you shall not commit adultery

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated in English as “you shall not commit adultery” is translated in Toraja-Sa’dan with an established figure of speech: Da’ mupasandak salu lako rampanan kapa’ or “you shall not fathom the river of marriage” (i.e “approach the marriage relationship of another.”) (Source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21 ff. ).

It is translated as “practice illicit relationship with women” in Tzeltal, as “go in with other people’s wives” in Isthmus Zapotec, as “live with some one who isn’t your wife” in Huehuetla Tepehua, and as “sleep with a strange partner” in Central Tarahumara. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

See also adultery

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neighbor

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The 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,” and in Teutila Cuicatec as “all people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).

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

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adultery

The Greek that is translated as “adultery” (typically understood as “marital infidelity”) in English is (back-) translated in the following ways:

  • Highland Totonac: “to do something together”
  • Yucateco: “pair-sin”
  • Ngäbere: “robbing another’s half self-possession” (compare “fornication” which is “robbing self-possession,” that is, to rob what belongs to a person)
  • Kaqchikel, Chol: “to act like a dog”
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: “to measure the depth of the river of (another’s) marriage.”
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “married people using what is not theirs” (compare “fornication” which is “unmarried people using what is not theirs”) (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • In Purari: “play hands with” or “play eyes with”
  • In Hakha Chin the usual term for “adultery” applies only to women, so the translation for the Greek term that is translated into English as “adultery” was translated in Hakha Chin as “do not take another man’s wife and do not commit adultery.”
  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “talk secretly with spouses of our fellows”
  • Isthmus Zapotec: “go in with other people’s spouses”
  • Hopi: “tamper with marriage” (source for this and two above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • In Falam Chin the term for “adultery” is the phrase for “to share breast” which relates to adultery by either sex. (Source for this and three above: David Clark)
  • In Ixcatlán Mazatec a specification needs to be made to include both genders. (Source: Robert Bascom)

See also adulterer, adulteress, and you shall not commit adultery.

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You shall not murder / kill

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “You shall not kill/murder” or similar in English is translated in Una as Ninyi ona mem: “Don’t kill people” because in Una an object needed to be added. (Source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)

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love your neighbor as yourself

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “love your neighbor as yourself” is translated in Shilluk, Anuak, and Nuer as “love your neighbors as yourselves.” In those and other languages a plural form has to be used if it is to be applied to more than one person where in English a singular can stand for many (compare everyone, each, whoever, any). (Source: Larson 1998, p. 42)

See also he who / whoever and neighbor.

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complete verse (Romans 13:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 13:9:

  • Uma: “For in the Lord’s Law there are these commands: ‘Don’t commit adultery, don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t desire things of others.’ All of those, and other commands as well, we follow them all if we follow this one order: ‘We must love our companion like we love ourselves.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The law of Musa says hep, ‘Don’t commit adultery/fornication; don’t kill; don’t steal; don’t covet the property/wealth of your companion.’ These commands and all the other commandments are included in this one command, saying, ‘Love your fellow-(men) as you love yourself.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For there is something written in the Law which says, ‘Don’t you commit adultery against your spouse, don’t you kill; don’t you steal; do not decide that you want the possessions of other people.’ And as for these commands and others also, we can carry out all of them if we obey the command which says, ‘You must hold your companion dear in your breath; you make him equal with your own breath.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because the commands that say, ‘Don’t (sing.) commit-adultery, don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t covet (lit. grab-after) what is not yours (sing.),’ and the rest of the commands, they are all concentrated in this one command: ‘You (sing.) must love your (sing.) companion like your (sing.) way-of-loving yourself (sing.).'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The word which the law commands says: ‘Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not steal. Do not lie about anyone. Do not want something which is owned by another.’ These words are what the law commands. And there are other words also which it commands. But all of these words said in the law are included here in the word which says ‘Love your fellowman like you want that you be loved.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

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