neighbor

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” in English is rendered into Babatana as “different man,” i.e. someone who is not one of your relatives. (Source: David Clark)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun, it is rendered as “a person outside of your building,” in Tzeltal as “your back and side” (implying position of the dwellings), in Indonesian and in Tae’ as “your fellow-man,” in Toraja-Sa’dan it is “your fellow earth-dweller,” in Shona (translation of 1966) as “another person like you,” in Kekchí “younger-brother-older-brother” (a compound which means all one’s neighbors in a community) (sources: Bratcher / Nida and Reiling / Swellengrebel), in Mairasi “your people” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Mezquital Otomi as “fellow being,” in Tzeltal as “companion,” in Isthmus Zapotec as “another,” in Teutila Cuicatec as “all people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), and in most modern German translations as Mitmensch or “fellow human being” (lit. “with + human being”).

In Matt 19:19, Matt 22:39, Mark 12:31, Mark 12:33, Luke 10:27, Luke 10:29 it is translated into Ixcatlán Mazatec with a term that refers to a person who is socially/physically near. Ixcatlán Mazatec also has a another term for “neighbor” that means “fellow humans-outsiders” which was not chosen for these passages. (Source: Robert Bascom)

In Noongar it is translated as moorta-boordak or “people nearby” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

neighbor - relative

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “neighbor” or “relative” in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) and the Buku Lopatulika translation (1922/2018) with just one word: nansi. This word can also be translated as neighbors whom you share a blood relation with because in Chewa context a community is mostly comprised of people of blood relations. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

complete verse (Psalm 15:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 15:3:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “and out of his mouth does not come slanderous words,
    who does no harm to his neighbor
    or spread bad rumor about his fellow human,” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “who does not go on maligning others,
    who does not keep on causing pain to the hearts of his neighbors
    who does not go on lying about his friends,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “He/she does- not -make-up-accusations-against/slander others,
    and he/she does- not -do or speak bad to his fellowman.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “And he who doesn’t affix blame to others. And he who doesn’t do bad things to his friend. And he who does not speak badly about others.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “a person who has no slander,
    and person who does not treat his neighbor badly,
    and a man who does not insult his friend,” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “ambaye hawaongopei watu,
    ambaye hamtendei mabaya mwenzake,
    ambaye hamteti jirani yake.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “and they do not slander others.
    They do not do to others things that are wrong, and they do not say bad things about others.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 15:3

(3) The next qualification for entering the Temple has to do with slander, spreading malicious gossip or speaking ill of others. Tongue represents the organ of speech, and it is not necessary to say literally in English (as does Revised Standard Version) slander with his tongue. In some languages, however, the literal phrase may be quite effective. The verb translated “to slander” occurs rarely; some think it has here the meaning “to spy on” (so Briggs). Slander is sometimes expressed idiomatically as “taking away people’s names,” “saying bad words about people” or “putting dirt on people’s backs.”
(4-5) The next two qualifications use two synonymous terms, friend and neighbor, both referring to fellow Israelites in general.

Does no evil has the broadest sense possible of “does no harm to,” “does nothing bad to.”

The term friend presents certain problems for the translator in some languages. In many face-to-face societies a person forms few if any associations on an entirely voluntary basis. One’s friends are nearly always kinsmen and are designated by the appropriate kinship term. Therefore it is sometimes necessary to say “he does no harm to the people he goes about with” or “he does not injure people who work beside him.”

Reproach (Good News Translation “rumors”) translates a word meaning taunt, scorn, contempt. Dahood has “slur”; New English Bible “tells no tales against”; Bible en français courant “does not insult”; New Jerusalem Bible “casts no discredit on.” From the meaning of the verb takes up in line c, New Jerusalem Bible gets a different sense altogether: “or borne a reproach for [his acts toward] his neighbor,” that is, he has never so acted against his neighbor as to have been reproached for it. This does not seem very likely.

Neighbor is expressed idiomatically in some languages as “younger-brother-older-brother,” referring to everyone in the community.

In translation it is important that it be clear that each passage after verse 1 is a reply to the original question. In some languages a string of replies to a single question will require markers to show that the replies are the response unit of the discourse. In some cases this may be done by using two section headings; for example, the first, “Who may worship God?” and the second inserted before verse 2, “This is the person who may worship God.” In some languages careful use of connectives will be required between the responses, to give more cohesion to the response unit; for example, “He must be a person who obeys God … and in addition does what is right, moreover what he says must be true and sincere, furthermore he is a person who does not slander other people….” In some languages the tying together of the response unit may be done by inserting at several points something equivalent to “and this also….”

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 .

Psalm 15: Layer by Layer

The following are presentations by the Psalms: Layer by Layer project, run by Scriptura . The first is an overview, the second an introduction into the poetry, and the third an introduction into the exegesis of Psalm 15.


Copyright © Scriptura


Copyright © Scriptura


Copyright © Scriptura