truth

Nida (1947, p. 230) says this about the translation of the concept of “truth”: “The words for ‘truth’ and ‘true’ are not always the most readily discovered in aboriginal languages. In some instances the only expression which corresponds to ‘true’ is something like ‘it happened.’ A falsehood is something that ‘did not happen.’ In a good many languages the meaning of ‘truth’ is expressed by the words signifying ‘straight’ and ‘direct.’ Untruth is accordingly ‘crookedness.’ An abstract noun such as English “truth” is quite difficult to find in some instances. Only an expression such as ‘true statement’ or ‘true word’ will be found to correspond to English ‘truth.’”

The Greek, Latin, Ge’ez, and Hebrew that is usually translated in English as “truth” is translated in Luchazi with vusunga: “the quality of being straight” (source: E. Pearson in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 160ff. ), in Obolo as atikọ or “good/correct talk” (source: Enene Enene), and in Ekari as maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (esp. in John 14:6 and 17; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).

Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) tells of the translation into Kui which usually is “true-thing.” In some instances however, such as in the second part of John 17:17 (“your word is truth” in English), the use of “true-thing” indicated that there might be other occasions when it’s not true, so here the translation was a a form of “pure, holy.”

The translation committee of the Malay “Good News Bible” (Alkitab Berita Baik, see here ) wrestled with the translation of “truth” in the Gospel of John:

“Our Malay Committee also concluded that ‘truth’ as used in the Gospel of John was used either of God himself, or of God’s revelation of himself, or in an extended sense as a reference to those who had responded to God’s self-disclosure. In John 8:32 the New Malay translation reads ‘You will know the truth about God, and the truth about God will make you free.’ In John 8:44 this meaning is brought out by translating, ‘He has never been on the side of God, because there is no truth in him.’ Accordingly Jesus ‘tells the truth about God’ in 8:45, 46 (see also 16:7 and 8:37a). Then, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6) becomes ‘I am the one who leads men to God, the one who reveals who and what God is, and the one who gives men life.” At 3:21 the translation reads ” … whoever obeys the truth, that is God himself, comes to the light …’; 16:13a appears as ‘he will lead you into the full truth about God’; and in 18:37 Jesus affirms ‘I came into the world to reveal the truth about God, and whoever obeys God listens to me.’ On this basis also 1:14 was translated ‘we saw his glory, the glory which he had as the Father’s only Son. Through him God has completely revealed himself (truth) and his love for us (grace)’; and 1:17 appears as ‘God gave the law through Moses; but through Jesus Christ he has completely revealed himself (truth) and his love for us (grace).'” (Source: Barclay Newman in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 432ff. )

The German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) has followed a somewhat similar path to the Malay committee 50 years earlier in the gospel of John. In John 1 it translates “truth as “God’s nature,” in John 3 as “God’s will,” in John 8 as “God’s reality,” in John 14 as “encountering God,” and in John 16 as “God’s truth.”

complete verse (Psalm 45:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 45:4:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “In your greatness may you go having ridden in victory
    in the place of truth, humility and justice;
    let your right hand show your dangerous works.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Go forth with Your courage in royal procession for the sake of truth and justice.
    May Your right hand accomplish amazing work.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “In your (sing.) greatness/praiseworthiness, [you (sing.)] attack victoriously for truth and justice of/on-behalf-of the oppressed ones.
    By-means-of your (sing.) power you (sing.) do amazing/shocking deeds.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “You must be victorious over your enemies (lit. those who hate you) while you go sitting in the back of a horse. At that time you fight for truth, humility, and righteousness. It is your strength that enables you to be victorious.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “In your glory, go to where victory stays,
    because defend matter which is true, kindness and the goodness,
    let your right hand to do matters that amaze people.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Upate ushindi katika utukufu na fahari yako,
    uupiganie ukweli na unyofu.
    Nguvu zako zifanye matendo makuu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Ride on like a great chief
    to defend the truth that you speak
    and the fair decisions that you make!
    Because you are strong, you will do awesome deeds.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 45:4

Some regard the appearance of “and your majesty” in verse 4a (immediately after “and your majesty” at the end of verse 3) as an accidental repetition; and so they connect the last words of verse 3 with the opening words of verse 4, “ride on to victory in majesty and glory.” Most stay with the Masoretic text.

The injunction to ride forth is not to be understood that the poet wants the king to set out on a military expedition on his wedding day; rather it expresses the poet’s wish that the king always be victorious in his campaigns. The king would be riding in a war chariot, or perhaps on a horse.

Victoriously in line a translates a verb form in Hebrew which means “be successful” (imperative); so one may translate “Good fortune be yours” (also Weiser “Good luck!”). But this involves deleting the first word of the verse “and (in) your majesty” as an accidental repetition of the same phrase at the end of verse 3.

In some languages it will be difficult to command the king to ride forth without indicating what he is to ride; for example, “ride your horse” or “ride on your wagon of war.” The expression In your majesty ride forth must in some languages be shifted to an adapted simile; for example, “ride forth like a great chief.” Victoriously must sometimes be rendered as a verb phrase such as “defeat your enemies.”

There is some difficulty in line b, which in Hebrew is “ride on in behalf of truth and meekness (of) justice”; Hebrew Old Testament Text Project prefers this and translates “for loyalty’s sake and for mild justice.” With a slight change the Hebrew can be made to mean “executing justice on behalf of the humble” (so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy); Bible en français courant “in defense of the poor and of justice.” Some would translate the Masoretic text “for the cause of faithfulness, meekness, and right” (similarly New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Revised Standard Version, instead of “and meekness (of) justice,” reads “and on account of justice,” which is the meaning represented by Good News Translation.

The expression for the cause of truth must often be translated as a causal clause; for example, “because you defend truth and justice.” Good News Translation‘s “the defense of truth and justice” must sometimes be rendered “defend the true words you speak and the fairness you judge with” or “… and the (right) decisions you make (fairly).”

Revised Standard Version gives a literal and practically unintelligible translation of the words in line c; it is most unnatural to speak of one’s hand teaching one dread deeds. Dread deeds means “awesome deeds,” that is, deeds that strike terror in the hearts of his enemies and evoke awe and respect from his allies. Good News Translation takes the Hebrew as a statement; it can be taken as a wish: see New American Bible “may your right hand show you wondrous deeds” (similarly New Jerusalem Bible). New English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible emend the text to get other meanings. In some languages it will be necessary to shift the noun phrase your right hand to a verb phrase which indicates the cause of the action; for example, “because you are strong” or “because you do powerful deeds.” Line c may be rendered, for example, “because you are strong you do powerful deeds” or “let your powerful arm show the great acts you do.”

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 45: Layer by Layer

The following are presentations by the Psalms: Layer by Layer project, run by Scriptura . The first is an overview and the second an introduction into the exegesis of Psalm 45.


Copyright © Scriptura


Copyright © Scriptura