neighbor

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” in English is rendered into Babatana as “different man,” i.e. someone who is not one of your relatives. (Source: David Clark)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun, it is rendered as “a person outside of your building,” in Tzeltal as “your back and side” (implying position of the dwellings), in Indonesian and in Tae’ as “your fellow-man,” in Toraja-Sa’dan it is “your fellow earth-dweller,” in Shona (translation of 1966) as “another person like you,” in Kekchí “younger-brother-older-brother” (a compound which means all one’s neighbors in a community) (sources: Bratcher / Nida and Reiling / Swellengrebel), in Mairasi “your people” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Mezquital Otomi as “fellow being,” in Tzeltal as “companion,” in Isthmus Zapotec as “another,” in Teutila Cuicatec as “all people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in most modern German translations as Mitmensch or “fellow human being” (lit. “with + human being”).

In Matt 19:19, Matt 22:39, Mark 12:31, Mark 12:33, Luke 10:27, Luke 10:29 it is translated into Ixcatlán Mazatec with a term that refers to a person who is socially/physically near. Ixcatlán Mazatec also has a another term for “neighbor” that means “fellow humans-outsiders” which was not chosen for these passages. (Source: Robert Bascom)

In Noongar it is translated as moorta-boordak or “people nearby” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

neighbor - relative

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” or “relative” in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) and the Buku Lopatulika translation (1922/2018) with just one word: nansi. This word can also be translated as neighbors whom you share a blood relation with because in Chewa context a community is mostly comprised of people of blood relations. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Proverbs 25:8

“Do not hastily bring into court” is literally “Do not go out to fight [strive, struggle] hastily.” “Bring into court” could mean to sue someone, and so Contemporary English Version says “Be sure you are right before you sue someone.” But it may also refer to taking legal action about any kind of public or private matter.

“For what will you do in the end, when your neighbor puts you to shame?”: The Revised Standard Version footnote shows the Hebrew text has “lest” in place of “for”. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the text as “A” and recommends “otherwise what will you do?” “Your neighbor” probably refers to “another witness,” as in Good News Translation. In “puts you to shame” we understand that the other witness reports things that prove you wrong and therefore shames you. This may need to be expressed in the translation in some languages. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy translates “What you see with your own eyes don’t take it immediately to court, because another witness may contradict you and in the end you won’t know what to do.” Note that Biblia Dios Habla Hoy also changes the rhetorical question here to a statement. In some languages it may be better to render it as a warning statement; for example, “You might go down before your neighbors in shameful defeat” (New Living Translation) or “or it will end in reproaches from your friend” (Revised English Bible).

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 25:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 25:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not rush to accuse anyone in court. If it so happens that this person defeats you (by his arguments) in the council, what will you do, then?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Don’t be in a hurry to take matters that you see to court.
    If other witnesses come and prove that your words are false,
    you will have to be ashamed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (sing.)] do- not -rashly/hastily tell to the court of what you (sing.) saw. For if a witness can-prove that you (sing.) are wrong, what shall- you (sing.) -do then?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If there-is-something you (sing.) have-seen, do not hurry to go file-a-complaint/lawsuit lest you (sing.) be-defeated and be-shamed.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Do not quickly go to a court to tell the judge about something that you have seen,
    because another witness may later say something that proves that you are wrong, and as a result you will be disgraced/ashamed.
    If that happens, what will you do?/you will not know what to do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)