sudden break

In Gbaya, the notion of a sudden break (such as cut-off water, food or strength is emphasized with mgbót-mgbót, an ideophone that expresses a sudden break; to cut something into pieces.

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

complete verse (Psalm 105:35)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 105:35:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “they ate everything green of their land,
    they ate all that came out of their soil.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “They ate all the green and the grain of their land.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “And these ate-up all the plants of their land including their harvests/crops.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “The locust came and destroyed all the green things in their land,
    and they destroyed the grain in their land also to be nothing.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Wakala vyote ambavyo viliota katika nchi,
    wakamaliza vyote ambavyo viliota katika ardhi.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “The locusts ate every green plant in the land, ruining all the crops.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 105:28 - 105:36

These verses report eight of the plagues, as follows:

Verse 28: the ninth plague, darkness (Exo 10.21-23). In verse 28b the Hebrew text is “and they did not rebel against his word.” Briggs says this refers to the Israelites, and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says it refers to Moses and Aaron. Weiser, Zürcher Bibel, and others change the Hebrew loʾ maru “they did not rebel” to loʾ shamru “they did not obey.” The ancient versions omit the negative adverb, and this text (they rebelled) is preferred by An American Translation, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New American Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy. New Jerusalem Bible translates the Masoretic text by “did they not defy His word?” with a marginal note “Meaning of Hebrew uncertain.” This rendering (similarly New International Version) is none too convincing. Bible en français courant takes the third person plural “they did not oppose” in an impersonal sense, “and no one was opposed to his command.”

Verse 29: the first plague, waters into blood (Exo 7.17-21; Psa 78.44).

Verse 30: the second plague, frogs (Exo 8.1-7; Psa 78.45b). In verse 30b the Hebrew is “in the rooms of their kings” (see Revised Standard Version, An American Translation, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New American Bible), which New English Bible renders “even their princes’ inner chambers,” and New International Version “the bedrooms of their rulers.” New Jerusalem Bible and Bible en français courant have “royal apartments”; Good News Translation “the palace”; New Jerusalem Bible “the rooms of their king.” It seems best to follow Good News Translation here.

Verse 31: line a the fourth plague, flies (Exo 8.20-24; Psa 78.45a), and line b the third plague, gnats (Exo 8.16-19). There is a difference of opinion over the exact identification of the latter; New Jerusalem Bible has “lice,” New English Bible “maggots,” and New Jerusalem Bible “mosquitoes.”

Verses 32-33: the seventh plague, hail and lightning (Exo 9.18-26; Psa 78.47). Lightning translates what is literally “fire of flames” (see similar phrase in 104.4b), which Weiser and New Jerusalem Bible translate “flaming fire” (as though it were a firestorm); Bible en français courant has “and lightning, that spread fire throughout the land.” The narrative in Exodus 9.23-24 includes thunder and lightning with the hail. Verse 33 describes the ruinous effects of the hail and lightning as Yahweh’s act: He smote … and shattered.

Verses 34-35: the eighth plague, locusts (Exo 10.1-20; Psa 78.46). It is most unlikely that the two different words used in verse 34 refer to two different insects; this is poetic parallelism. New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New International Version, and Dahood have “locusts” and “grasshoppers.” In verse 35b the fruit of their ground means their “crops”; New Jerusalem Bible translates “all the produce of the soil.”

Verse 36: the tenth plague, the death of the first-born sons of all the Egyptian families (Exo 11.1–12.30; Psa 78.49-51). This verse employs much of the language used in 78.51 (which see). In verse 36a the Masoretic text has in their land (see Revised Standard Version); many Hebrew manuscripts have “in Egypt” (which Good News Translation prefers).28-36 Hebrew Old Testament Text Project (“C” decision) prefers the Masoretic text.

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 .