enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

Translation commentary on Wisdom 11:5

This verse explains the author’s purpose in making each of the comparisons in this last part of the book.

For through the very things by which their enemies were punished, they themselves received benefit in their need: Good News Translation does not express this well at all; the point is not that the plagues that afflicted Egypt saved the Israelites, but that there is some point of comparison between some particular plague and some particular saving act of God during the wilderness wandering. Here is a suggestion for translating the verse:

• When your people were in trouble, they received help from the very things that you had used to punish their enemies.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Wisdom of Solomon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2004. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.