sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Sirach 50:3

In his days a cistern for water was quarried out: It is helpful here to translate In his days as “while he was in office” (Good News Translation) or “while Simon was High Priest,” since the writer does not say that he dug the cistern. A cistern is a man-made pool to catch or hold water. Quarried out (Good News Translation “dug”) reads the Hebrew. A footnote on this phrase should read “Hebrew quarried out; Greek unclear.”

A reservoir like the sea in circumference: The sea here refers to “the molten sea” (Revised Standard Version) or “the bronze tank” (Good News Translation) that was in the courtyard of the Temple. It will be helpful to identify its location; for example, this line may be rendered “a cistern as big as the large bronze tank [or, bowl] in the Temple.” See 1 Kgs 7.23-26.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• While Simon was the High Priest, they dug * a cistern as big as the large bronze tank in the Temple.
* Hebrew dug; Greek unclear.

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.