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 6:1

The Hebrew text, as seen in the Revised Standard Version, has in verses 1-2 two long “if” clauses, which are followed in verse 3 by a command. This may require some restructuring to make the sense clear. One way is to shift the “if” clauses to negative commands, and then continue to verse 3 by saying, for example, “But if you have been caught. . ..”

“My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor”: For “My son” see 1.8. The situation given here is imagined, and translations should reflect that fact. For example, Contemporary English Version says “My child, suppose you. . ..” “Become surety” means to accept the responsibility to pay the moneylender if the borrower of the money fails to pay. The Hebrew word means to give a pledge and was used in ancient Israel as a promise to do something. An example is that in Gen 43.9, where Judah pledges to Jacob that he will be surety for Benjamin’s safe return. The meaning of “become surety” may have to be spelled out fully in some languages; for example, “If another man has borrowed money, and you have promised to pay this money back if he is not able to. . ..”

“Neighbor” translates the noun form of a verb that means to associate with. “Neighbor” is not necessarily to be thought of as someone who lives nearby. The word is more equivalent to “companion,” “friend,” “colleague,” or more generally “another person.” Refer to 3.28.

“Have given your pledge for a stranger”: In Revised Standard Version this clause is not marked as conditional, but the parallel structure makes it so; New Revised Standard Version begins “if you have. . ..” This line is literally “If you have struck your palms [hand] with a foreigner.” This gesture refers to concluding an agreement and is similar to shaking hands to signal that two parties have agreed to do something. For an example of such an agreement see the case of Jehu and Jehonadab in 2 Kgs 10.15. Some take the word “stranger” to refer to an alien or non-Israelite and conclude, therefore, that it is a case of making a pledge to a total stranger and so is a very careless and unwise thing to do. Refer to 5.10. Toy and other interpreters see the words rendered by Revised Standard Version as “neighbor” and “stranger” not as contrasts but as matching in meaning. It is for this reason that Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version reduce the two words to “someone.” New Revised Standard Version has revised Revised Standard Version “stranger” to “another” in its text and has placed “stranger” in a footnote. Revised English Bible has revised New English Bible in the same way. The warning is, accordingly, not to become surety for anyone.

In some translations this verse is marked as a warning by concluding with words like “[If. . .,] what you have done is not good.”

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 6:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 6:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “My child, if you have accepted to be surety of (stand for) someone, or you have promised that you will pay for him (a) debt that he has,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “O my son! If you have guaranteed
    a loan for anyone,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Child, if you (sing.) promised that you (sing.) will-pay the debt/loan of others,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “My child, is there a debt of another person that you (sing.)-have-taken-responsibility-for (lit. stood-for)?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)