swear / vow

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “swear (an oath)” or “vow” in English is otherwise translated as:

  • “God sees me, I tell the truth to you” (Tzeltal)
  • “loading yourself down” (Huichol)
  • “speak-stay” (implying permanence of the utterance) (Sayula Popoluca)
  • “say what could not be taken away” (San Blas Kuna)
  • “because of the tight (i.e. ‘binding’) word said to a face” (Guerrero Amuzgo)
  • “strong promise” (North Alaskan Inupiatun) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • “eat an oath” (Nyamwezi) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • “drink an oath” (Jju) (source: McKinney 2018, p. 31).
  • “cut taboos” (Mairasi (source: Enggavoter 2004)

In Bauzi “swear” can be translated in various ways. In Hebrews 6:13, for instance, it is translated with “bones break apart and decisively speak.” (“No bones are literally broken but by saying ‘break bones’ it is like people swear by someone else in this case it is in relation to a rotting corpse’ bones falling apart. If you ‘break bones’ so to speak when you make an utterance, it is a true utterance.”) In other passages, such as in Matthew 26:72, it’s translated with an expression that implies taking ashes (“if a person wants everyone to know that he is telling the truth about a matter, he reaches down into the fireplace, scoops up some ashes and throws them while saying ‘I was not the one who did that.'”). So in Matthew 26:72 the Bauzi text is: “. . . Peter took ashes and defended himself saying, ‘I don’t know that Nazareth person.'” (Source: David Briley)

See also swear (promise) and Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’, or ‘No, No’.

complete verse (Song of Solomon 5:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Song of Solomon 5:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “But hey, fair maiden,
    how does this man surpass all the other men?
    In what way is he better than other people
    so that you tell us to go and do like that?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “How is your beloved better than others,
    O most charming woman among the women?
    How is your beloved better than others?
    Why did you give us this order?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “O most-beautiful woman, what (is) so good about your (sing.) beloved that you (sing.) have- us (excl.) – swear? (Is) he really better than others?” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You who are the fairest/most beautiful among women,
    why do you think that the one who loves you is better than other men?
    In what way is the man who loves you better than other men
    with the result that you ask us to tell him that?” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Song of Songs 5:9

We come in verse 9 to the first of the two questions spoken by the daughters of Jerusalem (the other is in 6.1). These questions have a particular literary function found elsewhere in Hebrew poetry. In Psa 24.3-4 or Psa 121.1-2, for example, a question is asked that leads into the rest of the poem. We saw a similar example of this use of the question form in 3.6. In this case the questions are asked by the daughters of Jerusalem, setting the scene for the response of the young woman (5.10-16 and 6.2-3).

The rather literal translation provided by Revised Standard Version shows us an important feature of Hebrew style, namely its use of repetition. The question in line 1, “What is your beloved more than any other beloved?” is repeated in line 3.

What is your beloved more than another beloved…?: the adjective “better” is lacking in the Hebrew text but is clearly understood. In view of the response in verses 10-16, the question most probably refers to physical qualities, so we can also say “In what way is your lover more handsome?” or, more generally, “How is your lover more wonderful?” The Hebrew interrogative translated as “What?” can also be rendered “How?” We can even say “What makes your beloved better?” New American Bible and Good News Translation ask “Is your lover different?” This is acceptable if “different” means “better” in this context. Forms like “What is so unique about…?” “What does he have more than any other…?” or “How does he surpass…?” may be clearer.

Revised Standard Version reflects the Hebrew in translating both instances of beloved in the singular. The translator can make adjustments as needed in rendering the phrase another beloved. It may be more natural to say “better than all the other young men” or “better than all the others.”

For translation we suggest:

• How is your lover better than any other man?

• What is so unique about your lover?

• What makes your beloved better [or, different] than all the others?

Note that this clause is repeated for emphasis. See below.

O fairest among women: see comments on 1.8. Note again that this vocative can be placed at the beginning of the verse if necessary. It may even be appropriate to start the verse with an introductory phrase like “Tell us, you who are the fairest among women….”

Some commentators believe this statement makes fun of the young woman. If the daughters are from a higher social class, they may well be looking down on this sunburned village girl and asking her in a teasing way how her lover is so special. However, if, as we believe, the daughters are merely a literary feature, then their question can be seen as neutral, simply drawing out the young woman’s response.

What is your beloved more than another beloved…?: this is the second time the question is asked. In some languages the use of repetition is not appreciated, and so translators can vary the expression as Good News Translation does. In other languages it may even be necessary to combine or merge the two expressions into one.

That you thus adjure us: introducing this result clause is the Hebrew conjunction sh- with a poetic form of the preposition k- attached. It is literally “that in this manner you make us take an oath.” The expression refers back to the oath of verse 8. In some languages it is more natural to say “… that you ask us [to do] this.”

Possible translations are:

• … that you make us take this kind of an oath.

• … that we should promise you that.

Or we may even follow Good News Translation:

• … that we should give you our promise.

For the entire verse we can follow the structure of the Hebrew rather closely by imitating Revised Standard Version, or restructure as follows:

• Tell us, most beautiful of women,
What makes your lover better than all others?
What is there about him,
That you ask us to promise you that?

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Song of Songs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1998. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .