For the Greek that is translated as “dragon” in English, the Bawm Chin translation uses a term referring to a mythical serpent (source: David Clark), Sranan Tongo uses the local bigi kaiman or “big Caiman” (source: Jabini 2015, p. 33) and Chinese translations typically use lóng 龙/龍 which brings it in conflict with Chinese culture where lóng 龙/龍 has a highly positive connotation.
Simon Wong explains:
“The translation process often involves finding the lexical equivalent in the receptor language for words or expressions in the source language. If finding the equivalent of concrete objects from ancient times is challenging, identifying the equivalent for mythical (or legendary) figures is nearly unimaginable. In the English-speaking world (or perhaps in most European contexts), what is represented by the English word ‘dragon’ is often portrayed as monsters to be tamed or overcome, but in Chinese culture, lóng 龙 (traditional script: 龍), the commonly accepted Chinese equivalent of ‘dragon’ always represents a cultural mascot of good fortune. It is the highest-ranking animal in the Chinese animal hierarchy; it is even surmised that the pronunciation represents the sound of thunder. Dragons were also identified with the emperors of China in the old days; ordinary people were not allowed to use any portrait of the dragon. It is only a relatively recent expression that the Chinese are called ‘people of the dragon’ and that its portrait is popularized. Many East Asian deities and demigods have dragons as their personal mounts or companions.
“The author of Revelation used the Greek δράκων (which is translated into English as ‘dragon’) to represent the mythical Satanic incarnation coming down from heaven. The most popular Protestant Chinese version (Chinese Union Version published in 1919) renders this Greek word δράκων as lóng 龙/龍. This rendering represents a long tradition that can be traced back to the earliest Protestant translations of the 1820s. Since then, almost all Protestant Chinese versions have followed this tradition of using lóng 龙/龍, a rendering that inevitably creates a cultural crash with Chinese culture. Many new converts are asked to demolish all vases or artefacts portraying this mythical figure, and some people are even asked to have their name changed if the character lóng 龙/龍 is found in their names. While modern Catholic Chinese translations also use the same rendering, the first Catholic Chinese version (unpublished) which included the Book of Revelation (1813, by the French Jesuit Loui Antoine de Poirot) used the term mǎng 蟒 (meaning ‘python’). The python’s fierce nature carries a negative connotation that is far more appropriate and indeed conveys the meaning of the Greek word far more adequately than lóng 龙/龍. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible with the Pentateuch completed in mid-3rd century B.C.), it was said that, when Moses and Pharoah’s priests threw their staffs on the ground, the staffs became δράκων (Exod 7:9, 10, 12). This Greek word was used to translate the Hebrew word ‘tanin,’ unmistakenly understood to be ‘serpent.’ Some recent Chinese translations rightly render it as móshé 魔蛇 (‘evil serpent’). As a translation strategy, it could also render δράκων phonetically dùlāgēn 杜拉根 (see Rev 12:3 footnote in the Revised Chinese Union Version).
“The different translation strategies that Protestant and Catholics employ shows the greater Protestant emphasis on the conversion experience. By using lóng 龙/龍 for δράκων, Protestant translators emphasized the separation from the ‘old self’ (old lives), which in this case encompassed an element of Chinese culture that was often idolatrized. Catholic missionaries (especially the Jesuits), on the other hand, had a far more positive appreciation of Chinese culture that enabled them to see no such necessary point of demarcation from the recipient’s cultural context.”
《启示录》作者用希腊文δράκων一词来描述撒但成为肉身，从天上坠落下来（启12:3，4，7，9，13，16，17，13:2，4）。最重要的新教中文圣经译本《和合本》（1919年出版）将这个希腊文词语译作"龙"。事实上，这个译法由来已久，可以追溯到马礼逊（Robert Morrison）在1823年发行的译本，或者馬殊曼和拉瑟（Marshman-Lassar）在1822年完成的译本。几乎所有新教中文圣经译本都沿用了"龙"的译法，这不可避免地与中国文化产生了冲突。有保守的传道人会要求初归信的人丢掉所有以这个神秘形象为图案的花瓶或艺术品，如果他们的名字中有"龙"字，传道人甚至会要求他们改名。第一本包含《启示录》的天主教中文圣经译本由法国耶稣会会士賀清泰神父（Louis Antoine de Poirot）在1813年译成，他采用了"蟒"的译法（并非完整，亦未有出版），然而现代的天主教中文圣经译本仍译作"龙"。"蟒"的凶猛体现出原词带负面形象的涵义。这种译法确实比"龙"合适的多，更加全面地表达出希腊文的意思。《七十士译本》是《希伯来圣经》的希腊文译本，其中的摩西五经于主前三世纪中翻译完成；这个译本叙述摩西与埃及术士争斗的故事时，说他们的杖变成了δράκων（出7:9，10，12）。《七十士译本》用这个希腊文词语来翻译希伯来文tanin，而tanin毫无疑问是指"蛇"。近期有中文译本将希腊文δράκων译作"魔蛇"，这是很好的翻译。另外，δράκων也可以音译为"杜拉根"。参《和合本修订版》关于《启示录》12:3的脚注。
The Greek that is translated in English as “devil” is sometimes translated with indigenous specific names, such as “the avaricious one” in Tetelcingo Nahuatl, “the malicious deity” in Toraja-Sa’dan (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel), or in Yoruba as èṣù. “Èṣù is thought of as bringing evil, but also as giving protection. The birth of a child may be attributed to him, as the names given to some babies show, Èṣùbiyi (Èṣù brought this forth), and Èṣùtoyin (Èṣù is worthy of praise).” (Source: John Hargreaves in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 39ff. )
Other translations include:
Muna: Kafeompu’ando seetani or “Master of the evil-spirits” (source: René van den Berg)
Mairasi: owe er epar nan or “headman of malevolent spirits” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Ojitlán Chinantec: as “head of the worldlings” (source for the last two: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125).
Mandarin Chinesemóguǐ (魔鬼), literally “magical ghost.” This is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32)
In Lak and Shughni it is translated with terms of feminine gender. Vitaly Voinov tells this story (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight):
“In the Lak language of Dagestan, the names ‘Iblis’ and ‘sheytan’ (referring to Satan and his minions, respectively) in this language were borrowed from the Arabic Islamic tradition, but they entered Lak as feminine nouns, not masculine nouns. This means that they grammatically function like nouns referring to females in Lak; in other words, Laks are likely to think of Iblis as a woman, not a man, because of the obligatory grammatical patterning of Lak noun classes. Thus, when the team explained (in Russian) what the Lak translation of Jesus’ wilderness temptation narrative at the beginning of Matthew 4 said, it sounded something like the following: ‘After this, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Iblis… .The temptress came to Jesus, and she said to Him…’
“Since this information (that the devil is a female spirit) is part of the very name used for Satan in Lak, nothing can really be done about this in the translation. The Lak translator did not think that the feminine gender of Iblis should cause any serious misunderstandings among readers, so we agreed to leave it in the translation. Prior to this, I had never heard about languages in which the devil is pictured as a woman, but recently I was told by a speaker of the Shughni language that in their language Sheytan is also feminine. This puts an interesting spin on things. The devil is of course a spirit, neither male nor female in a biologically-meaningful sense. But Bible translators are by nature very risk-aversive and, where possible, want to avoid any translation that might feed misleading information to readers. So what can a translator do about this? In many cases, such as the present one, one has to just accept the existing language structure and go on.”
The Greek that is typically transliterated in English as “Satan” is transliterated in Kipsigis as “Setani.” This is interesting because it is not only a transliteration that approximates the Greek sound but it is also an existing Kipsigis word with the meaning of “ugly” and “sneaking.” (Source: Earl Anderson in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 85ff. )
In Morelos Nahuatl it is translated as “envious one” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.) and in Tibetan: bdud (བདུད།), lit. “chief devil” (except in Rev. 20:2, where it is transliterated) (source: gSungrab website ).
Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 20:2:
Uma: “He grabbed the dragon–the one named Snake of Old, King of Evil-ones and Seta[‘seta’ means ‘demon’ in Uma]–he tied it up and threw it into the sinkhole whose depth cannot be measured, he locked the door and he sealed it so that it would not be opened for a thousand years. So, the King of Evil-ones is not able to deceive man for a thousand years. After that, he still must be released again for a short time.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “He caught the dragon, the snake from the beginning of time. He is the hibilis or the leader of demons. And he was chained for one thousand years.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He captured that big snake the dragon, who is that same snake as long ago who is also the demon Satan, and he fettered him. He will not be set free for a thousand years.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He caught the dragon who was none other than the one who appeared as a snake long ago who is the Devil who is also named Satanas. He chained him and threw him into the prison below. After-that he padlocked it and marked the entrance so he had no way of deceiving the collective-people in the collective-towns/countries until a thousand years were finished. When that is finished, he must be-set-free again, but only for a little-while.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He rushed at that dragon and bound him up, not to be undone for the space of a thousand years. Well as for that dragon, he is that evil-spirit who disguised himself as a snake long ago to deceive Eva. His name is Accuser (see 12:9) and Satanas.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “This angel then seized the terrible animal, the old-time serpent. This old serpent means the devil who is named Satan. One thousand years he was chained.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Angguruk Yali which uses a system that ends at the number 27. To circumvent this limitation, the Angguruk Yali translators adopted a strategy where a large number is first indicated with an approximation via the traditional system, followed by the exact number according to Arabic numerals. For example, where in 2 Samuel 6:1 it says “thirty thousand” in the English translation, the Angguruk Yali says teng-teng angge 30.000 or “so many rounds [following the body part tally system] 30,000,” likewise, in Acts 27:37 where the number “two hundred seventy-six” is used, the Angguruk Yali translation says teng-teng angge 276 or “so many rounds 276,” or in John 6:10 teng-teng angge 5.000 for “five thousand.”
This strategy is used in all the verses referenced here.
Seized: this verb is better translated “overcame” (New Jerusalem Bible), “subdued” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), “overpowered,” or “captured.” It’s not that the angel just grabbed him, but that he overpowered him.
The dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan: see 12.9.
Bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit: the reader should not understand the text to say that the angel tied the Devil up with the chain for a thousand years and then threw him into the abyss. What is meant, of course, is that the angel overcame the Devil, bound him with the chain, and threw him into the abyss, where he stayed, bound, for a thousand years.
The pit: this is the abyss (see 9.1 and verse 1, above).
Shut it and sealed it over him: this assumes that there is an entrance, a door, to the pit, and it may be necessary for a translation to say so explicitly. With the key that he was carrying, the angel locked the door and then sealed it. So instead of translating shut (the door), as Revised Standard Version does, it is better to say “locked (the door),” as Good News Translation does. As in Matt 27.66, the sealing would be the use of some device to show that the door was not to be opened. The seal shows that the pit has been closed by God’s command. For seal one may also say “put a device on the door to make sure it stayed closed.”
He should deceive the nations no more: see in 12.9 “the deceiver of the whole world.”
Were ended: the same verb that is used in 15.1, 8.
He must be loosed: this is part of God’s plan, as the verb translated must shows (see 1.1). The Devil must be set free for a short period of time before his destruction. It is probable that the one who frees Satan is the angel who tied him up in the pit, so in languages that do not use the passive, one may say “After that, the angel will set him free for a short time.” However, if translators feel that the subject here is ambiguous, one may say “After that, they will set….”
Alternative translation models for verses 2-3 are:
• The angel overpowered the dragon, that ancient serpent also known as the Devil, or Satan, and bound him with the chain. Then he threw him into the abyss, and locked and sealed the door of the abyss. The Devil must stay there for a thousand years, and during that time he will not be able to deceive the nations of the world. After the one thousand years are over, he must be set loose for a little while.
Or:
• The angel captured the dragon, that serpent (or, snake) from ancient times whom they also call the Devil or Satan. He took the chain and tied the Devil up. Then he threw him into the deep pit. With the key that he was holding he locked the door of the pit and sealed it. The Devil must stay there for a thousand years, and during that time he will not be able to deceive the people on the earth. After the one thousand years are over, the angel will free him for a short time.
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 .
seized: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as seized means “arrested,” “took hold of,” or “captured.” For example:
grabbed (New Century Version) -or-
overpowered (God’s Word)
the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan: These phrases describe the same being in four different ways. Translate these phrases so that they describe the same being. For example:
Satan, also named the dragon, the ancient serpent, or the devil -or-
He chained the dragon…. It is that old snake, who is also known as the devil and Satan. (Contemporary English Version)
dragon: This word refers to a mythical creature something like a huge lizard. This creature was often thought of as breathing fire and having wings. They are usually considered to be much larger than people. Dragons were usually considered to be fierce and dangerous. See how you translated this word in 12:3 or 16:13, or see the notes and illustration at 12:3.
ancient serpent: The word ancient indicates that the serpent lived long ago. He has continued to live from then to today. Now he has lived a very long time. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
serpent of that time long ago -or-
serpent of ancient times
See how you translated this phrase in 12:9.
serpent: This is another way to say “snake” in English.
who is the devil and Satan: This clause tells the reader more about the phrase “that ancient serpent.” In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that there are other ancient serpents and only this one is the devil and Satan. If that is true in your language, translate this clause so that it tells more about that ancient serpent. For example:
⌊namely,⌋ the devil, or Satan
devil: The Greek word here means “slanderer.” A slanderer is someone who says false things about someone to try to ruin that person’s reputation, name, or status. This word is used like a title for the leader of evil spirits, Satan. Make it clear that this word is used like a title:
Devil (Good News Translation)
Some ways to translate devil are:
• Use a local name or idiom that refers to the chief of all demons. For example:
Barking One
• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
leader of the evil spirits -or-
spirit enemy of God
• Translate its meaning. For example:
Slanderer
• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with the meaning of this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:
The word “devil” in Greek means “slanderer.”
See how you translated this word in 2:10 or 12:9.
Satan: The word Satan is the Hebrew name of the leader of all the evil spirits. The Hebrew word means “enemy” or “opponent.” It is used as a proper name in the New Testament. This name in Greek is spelled Satanas. So you should also spell the name in your language like the Greek or the major language version. See how you translated this word in 2:9 or 12:9.
20:2c
bound him for a thousand years: This phrase indicates that Satan would remain tied with the chain for a thousand years. Other ways to translate this clause are:
bound him as a prisoner for a thousand years -or-
The angel chained up the serpent for 1,000 years. (God’s Word)
bound: This word refers to tying/restraining Satan with the chain to prevent escape. For example:
tied him up (New Century Version)
for a thousand years: The thousand years begin at this time. Immediately after tying Satan, the angel threw him into the Abyss (20:3a). Your translation should indicate that the thousand years begin at this time.
a thousand: The Greek phrase uses the number word as the Berean Standard Bible does. There are several ways to translate this meaning:
• Use number words. For example:
one thousand
• Use numerals. For example:
1,000
• Use number words or phrase for “thousand” from the major language. For example:
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