ancestors

The Hebrew that is translated as “ancestors” in English is translated in Kwere as “deceased ancestors” because the word for “ancestor” can also mean “grandfather.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Deuteronomy 13:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 13:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “Your brother, your son, your daughter, your beloved wife or your friend whom you are close to may come and tell you in secret to go and worship the idols of other communities that you did not know and your grandfathers did not know.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If your elder or younger brothers, son or daughter, wife or a friend with whom [you] are on good terms, entices you saying, "Let’s go to do puja to gods that you have not known and your ancestors have not known."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Example your (plur.) sibling or child, or your (plur.) beloved wife or your (plur.) very close friend, will-secretly entice/urge you (plur.) and say, ‘Let- us (excl.) -worship other gods’ (the gods that you (sing.) have- not -known and even your (sing.) ancestors,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “It does not matter if even your brother or your daughter or your wife or some close/dear friend secretly urges you, saying ‘Let’s worship other gods. They are gods which you or your ancestors have never known about.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 13:6

Verses 6-9 are another long sentence that must be broken into several shorter and simpler sentences; Good News Translation has six sentences and is a good model to follow. Translators should also study the model of Contemporary English Version, which combines verses 6-10, omitting a number of repetitious phrases that are unnatural style in English.

Your brother, the son of your mother: there is a textual problem here; the Samaritan and the Septuagint have “… the son of your father or the son of your mother.” The Hebrew, as it stands, seems to mean only a brother by your mother, but not by your father. There are several possibilities for the translator: (1) translate the Hebrew (as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and as recommended by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project); (2) follow the Samaritan and Septuagint (as in New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible); (3) just say “your [own] brother” (as Good News Translation, New International Version, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje, BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Bible en français courant do). The best procedure to follow seems to be (3).

The wife of your bosom: New Revised Standard Version “the wife you embrace” or Good News Translation “the wife you love” could be taken to mean that there is also a wife you don’t embrace or love; New Jerusalem Bible “the spouse whom you embrace” is worse. Something like “your dear wife” is the most natural way to say this in English.

Your friend who is as your own soul: that is, “your dearest [or closest, or best] friend.”

Entices you secretly: playing the part of the traitor, the wife or friend comes to the Israelite in private and tries to persuade him to commit idolatry. Good News Translation has “secretly encourage you.” In a number of languages direct speech will be natural style; for example, “Your own brother … may come to you secretly and say, ‘Let’s worship other gods!’ ”

Let us go and serve other gods: see verse 2.

Which neither you nor your fathers have known: see verse 2. Your fathers means “your ancestors.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .