cheek

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “cheek” in English is translated in Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl as “face” since there is no specific word in that language for “cheek.”

widow

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “widow” in English is translated in West Kewa as ona wasa or “woman shadow.” (Source: Karl J. Franklin in Notes on Translation 70/1978, pp. 13ff.)

The etymological meaning of the Hebrew almanah (אַלְמָנָה) is likely “pain, ache,” the Greek chéra (χήρα) is likely “to leave behind,” “abandon,” and the English widow (as well as related terms in languages such as Dutch, German, Sanskrit, Welsh, or Persian) is “to separate,” “divide” (source: Wiktionary).

See also widows.

Translation commentary on Sirach 35:18 - 35:19

Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek as she cries out against him who has caused them to fall?: Them refers to the tears, not to the widow and orphans. The question, of course, seeks no answer; the implied answer is “Yes.” Good News Translation expresses it as a statement. New English Bible translates it as an exclamation: “How the tears run down the widow’s cheeks, and her cries accuse the man who caused them!” Good News Translation‘s rendering is effective English, but some translators will not be able to use the figure of speech involved: tears crying out. Other possibilities are:

• With tears running down her cheeks, the widow cries out to the Lord against the one who has caused her distress.

• Tears run down the widow’s cheeks as she cries out to the Lord against the one who….

We do not recommend translating him who … as plural “those who….” At this point the literal figure of the widow is perhaps becoming a figure for Israel, and the author, or at least his grandson-translator, may possibly have some particular political figure in mind when speaking of him who …. This would have been one of the Seleucid kings, perhaps even the notorious Antiochus Epiphanes. Compare Lam 1.1-2; 2.18-19; 3.49-50; 5.3.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.