chariot

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated into English as “chariot” is translated into Anuak as “canoe pulled by horse.” “Canoe” is the general term for “vehicle” (source: Loren Bliese). Similarly it is translated in Lokạạ as ukwaa wạ nyanyang ntuuli or “canoe that is driven by horses.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
Other translations include:

  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “cart pulled by horses” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
  • Chichicapan Zapotec: “ox cart” (in Acts 8) (ox carts are common vehicles for travel) (source: Loren Bliese)
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz, it is translated as “little house with two feet pulled by two horses” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Hausa Common Language Bible as keken-doki or “cart of donkey” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Mairasi: “going-thing [vehicle]” (source: Enggavoter 2004)

It is illustrated for use in Bible translations in East Africa by Pioneer Bible Translators like this:

Image owned by PBT and Jonathan McDaniel and licensed with the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

See also cart.

army

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin that is translated as “army” in English is translated in Chichewa as “group of warriors.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

complete verse (Exodus 14:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 14:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “The soldiers of Egypt of chariots which were pulled by horses and those who rode horses and those who went by foot followed (them). They went until they came near to those Israelites at the Red Sea where they had stretched their tents at Pi-hahiroth opposite Baal-zephon.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then the Egyptian soldiers Pharaoh’s horses and chariots horsemen and troops chased after the Israelites. And they found them when they camped by the sea near Pi-Hahiroth opposite Baal-Zephon.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The Egiptohanon who accompanied/went-with in chasing were the soldiers of the king along with his horse riders/[those-who-ride-or-drive-horses] that ride on horses and chariots. They caught-up with the Israelinhon to the place-where- they -camped at the edge of the Red Sea near Pi Hahirot, in-front of Baal Zefon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “And so the Isip people’s oses and karises for fighting and karis owners (lit. fathers) and other people of fighting ran in pursuit of the Israel people and so they drew near to their camp there close to the edge of the ocean in Piairot village, on the opposite side from Balsepon village.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “Therefore, army of Egypt all (horse of king, and chariot of horse his, and horsemen, and army which were going foot down) they followed people of Israel, found them at the place where they wait there at edge of water at side of city Pi-Hahiroth with Baal-Zephon.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “the Egyptian army, with all the king’s horses and chariots and horsemen, pursued the Israelis. They caught up with them as they were camped near the sea, close to Pi-Hahiroth, in front of Baal-Zephon town.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Exod 14:9

The Egyptians pursued them uses the same verb but now includes all who gave chase in addition to the king. Four terms are used to identify them—horses, chariots, horsemen, and army. It is not clear whether one, two, or three groups are intended. Good News Translation considers “all the horses, chariots, and drivers” to be “the Egyptian army.” Others consider the army to be separate from the “cavalry,” which included the other three terms. Possibly even the horsemen were different from the horses and chariots. It seems best to think of three groups, keeping the army separate from the cavalry, and allowing for the horsemen to be separate from the horses and chariots. This would mean: 1) war chariots drawn by horses, 2) soldiers riding horses, and 3) foot soldiers. Contemporary English Version has “the king’s horses and chariots and soldiers.” One may also translate “the king’s horse soldiers, war chariots, and foot soldiers caught up with the Israelites.”

And overtook them means that they “caught up with them” (Good News Translation), not that they passed them by. Encamped at the sea means that the Israelites had temporarily set up camp beside the sea. Good News Translation considers this to be “the Red Sea,” but see the comment at verse 2. For Pi-ha-hiroth and Baal-zephon see verse 2.

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .