gentiles / nations

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).

Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).

In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also nations.

complete verse (Psalm 106:35)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 106:35:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “But they mixed with people of those other races
    and learned their customs.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “But they kept on being tainted, mixing with the nations,
    and adopting their ritual customs.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Instead, they united/[lit. become-one-together-with] these people-groups and they followed their ways/customs.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “and they mixed with those people,
    and accepted their customs.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Wakajichanganya na wapagani,
    wakajifunza matendo yao ya ovyo.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Instead, they mingled with people from those people-groups,
    and they started to do the evil things that those people did.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 106:34 - 106:36

Verses 34-39 summarize a long history of Israel’s repeated periods of idolatry, as related in the book of Judges. Yahweh ordered his people to get rid of the Canaanites and not intermarry with them, for that would cause the Israelites to adopt their pagan ways (Exo 34.11-16; Deut 7.1-6; 20.16-18). Instead of obeying Yahweh’s order, however, they did intermarry with the Canaanites and began to practice their pagan rites (verses 34-35). The Hebrew verb translated by Good News Translation as “intermarried” means to mix, mingle; it can mean here “lived (peaceably) with them” or “had dealings with them” (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); New Jerusalem Bible and Dahood also have “intermarried.” In verse 35b learned to do as they did refers specifically to their pagan religion. Mingled with the nations or Good News Translation‘s “intermarried with them” will have to be recast in some languages to say, for example, “the men got their wives from them” or “men took wives from the pagan tribes.”

Idolatry brought about the downfall of the Israelites (verse 36b); literally, it “was a snare to them” (see 69.22). Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has “this caused their ruin.” In verse 36a Good News Translation “idols” is not enough; it should be explicit that these are the idols of the Canaanites. For translation suggestions on idols, see 31.6; 96.5. In languages in which the terms for snares and traps are used metaphorically, the translator will give his translation more emotive value by using such expressions.

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 .