vision

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and Greek that is translated as “vision” in English is translated in a variety in the following languages:

  • Chol: “as if in a dream” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Obolo: ilaak ọkpọchieen̄ or “dreaming awake” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “a showing like dreams”
  • Desano: “see in a dream what God will send”
  • Rincón Zapotec: “see what God shows”
  • Mayo: “see things from God as in a dream”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “dream how it is going to be”
  • Chuj: “like dreaming they see”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “understand what they see as if in a dream”
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “see that which will happen” (source for this and seven above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Tagbanwa: “being caused to dream by God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Chichewa: azidzaona zinthu m’masomphenya: “they will see things as if face-to-face” (interconfessional translation, publ. 1999) (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 69)
  • Mandarin Chinese: yì xiàng (异象 / 異象), lit. “different (or: strange) appearance.” (Source: Zetzsche)

The Greek in the books of Revelation and Acts is translated as obq-rmwible: “look-dream” in Natügu. Brenda Boerger (in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 162ff.) tells the story of that translation: “In the book of Revelation, the author, John, talks about having visions. Mr. Simon [the native language translator] and I discussed what this meant and he invented the compound verb obq-rmwible ‘look-dream’ to express it. Interestingly, during village testing no one ever had to ask what this neologism meant.”

See also see a vision.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 29:18

This saying is a problem because of the mention of “prophecy”, which occurs nowhere else in Proverbs. Furthermore, Proverbs is a book concerned with wisdom rather than prophecy as the guide to right conduct.

“Where there is no prophecy the people cast off restraint”: Although some interpreters have suggested changing the word rendered “prophecy” to a similar word meaning “overseer” or “authority” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible), Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the text as “B” and understands it to mean “vision,” as do some translations. “Vision” in this context refers to the ability to discern events or the ability to foresee or anticipate the future. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version understand the word to refer to “God’s guidance.” “Cast off restraint” translates a verb meaning “to let go” or “let loose” and in the passive form here “to lack restraint.” Such persons may be said to throw off authority and to be, as Good News Translation says, “a nation without order.”

“But blessed is he who keeps the law”: that is, “God blesses. . .” or “Happy are those. . .” (Good News Translation). For “blessed” see 3.13. “Keeps the law” (torah in Hebrew), as in 28.4, means “obeys God’s law.”

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 29:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 29:18:

  • Kupsabiny: “Where there is no revelation from God, people go astray/get mixed up,
    but a person who keeps the laws of God is happy.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “People who do not follow the way of God’s guidance
    will become unrestrained / uninhibited.
    Those who obey God’s law will be blessed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If there is no message of God that will-guide a people-group, it does-whatever-it-wants. Blessed are the people who obey what God teaches.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If it is not God who directs the mind of people, they will forget the law. Blessed is the one who obeys his law.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “When the people of a nation do not receive messages that come directly from God, they do not control their behavior.
    God is pleased with those who obey his laws.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

law

The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-oshie (みおしえ) or “teaching (of God)” in the referenced verses.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also law.