soul

The Hebrew, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “soul” in English is translated in Chol with a term that refers to the invisible aspects of human beings (source: Robert Bascom), in Yagaria with oune or “shadow, reflection” (source: Renck, p. 81), and in Elhomwe as “heart” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).

The Mandarin Chinese línghún (靈魂 / 灵魂), literally “spirit-soul,” is often used for “soul” (along with xīn [心] or “heart”). This is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32, see also Clara Ho-yan Chan in this article )

In Chichewa, moyo means both “soul” and “life.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also heart, soul, mind.

Translation commentary on Wisdom 8:19

As a child I was by nature well endowed: The words by nature well endowed translate a single Greek adjective. It describes a person in favorable terms, but it may refer to physical or nonphysical endowments. Scholars and translators are divided as to which is intended here. Good News Translation chooses the second one (“a pleasant personality”), and along the same line, New Jerusalem Bible has “I was a boy of happy disposition.” New Revised Standard Version is better with “As a child I was naturally gifted” or even Contemporary English Version with “I was an intelligent child.” This directs attention away from mere personality to the intellectual side, which fits the context better. Translators might word this as follows: “I was unusually intelligent [even] as a child.” However, the Handbook prefers to think of the Greek word as referring to physical endowments. In the context of verses 19-20, we think Solomon begins by talking about his physical endowments (verse 19a), then his soul (verse 19b), and then refining his thought in verse 20 to speak of a soul within a body rather than in addition to it. This line could be rendered “As a child I was strong and healthy.”

And a good soul fell to my lot: Scholars disagree as to whether the author here is speaking of the common idea in Greek philosophy that the human soul is preexistent, that is, that souls exist before the body is created. In light of what the author says elsewhere, such as in 15.11, we doubt this. But the point still is that the author is making a clean separation between body and soul. See 7.27. Solomon describes his soul as good, and as strange as it sounds, that may be the best way to deal with this line. So we may translate “born with a good soul” (Contemporary English Version). Fell to my lot means that he was fortunate enough to have a good soul.

Perhaps translators could render this verse as follows:

• As a child I was strong and healthy, and was fortunate enough to have a good soul as well.

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.