boat, ship

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated “boat” or “ship” in English is translated in Chichimeca-Jonaz as “that with which we can walk on water” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.), in Chitonga as a term in combination with bwato or “dugout canoe” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 72), and in Tangale as inj am or “canoe-of water” (inj — “canoe” — on its own typically refers to a traditional type of carved-out log for sleeping) (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).

In Kouya it is translated as ‘glʋ ‘kadʋ — “big canoe.”

Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains how the Kouya team arrived at that conclusion:

“Acts chapter 27 was a challenge! It describes Paul’s sea voyage to Italy, and finally Rome. There is a storm at sea and a shipwreck on Malta, and the chapter includes much detailed nautical vocabulary. How do you translate this for a landlocked people group, most of whom have never seen the ocean? All they know are small rivers and dugout canoes.

“We knew that we could later insert some illustrations during the final paging process which would help the Kouya readers to picture what was happening, but meanwhile we struggled to find or invent meaningful terms. The ‘ship’ was a ‘big canoe’ and the ‘passengers’ were ‘the people in the big canoe’; the ‘crew’ were the ‘workers in the big canoe’; the ‘pilot’ was the ‘driver of the big canoe’; the ‘big canoe stopping place’ was the ‘harbour’, and the ‘big canoe stopping metal’ was the ‘anchor’!”

In Lokạạ it is translated as ukalangkwaa, lit. “English canoe.” “The term was not coined for the Bible translation, but rather originated in colonial times when the English arrived in Nigeria on ships. The indigenous term for a canoe was modified to represent the large, ocean-going ship of the English.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

See also ships of Tarshish, harbor, anchor, and sailor.

complete verse (Psalm 107:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 107:23:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Some travelled on the lake in ships;
    They were people of trade on the great lake.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Some people went on the sea in ships,
    doing the work of merchants by going to the side of the great sea.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “There-were people who rode in ships and sailed on the great-sea/seas, which is their livelihood.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Some people went to the sea by the ships,
    they were traders in the big seas.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Wengine walisafiri katika bahari na meli,
    wakafanya kazi zao katika maji mengi.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Some of them sailed in ships;
    they were selling things in ports throughout the world.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Psalm 107:23 - 107:25

In this strophe (verses 23-32) the psalmist calls upon those who sailed over stormy seas, and says they should thank Yahweh for keeping them safe. These were not just occasional travelers but people who were “earning their living on the seas” (verse 23b, Good News Translation). It is to be noticed that the Hebrews as a whole were not a seafaring people; most of the Mediterranean seacoast was controlled by the Phoenicians or others. In some languages it will be necessary to make clear that the reason for sailing on the seas was to earn their living; for example, “In order to earn their living, some people sailed in ships on the ocean” or “Some people worked on ships sailing on the sea to make their living.”

Yahweh’s wondrous works in the deep (verse 24b) are his power to bring on furious storms (verse 25) and then to calm them down (verse 29). For wondrous works see the similar “wonderful works” in verse 8a. The Hebrew term for the deep here emphasizes the depth of the ocean, but it is not the same as the primeval “deep” of 104.6 The stormy wind in verse 25a translates a two-word phrase, “a wind of a tempest,” “a tempestuous wind”; New Jerusalem Bible translates “a storm wind.” For people unfamiliar with the sea, the expression his wondrous works in the deep may require adjusting to something like “the great storms he caused on the big waters.” In the same manner, lifted up the waves of the sea may have to be recast to say, for example, “which made the waters move” or “which caused the big waters to flow.”

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 .