enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic 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 3 Maccabees 3:25

Therefore we have given orders that, as soon as this letter shall arrive, you are to send to us those who live among you, together with their wives and children: The king orders his soldiers, as soon as they read these orders, to get all the Jews—men, women, and children—together and send them to Alexandria. The king’s orders are being sent to his commanders all over Egypt (verse 12). This first half of the verse may be rendered “Therefore, as soon as you receive this letter, I am ordering you to arrest all the Jews in your area—men, women, and children” or “I hereby order you to put this plan into effect as soon as you receive this letter. Arrest….”

With insulting and harsh treatment, and bound securely with iron fetters may be rendered “Show them no mercy and bind them in chains” (Contemporary English Version). Iron fetters were metal chains with special links prepared to go around the ankles. They restricted the movement of prisoners.

To suffer the sure and shameful death that befits enemies may be rendered “so that they may know that they are about to be killed in a shameful way for being our enemies.” The soldiers are to send the Jews, bound with iron chains, to Alexandria, but to do it in such a cruel way that they know they are being punished and are about to be killed for being enemies of the Egyptian king and government.

Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• I hereby order you to put this plan into effect as soon as you receive this letter. Round up [or, Arrest] all the Jews in your area—men, women, and children—lock [or, bind] them in chains, and send them here. Treat them severely and be cruel, so that they may know that we are about to kill them in a shameful way for being our enemies.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.