The Hebrew that is translated as “kinsman-redeemer” (or “next-of-kin” or “close relative”) is translated in Yasa as “a near family member who has responsibility for protecting the family.”
Joshua Ham explains why: “One of the most important terms in the book of Ruth is the Hebrew word go’el. This word is often translated kinsman-redeemer in English Bibles. In ancient Hebrew culture, the go’el could play many roles. If a married man died without children, his brother (acting as go’el) was expected to marry the widow and carry on the dead man’s lineage. If someone was forced to sell their family land (keeping in mind that family land was very important in the Old Testament), a family member (again acting as go’el) was supposed to eventually restore the family’s title to the land. If a family member was murdered, it was up to the go’el to seek justice.
“As you can imagine, there’s just no way we’re going to find a single word in any language that covers all of those cultural aspects. And if we tried to explain all of those aspects in the text itself, it would get unwieldy pretty fast. So in translating a word like go’el, we try to pick out the most salient points. In the Yasa text of Ruth, we ended up with something like ‘a near family member who has responsibility for protecting the family.’ It’s a bit smoother in Yasa than it sounds in English!”
In Cusco Quechua it is translated as “close relative of a corpse.”
The translation consultant Bill Mitchell (in Omanson 2001, p. 428) tells this story: “The translators struggled to translate the idea [of the near relative responsible for helping a family or clan member hit by misfortune, for example, loss of property, liberty or life]. The translation consultant asked them, ‘Is there anyone in your wider family who takes responsibility for a relative in such circumstances?’ They replied, ‘Yes, of course.’ ‘What do you call that person,’ the consulted asked. ‘There is no special name,’ they said. The consultant replied, ‘If a widow or an orphan needed help, what would they say to this person?’ ‘It will probably seem a bit strange to you, but they would say: ‘You are my close relative and I am your corpse.’’ The translators introduced this into their translation. When they tested it out with different groups, they found that it communicated the Hebrew concept of go’el very well.”
In Southern Birifor it is translated as “funeral husband.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
See also redeem / redemption and redeemer.
Among the Tonga, the procedure for determining the person who is to assume responsibility for the widow (i.e., to inherit his “name” / ancestral spirit and familial responsibilities) is somewhat more complicated. The primary consideration is not only the “closeness” of the relationship of the potential husband to the deceased (as in the Hebrew), but also his social suitability, which involves a complex of factors; e.g., present marital status, personality, economic ability to support a(nother) wife, etc. The dead man’s relatives (on the mother’s side) would decide upon several possible candidates, and the woman would then be able to select from among them. She might even choose not to get married again, but not normally if she were childless as Ruth was.
There is also a linguistic problem in conveying the concept of “closer” relative. In Chitonga, for example, kinsmen/women are distinguished as being either “nearer” or “farther” in relationship according to an elaborate set of social criteria. Closest are one’s own blood brothers and sisters; these form the mukwasyi as they sit around the same fire fueled by dung from their common herd of cattle. Next are those who are regarded as being equivalent to one’s “father,” “mother,” “brother,” or “sister”; they belong to one’s cikombo or “umbilical cord.” The final group comprising the inner circle of relatives (or “clan,” mukowa) would include all those males who would be allowed to “eat one’s name” (kulya zind), that is, succeed to one’s position upon death. Normally only a man who was in a “brotherly” or “fatherly” relationship to the deceased (on his mother’s side of the family) would be allowed to “inherit” his wife. The great difficulty in this case is that Boaz, being a relative of Elimelech, does not qualify at all according to the Tonga kinship perspective, and therefore the usual terminology cannot be employed. As a musazinyina, or one who would sit around the same fireplace at a funeral, he could legally “marry” Ruth, but he could not enter the place of her dead husband to preserve his line of descent.
Source: Wendland 1987, p. 179f.
Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 3:11-13:
- Noongar: “Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do everything you want, because all my people of this place, they know you are a good woman. But now, truly, I am your right-way man, but one man sits closer than me. Sleep in this place tonight and tomorrow, if he will stand to become your right-way man, yes, good, but if he won’t stand to become your right-way man, in the name of God, I will do this thing. Sleep here until tomorrow.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
- Eastern Bru: “So now, young woman, don’t be afraid. Surely I will do what you have asked. Every one in my town knows that you are a good person. And you say truly that I am of your clan and a close relative. But there is a person who is of your clan and closer than I. Now you wait this night. In the morning the person who is closer than I can take away your misfortune. If he wants to he can do it. It’s up to him. But if he does not want to take away your misfortune, surely I myself will become your husband. I swear before God that I will do that. Now you go back to sleep this night and wait until morning.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “Therefore do- not -worry day [Note: this is a very common nickname], for I will-do all what you(sg) have-asked-for. Because all my fellow-countrymen knew that you(sg) are a good/noble woman. It is true that I am your(sg) close relative, who has a responsibility to take-care-of you(sg), but there-is still a man who is more closely related to you(sg) than I am. You(sg) stay/remain here for the whole night, and tomorrow morning let us(incl) see if he will-accept his responsibility on you(sg). If he agrees, then good; but if in-fact/actually not (willing), I swear to the living LORD that I will-accept my responsibility to you(sg). Okay, you(sg) just sleep here until morning.'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “Now, young lady, I will do everything you ask. Don’t worry that people in this town might think I am doing wrong by marrying you because you are a woman from Moab. All the people in this town know that you are an honorable woman. But there is one problem. Although it is true that I am a close relative of your mother-in-law’s dead husband, there is another man who is a closer relative than I am, and therefore he should be the one to marry you and take care of you. You stay here for the rest of this night. Tomorrow morning I will tell this man about you. If he says that he will marry you and take care of you, fine, we will let him do that. But if he is not willing to do that, I solemnly promise that as surely as Yahweh lives, I will marry you and take care of you. So lie/sleep here until it is morning.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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