salvation

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated with “salvation” (or “deliverance”) in English is translated in the following ways:

  • San Blas Kuna: “receive help for bad deeds” (“this help is not just any kind of help but help for the soul which has sinned)
  • Northwestern Dinka: “help as to his soul” (“or literally, ‘his breath'”) (source for this and the one above: Nida 1952, p. 140)
  • Central Mazahua: “healing the heart” (source: Nida 1952, p. 40)
  • Tzeltal: col: “get loose,” “go free,” “get well” (source: Marianna C. Slocum in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 49f. )
  • Aari: “the day our Savior comes” (in Rom 13:11) (source: Loren Bliese)

in Mairasi its is translated as “life fruit” or “life fruit all mashed out.” Lloyd Peckham explains: “In secret stories, not knowable to women nor children, there was a magical fruit of life. If referred to vaguely, without specifying the specific ‘fruit,’ it can be an expression for eternity.” And for “all masked out” he explains: “Bark cloth required pounding. It got longer and wider as it got pounded. Similarly, life gets pounded or mashed to lengthen it into infinity. Tubers also get mashed into the standard way of serving the staple food, like the fufu of Uganda, or like poi of Hawaii. It spreads out into infinity.” (See also eternity / forever)

In Lisu a poetic construct is used for this term. Arrington (2020, p. 58f.) explains: “A four-word couplet uses Lisu poetic forms to bridge the abstract concrete divide, an essential divide to cross if Christian theology is to be understood by those with oral thought patterns. Each couplet uses three concrete nouns or verbs to express an abstract term. An example of this is the word for salvation, a quite abstract term essential to understanding Christian theology. To coin this new word, the missionary translators used a four-word couplet: ℲO., CYU. W: CYU (person … save … person … save). In this particular case, the word for person was not the ordinary word (ʁ) but rather the combination of ℲO., and W: used in oral poetry. The word for ‘save’ also had to be coined; in this case, it was borrowed from Chinese [from jiù / 救]. These aspects of Lisu poetry, originally based on animism, likely would have been lost as Lisu society encountered communism and modernization. Yet they are now codified in the Lisu Bible as well as the hymnbook.”

In the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) it is translated with chipulumutso which is used to refer to an act of helping someone who is in problems but cannot help him/herself come out of the problems because of weakness. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also save and save (Japanese honorifics) / salvation (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 9:7 - 9:8

In verses 7-8 it becomes clear that God is now the speaker. The pronouns my, I, and myself refer to him. Once again the writer makes no distinction between God and the angel who delivers God’s message.

And it shall be that every one who will be saved and will be able to escape …: And it shall be that may be rendered “It will happen that.” However, many translators will wish to omit this clause and begin verse 7 with “Every person who…” or “The people who…” (Contemporary English Version). Will be saved may be translated “I will save.” The verb escape implies escape from the destruction that awaits the unrighteous.

On account of his works, or on account of the faith by which he has believed: The author allows salvation for those with good works or for those who have faith.

A model for verse 7 based on Contemporary English Version is:

• “The people who will be saved from destruction will escape because they have done what is right or they have faith in me.

Another possible model is:

• “Some people will be saved [or, I will save some people]. They will escape destruction because they have performed good works or because they have put their trust in me.

Will survive the dangers that have been predicted: For the dangers that have been predicted, see 2 Esd 6.25 and 7.27.

And will see my salvation in my land and within my borders: My salvation refers to God saving his people (see Psa 91.16). My land and my borders refer to the land of Israel (compare 2 Esd 5.24; 13.48).

Which I have sanctified for myself from the beginning means that God set this particular land apart from all others as his own land, and by doing so sanctified it, made it holy.

An alternative model for verses 7-8 is:

• 7 God said to me, “Some people will be saved. They will escape destruction because they have performed good works or because they have put their trust in me. 8 These people will live through the dangers that are predicted for the end times, and will find safety in my land, inside borders that I have set apart from the beginning of time as holy [or, as my own].

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.