Sabbath

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “Sabbath” in English is rendered as “day we rest” in Tzotzil, in Mairasi as “Jew’s Rest Day,” in Quiotepec Chinantec as “day when people of Israel rested,” in Shilluk as “day of God,” in Obolo as Usen Mbuban or “Holy Day,” and in Mandarin Chinese as ānxírì (安息日) or “rest day” (literally: “peace – rest – day”). (Sources: Tzotzil: Marion Cowan in Notes on Translation with Drill, p. 169ff; Mairasi: Enggavoter 2004; Quiotepec Chinantec: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.; Shilluk: Nida 1964, p. 237; Obolo: Enene Enene; Chinese: Jost Zetzsche)

In Matumbi it is translated as Sabato ya Ayahudi or “Sabbath of the Jews,” to distinguish it from the Islamic Sabbath (which is Friday) or the Christian Sabbath (which is Sunday). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

In the old Khmer version as well as in the first new translation this term was rendered as “day of rest” (Thngai Chhup Somrak / ​ថ្ងៃ​ឈប់​សំរាក). Considered inadequate to convey its religious meaning (not only about cessation of work, but also in honor of Yahweh as the Creator), the committee for the Today’s Khmer Version (publ. 2005) decided to keep the Hebrew word and use its transliterated form Thgnai Sabath (​ថ្ងៃ​សប្ប័ទ). “The Buddhist word Thngai Seil ‘day of merits’ used by some Catholics was once under consideration but was rejected because it did not receive unanimous support.” (Source: Joseph Hong in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 233ff. )

In Spanish, the translation is either día de reposo (“day of rest”) or sábado (usually: “Saturday,” derived from the Greek and Hebrew original). Nida (1947, p. 239f.) explains that problem for Spanish and other languages in its sphere of influence: “In translation ‘Sabbath’ into various aboriginal languages of Latin America, a considerable number of translators have used the Spanish sábado, ‘Saturday,’ because it is derived from the Hebrew sabbath and seems to correspond to English usage as well. The difficulty is that sábado means only ‘Saturday’ for most people. There is no religious significance about this word as the is with ‘Sabbath’ in English. Accordingly the [readers] cannot understand the significance of the persecution of Jesus because he worked on ‘Saturday.’ It has been found quite advantageous to use the translation ‘day of rest,’ for this accurately translated the Hebrew meaning of the term and resolves the problem in connection with the prohibitions placed upon some types of activities.”

In French Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts closing of the blinds of a store:


“Sabbath” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Sabbath .

complete verse (1 Chronicles 9:32)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 9:32:

  • Kupsabiny: “Other Levites from the house of Kohath prepared the bread used for religious service so they could place them on the table on the day of Sabbath.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Some brothers of the Korah clan prepared the bread presented on the table for the presentation of bread every Sabbath.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The other descendants of Kora were the ones-in-charge of preparing and placing/setting the bread on the table every Day For-Resting.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Some of the gatekeepers who were descended from Kohath prepared the freshly baked loaves of sacred bread that were placed on the table inside the Sacred Tent every Sabbath/rest day.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 9:32

And some of their kinsmen of the Kohathites … is literally “And from the sons of the Kohathites, from their brothers….” As in verse 30, if “sons of” is translated literally, this may suggest incorrectly that the text refers to children of the Kohathite clan and not to the Kohathite clan members themselves. The pronoun their refers to the Levites of other clans.

Had charge of is literally “over” (see verse 28).

Showbread is literally “bread of the row” or “bread of arrangement.” This particular expression is used only in 1–2 Chronicles and in Neh 10.33. Elsewhere in the Bible, this bread is usually called “bread of the Presence” (literally “bread of the face” in Exodus). In each case the reference is to the twelve loaves of bread consecrated to God and set before him in two rows on the golden table in the Holy Place every Sabbath. The English term showbread comes from Tyndale’s translation, which was based on that of Martin Luther in German. New Revised Standard Version revises to say “rows of bread,” which is much more in keeping with the literal Hebrew. Others say “sacred loaves of bread” (Contemporary English Version) or “Bread of the Presence” (Revised English Bible). Some translations give the impression that the responsibility of these members of the clan of Kohath was to set the bread out in proper arrangement, but others indicate that they were the ones to make the bread. Perhaps both elements were involved.

The Hebrew term for sabbath comes from a verb meaning “to rest” or “to abandon work.” It is similar to the word for “seven,” and it was on the seventh day that Yahweh rested, following the work of creation (Gen 2.2-3). In many languages it is best translated “day of rest” in this context.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .