Language-specific Insights

beside himself, out of his mind

The Greek in Mark 3:21 that is translated as “beside himself” or “lost his mind” or other variations in English is (back-) translated by the following languages like this:

  • Tzeltal: “his head had been touched” (“an expression to identify what might be called the half-way stage to insanity”)
  • Amganad Ifugao: “he acts as though he were crazy”
  • Shilluk: “he is acting like an imbecile”
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “his thoughts have gone out of him”
  • Pamona: “he is outside his senses”
  • Indonesian: “he is not by his reason” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida 1961)
  • Mairasi: “his vision/thinking dried up” (source: Enggavoter 2004)

gave up his spirit

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The Greek in John 19:30 that is often translated as “he gave up his spirit” in English is translated in a variety of ways:

  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “And then he died”
  • Aguaruna: “His breath went out”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “He gave back his spirit”
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “He breathed his last”
  • Chol: “He caused his spirit to leave him”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “He sent away his life breath” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Kankanaey: “He entrusted his spirit to God” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “He released his spirit” (lit. caused it to spring away) (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Uma: “His spirit/breath broke” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “His breath snapped” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Indonesian Common Language Translation: “His breath was cut off” (source: Daniel Arichea in The Bible Translator 1983, p. 209ff. )
  • Mandarin Chinese (Union Version): “He gave (or: delivered) his soul to God”
  • Cantonese: “He breathed his last (斷氣) and died” (source for this and above: Zetzsche)

slow of heart

The Greek in Luke 24:25 that is often translated as “slow of heart” in English is translated as

  • “the heart is hard” in Zarma
  • “very heavy in heart” in Uab Meto
  • “blocked-hearted” in Indonesian
  • “lazy to think” in Tae’
  • “having a heart that delays” in Shona (translation of 1963)
  • “failing-heart-people” in Adamawa Fulfulde (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • “hard-headed” in Kupsabiny (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • “You guys tuberfully-dug are beeswax” in Mairasi (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • “dull heart” in Low German (source: translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006)

    • idle tale

    The Greek in Luke 24:11 that is translated into English as “nonsense” or “idle tale” is translated as

    • “empty talk” (Uab Meto)
    • “wind talk” (Indonesian)
    • “carried-around story” (Ekari)
    • “purposeless talking” (Kele)
    • “words that-frighten without-reason” (Toraja-Sa’dan)
    • “talk without foundation” (Pohnpeian, Chuukese) (source for all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
    • “telling a fairy tale” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004).
    • “women’s gossip” (Weibergeschwätz) (German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord, publ. 1999)
    • “weird talking” (dwatsche Snack) (Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006)
    • “what-they-had-made-up” (Tagbanwa) (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
    • “silly talking” (Noongar) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)

    breathed his last

    The Greek that is often translated in English as “he breathed his last” is translated with idioms that include “his life-force broke-off” (Indonesian, Balinese), “his breath stopped (or: was-exhausted” (Ekari, Sranan Tongo), or “his breath (and body) parted-with-each-other” (Toraja-Sa’dan). (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)

    In Anindilyakwa it is translated as nu-werrikarrnga or “his chest-cut/broke.” (Source: Julie Waddy in The Bible Translator 2004, p. 452ff. )

    In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is idiomatically translated with er hauchte sein Leben aus or “he breathed out his life.”

    abyss, bottomless pit

    The Greek that is transliterated as “abyss” or translated as “bottomless pit” in English is translated as “unfathomably deep place” or “land below” in Indonesian, “land below” in Batak Toba, or “the deep where the earth opens its mouth” in Sranan Tongo (a term well-known from folk tales).

    In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated as as Höllenschlund or “entrance to hell (lit.: “throat of hell”).”

    See also bottomless pit.