stork

The Hebrew that is translated as “stork” in English is translated in Maan as “big water bird,” as the stork is not locally know. (Source: Don Slager)

In the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with mulungu wachilendo it is translated as kakowa or “egret.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

 

There is almost complete agreement that chasidah is the stork. There are two species of stork that pass over Israel, where they stay for a few days as they migrate from Europe to Africa and vice versa. These are the White Stork Ciconia ciconia and the Black Stork Ciconia nigra.

Both of these storks are large birds with long legs and long necks. They are heavier than most herons or cranes. The white stork has a white body, black wings, and a red beak and legs. The black stork is a glossy brownish black color with a white belly. It also has a red beak and legs. These storks migrate from central and eastern Europe to East and Central Africa, occasionally reaching Zimbabwe and parts of South Africa in good rainy seasons. Both types spend most of the time on the ground or in shallow water searching for food. The white stork eats mainly locusts, grasshoppers, and other insects, as well as frogs, lizards, and the chicks of ground-nesting birds. The black stork prefers fish and frogs but also eats the same things as the white stork.

When storks are about to move to another feeding ground, they usually soar around in upward currents of air called thermals, reaching great heights, and then they soar off in the direction they have chosen, conserving their energy by only occasionally beating their wings.

It is possible that the name chasidah is derived from the word chesed, meaning “kindness” or “faithfulness”, perhaps a reference to the fact that they seem to take especially good care of their young when nesting.

Storks of various species are found in most parts of the world, and many of them have migrating habits. There are species of stork that migrate from Europe to India and the Far East, some that migrate from Southeast Asia to Australia, and one, the Abdim’s Stork Ciconia abdimii, which migrates from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe and Botswana, signaling the arrival of the rainy season wherever it goes.

In the few areas where storks are not known, a borrowed word or a transliteration can be used, perhaps with a footnote to indicate that this is a big bird that migrates long distances over Israel.

White stork, Wikimedia Commons
Black stork, Wikimedia Commons

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

See also snow (color).

complete verse (Psalm 104:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 104:17:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Birds build their nests;
    egret has its own place in those cedars.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “There the birds make their nests,
    the stork makes its nest in the cypress vine plant.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “The birds nest in those trees;
    the dugwak/stork birds nest in the sipres trees.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “the birds built their nests there,
    and the storks built their houses on trees.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Humo ndege wanajenga viota vyao,
    korongo wanajenga katika mivule.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Birds make their nests in those trees;
    even storks make their nests in pine/fir trees.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

sparrow

While the Greek word strouthion is certainly the name for the sparrow, the Hebrew tsippor is actually an inclusive word that refers to sparrow-sized birds in general. These small birds, especially sparrows, were caught in nets and traps and were an important part of the diet of poor people.

There are three types of sparrow that are common in Israel, the House Sparrow Passer domesticus, the Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis, and the Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus. All three are small speckled brown birds. Additional small birds that abound around towns and settlements are members of the bunting, finch, and tit families. Sparrows in particular are usually found in fairly large numbers roosting and nesting together. All are seed eaters and live mainly on grass seeds and grain.

Sparrows were considered clean birds and were associated with the poor.

Sparrows or sparrow-like small birds are found all over the world. Finding a local word is not usually difficult. The reference to “a lonely bird on the housetop” in Psalms 102:7 takes on additional meaning if the sparrow was intended, since it is a bird that is seldom seen alone. It would then indicate the psalmist’s sense of loneliness at being separated from those with whom he belongs.

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

cypress

The Hebrew word berosh probably covered cypress, fir, and juniper; we are including here only those instances of berosh that possibly refer specifically to the cypress. The Cypress Cupressus sempervirens, native to Israel, was once common in the mountains of Judea. It also grew abundantly in Lebanon along with cedars, firs, and Grecian junipers. Cypresses also grew in Judea, Gilead and Edom, and do so up to the present day.

A comparison of English versions reflects the disagreement among scholars on the identification of the coniferous trees. For example, the Hebrew word berosh in 1 Kings 5:8 is translated as “cypress,” “pine,” “juniper,” or “fir.”

The disagreement here arises from the fact that berosh is probably a generic term, and it should probably be translated generically, if possible, or differently according to the context. We take the word berosh in 1-2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, where it is usually paired with ’erez (“cedar”) and/or Lebanon, to refer to the Cilician fir or to the Grecian juniper rather than to the cypress (see fir and Grecian juniper). In the few other places where it occurs, it may refer to any one of the three conifers. The logic here is that since cypresses grew in Judea, King Solomon would not need to import them from Lebanon. However, it could also be argued that Lebanon may have produced better specimens than King Solomon could find in Israel and he might have imported some of them. In either case, this does not argue against berosh as a generic term.

Closely related to the pines, firs and cedars, the cypress may reach 9-15 meters (30-50 feet) high. It has small scale-like leaves and round cones. The tall, narrow specimens that are common today in Israel and other countries are a modern variety (pyramidalis) that has been specially developed.

Cypress, photo by Ray Pritz
Cypress branch with seed cones, photo by Nigel Hepper

Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 104:16 - 104:18

The psalmist now describes Yahweh’s provision for the needs of plants and animals. In verse 16 Good News Translation has reversed the lines in order to make easier the identification of “the LORD’s own trees” as the cedars of Lebanon (for which see 29.5). Some take the Hebrew “the trees of Yahweh” to mean “gigantic trees” (as “mountains of God” in 36.6 is interpreted). The verb in verse 16a is simply “are satisfied” (as in verse 13b), which is taken by most to refer to plentiful rain; but New English Bible has “are green and leafy.” New Jerusalem Bible and New Jerusalem Bible translate “drink their fill.”

Verse 16b picks up the subject from verse 16a and identifies it further. In many languages this technique requires a different kind of structure from that found in English. It is often possible to say, for example, “The cedars of Lebanon are the LORD’s own trees, which he planted; these trees get plenty of rain.”

There are differences of opinion about the trees in verse 17b; some think they are junipers (New Jerusalem Bible, Dahood), others, cypresses (Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or pines (New International Version). Some (Weiser, New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) emend the Hebrew text to get “on top of them” (that is, on top of the cedars of Lebanon of verse 16).16-18 Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“C” decision) favors the emendation “on their top,” in justification of which it refers to Factors 8 (“Misunderstanding of linguistic data”) and 9 (“Misunderstanding of historical data”).

Further information on the animals includes the following: Hebrew tsippor may mean “sparrow”; however, there are numerous varieties of this small bird, which belongs to the weaverbird family. The translator may use the term for the common house or English sparrow. Although this bird is found across the world, it is largely restricted to the temperate zones. Where the sparrow is not known, a commonly known local bird which nests where people live may be used. It is always possible to use the generic term for birds (see Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation). In areas where some variety of the stork is not found, the translator may use another long-legged, long-necked bird, preferably one that nests in twig platforms built at the tops of trees, on rock ledges, or on roof tops. In many language areas the wild goat will not be familiar, and a substitute animal may not be available. In such cases it may be necessary to borrow the term from another language and to provide an illustration. It should be noted that badgers, or even “rock badgers” (New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, New English Bible), is not quite accurate, since the badger is a carnivorous, burrowing animal; the more accurate name in English is “hyrax,” a herbivorous animal, that does not burrow; it lives in colonies in rocky regions (see Pro 30.26). The translation adaptation made for wild goat also applies to badgers.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .