peace (inner peace)

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is usually translated into English as “peace,” when referring to one’s inner peace, is (back-) translated with a variety of idioms and phrases:

In American Sign Language it is signed with a compound sign consisting of “become” and “silent.” (Source: Yates 2011, p. 52)


“Peace” in American Sign Language (source )

See also peace (absence of strife) and this devotion on YouVersion and this one on Bible Gateway .

complete verse (Psalm 120:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 120:6:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “For a long time I have stayed in the midst
    of those who hate peace.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “[I] have been living too long among those who hate peace.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “For-a-long-time now I have-been-living with you (plur.) who do- not -want peace.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “I am suffering when I live for long
    among the people who hate peace” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Nimekaa muda mrefu sana,
    pamoja na watu ambao hawaipendi amani.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I have lived for a long time among people who hate to live with others peacefully.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 120:6 - 120:7

The people the psalmist denounces are hostile and quarrelsome: they hate peace and they are for war, and the psalmist laments that he has to live among them. For a discussion of peace see 29.11. Those who hate peace is difficult to express in many languages, because peace is sometimes not found as a noun. Accordingly verse 6b must sometimes be rendered “with people who love to fight each other” or “with people who hate to live with others peacefully,” or idiomatically, “with people who are opposed to having cool hearts with others.” In verse 7b when I speak probably has “of peace” as the implied subject of his conversation (so Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Good News Translation). Good News Translation has shortened and combined I am for peace; but when I speak into one line, “When I speak of peace.” If the translator follows Good News Translation in this, it may be necessary to recast the expression to say, for example, “When I tell people they should live together peacefully,” or idiomatically sometimes, “When I speak of people living together with cool hearts.”

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 .