witness

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and and Greek that is translated as “witness” in English is translated in these ways:

  • “truly have seen” in Highland Popoluca
  • “telling the truth regarding something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
  • “know something” in Lalana Chinantec
  • “verily know something to be the truth” in San Mateo del Mar Huave
  • “we ourselves saw this” in Desano
  • “tell the truth about something” in Eastern Highland Otomi
  • “know something is true because of seeing it” in Teutila Cuicatec (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • “ones who will confirm that these-things that you have seen are true” in Kankanaey (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • “ones who are to testify about these things, because it all happened before your eyes” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

save

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The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”

Other translations include:

  • San Blas Kuna: “help the heart”
  • Laka: “take by the hand” in the meaning of “rescue” or “deliver”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “lift out on behalf of”
  • Anuak: “have life because of”
  • Central Mazahua: “be healed in the heart”
  • Baoulé: “save one’s head”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “come out well”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “be helped as to his breath” (or “life”) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida),
  • Matumbi: “rescue (from danger)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Noongar: barrang-ngandabat or “hold life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • South Bolivian Quechua: “make to escape”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “cause people to come out with the aid of the hand” (source for this and one above: Nida 1947, p. 222)
  • Bariai: “retrieve one back” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

See also salvation and save (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Proverbs 14:25

“A truthful witness saves lives”: This saying is similar to verse 5. See also 6.19; 19.5, 9; and 21.28. “A truthful witness”, that is, a trial witness who reports the truth about a falsely accused person, may save the accused from suffering or being put to death. Good News Translation offers a model translation of this line. Contemporary English Version says “An honest witness can save your life.” We may also say, for example, “If you tell the truth in court, you can save somebody’s life.”

“But one who utters lies is a betrayer”: This person contrasts with the “truthful witness” in line 1. “Utters lies” is the same as “breathes out lies” in verse 5. “Is a betrayer” is literally “is deceit.” Refer to 12.5 where Revised Standard Version uses “treacherous.” To betray means to deliver someone to an enemy or to desert someone in a time of need. In this saying the liar betrays the falsely accused by not speaking the truth before the judge or, as Contemporary English Version says, “but liars can’t be trusted.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

complete verse (Proverbs 14:25)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 14:25:

  • Kupsabiny: “A person who stands on truth saves people,
    but the liar destroys people.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “A true witness saves people,
    A false witness deceives the people.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A witness who tells the truth can-save a life of a man. Traitor is the witness who lies.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The one who testifies what is true, he saves the life of his companion, but the one who testifies lies, he betrays (him).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “By saying in court what is true, you can save the life of the one who is being falsely accused;
    if you tell lies, you are abandoning someone who needs your help to defend him.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 14:25

14:25

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

25a
A truthful witness saves lives,

25b but one who utters lies is deceitful.

14:25a–b

A truthful witness saves lives: This clause refers to a trial where an innocent person may have been falsely accused. A witness who tells the truth will save the accused person from being convicted and sentenced to death. In some languages, some of this implied information may need to be made explicit. See the meaning lines for 14:25a in the Display.

but one who utters lies is deceitful: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deceitful refers to either deceit or treachery/betrayal. Someone who utters lies deceives the people who decide the guilt or innocence of a person who is on trial. At the same time, he betrays the accused person.

You may translate either way. Both meanings fit the context. For example:

whoever utters lies is a deceiver (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
but a false witness is a traitor (New Century Version)

In some languages, the word deceitful may need to be expressed as a verb with an explicit object. In that situation, the object will be different, depending on whether you choose the sense of “deceit” or “betrayal.” For example:

a false witness deceives ⌊people who are trying a court case⌋
-or-
a false witness betrays ⌊the accused person⌋

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