bear child / give birth

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “bear (a child)” or “give birth to” is translated in Mairasi as “go to the forest,” reflecting the traditional place of childbirth for Mairasi women. (Source: Enggavoter 2004)

In Spanish it is translated as dar a luz, literally “to give to light.” Likewise, in Portuguese (dar à luz) and Italian (dare alla luce). (Source: Mark Terwilliger)

See also in childbirth / travail and birth.

pregnant

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The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that are translated as “(become) pregnant” in English is rendered as “got belly” (Sranan Tongo and Kituba) as “having two bodies” (Indonesian), as “be-of-womb” (Sinhala), as “heavy” (Balinese), and as “in-a-fortunate-state” (Batak Toba). (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)

In Kafa it is translated as “having two lives” (source: Loren Bliese), in Southern Birifor as tara pʊɔ or “having stomach,” in Kamba as “be-heavy” (source for this and above: Andy Warren-Rothlin), in the Swabian 2007 translation by Rudolf Paul as kommt en andere Omständ, lit. “be in different circumstances,” and in Newari as “have in the womb” (source: Newari Back Translation).

In Mairasi it is translated as “have a soul [ghost].” (Source: Enggavoter, 2004)

complete verse (Revelation 12:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 12:2:

  • Uma: “That woman was pregnant, and the time came for her to give birth. She groaned/suffered due to [lit., carried by] the pain about to give-birth.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “That woman was about to give birth and she was in pain therefore she cried out.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “She was pregnant and giving birth, and she was crying out with birth pangs.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “She was about-to-give-birth, so she called-out-in-pain because of the pain of her stomach.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That woman was pregnant and in labor. She was being noisy because of the pain of the contractions.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This woman carried a child and she cried out because she suffered from birth pains.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 12:2

This verse is quite wordy, emphasizing the woman’s intense suffering as she was giving birth to the child. New Revised Standard Version is a considerable improvement over the literal rendition of Revised Standard Version; it reads: “She was pregnant and was crying out in birthpangs, in the agony of giving birth.” This is much the same as New Jerusalem Bible: “She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth.” Something like the following can be said: “The woman was pregnant; she was about to give birth to her child, and her intense labor pains made her cry out.” The Greek verb represented by Revised Standard Version in anguish is the one used in 9.5; 11.10, where it means “to cause suffering,” “to torture.” Here a term should be used that fits the context of childbirth. Pregnant: translators should use the most natural term in their language, but it should be one that will not offend readers.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 12:2

12:2

She was pregnant and crying out in the pain and agony of giving birth: The phrase in the pain and agony of giving birth indicates that it was time for her baby to leave the womb. Some English versions combine the meaning of She was pregnant and giving birth. For example:

She was about to give birth,… (Contemporary English Version)

She was pregnant: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as She was pregnant is literally “She had (a child) in her womb.” Use a polite word or phrase that refers to a pregnant woman.

crying out in the pain and agony: Here the phrase crying out refers to shouting with emotion because of the labor pains. For example:

was screaming in labor pains (NET Bible)
-or-
shouted because of the pain ⌊of her labor/childbirth⌋

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