unhealthy foods. Exquisite cakes and chocolates are what a sin is today.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

See also sinner.

complete verse (Numbers 7:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 7:22:

  • Kupsabiny: “On the second day, Nethanel son of Zuar from the clan of Issachar gave his things which were like those the other one brought.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “for a Purification Offering: one young bull.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “These were-particularly the-(ones-who) brought their offerings:
    On the first day, Nashon child of Aminadad, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Juda.
    On the second day, Netanel child of Zuar, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Issachar.
    On the third day, Eliab child of Helon, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Zebulun.
    On the fourth day, Elizur child of Shedeur, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Reuben.
    On the fifth day, Shelumiel child of Zurishadai, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Simeon.
    On the sixth day, Eliasaph child of Deuel, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Gad.
    On the seventh day, Elishama child of Amihud, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Efraim.
    On the eighth day, Gamaliel child of Pedazur, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Manase.
    On the ninth day, Abidan child of Gideoni, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Benjamin.
    On the tenth day, Ahiezer child of Amishadai, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Dan.
    On the eleventh day, Pagiel child of Ocran, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Asher.
    And on the twelfth day Ahira child of Enan, the leader/[lit. head] of the tribe of Naftali.
    Each one of them brought these offerings: one silver big-plate that weigh about one and one half kilogram, and one silver bowl that weigh about 800 grams according to the weighing-scale of the priests. Each one of them they filled with a good/fine kind of flour that was-mixed with oil for the gift offering. Each one of them also brought one golden small-cup that weigh about 120 grams that was filled with incense; one young bull, one male sheep, and one young male sheep which is one year old as a burnt offering; one male goat as an offering for becoming-clean; and two oxen/cow, five male sheep, five male goats, and five young male sheep/lambs which is one year old as an offering for a good relation.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “These are the gifts that each of the leaders brought:
    —a silver dish that weighed more than three pounds/1.5 kg., and a silver bowl that weighed almost two pounds/800 grams, both of which were full of good flour and mixed with olive oil to be offerings of grain; they both were weighed using the standard scales;
    —a small gold dish that weighed four ounces/14 grams, filled with incense;
    —a young bull, a full-grown ram, and a one-year-old ram, to be sacrifices to be completely burned on the altar;
    —a goat to be sacrificed to enable me to forgive the people for the sins they have committed;
    —and two bulls, five full-grown rams, five male goats, and five rams that were one-year-old, to be sacrifices to maintain the people’s fellowship with Yahweh.
    This was the order in which the leaders brought their gifts:
    on the first day, Nahshon, son of Amminadab from the tribe of Judah brought his gifts;
    on the next/second day, Nethanel, son of Zuar, from the tribe of Issachar;
    on the next/third day, Eliab, son of Helon, from the tribe of Zebulun;
    on the next/fourth day, Elizur, son of Shedeur, from the tribe of Reuben;
    on the next/fifth day, Shelumiel, son of Jurishhaddai, from the tribe of Simeon;
    on the next/sixth day, Eliasaph, son of Deuel, from the tribe of Gad;
    on the next/seventh day, Elishama, son of Ammihud, from the tribe of Ephraim;
    on the next/eighth day, Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur, from the tribe of Manasseh;
    on the next/ninth day, Abidan, son of Gideoni, from the tribe of Benjamin;
    on the next/tenth day, Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai, from the tribe of Dan;
    on the next/eleventh day, Pagiel, son of Acran, from the tribe of Asher;
    on the next/twelfth day, Ahira, son of Enam, from the tribe of Naphtali.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

goat

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “goat” in English is translated in Cherokee as ahwi dinihanulvhi or “bearded deer.” (source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 18)

Translation commentary on Numbers 7:18 - 7:23

On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, made an offering …: Verses 18-23 are almost identical to verses 12-17 (see the comments there). For Nethanel the son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, see 1.8. The name Nethanel occurs quite often in the Old Testament, so translators must be careful to spell it consistently, as in the case of all proper names. Verse 12 includes the word “tribe” to classify “Judah,” but here it is omitted in the Hebrew text in connection with Issachar. Translators must determine whether such condensation is natural, or whether this classifier needs to be kept for the sake of clarity. Made an offering renders the technical Hebrew verb hiqrib (see verse 3, where it is translated “offered”).

He offered for his offering renders the Hebrew verb hiqrib again, followed by the general noun qorban for all kinds of offering (see verse 3).

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .