The Hebrew that is translated as “prostitute oneself” or “play the prostitute” in English is translated in Vidunda as “(practice) sexual immorality.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
idol / idols
The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “idol(s)” in English is translated in Central Subanen as ledawan or “images.” (Source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
In German, typically the term Götze is used. Originally this was used as a term of endearment for Gott (“God” — see here ), later for “icon” and “image, likeness.” Luther started to use it in the 16th century in the meaning of “false god, idol.”
Other terms that are used in German include Götzenbild(er) (“image[s] of idols”) or Bildnis (“image” — Protestant) / Kultbild (“cultish image” — Catholic) (used for instance in Exodus 20:4 and Deuteronomy 5:8). The latest revision of the Catholic Einheitsübersetzung (publ. 2016) also uses the neologism Nichtse (“nothings”) in 1 Chron. 16:26 and Psalm 96:5. (Source: Zetzsche)
See also worthless idols.
gentiles / nations
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).
Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).
In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
See also nations.
complete verse (Ezekiel 23:30)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 23:30:
- Kupsabiny: “Your promiscuity and lust brought this on you so that you met with/encountered these things, because you committed adultery with other communities worshipping their idols and then you defiled yourself.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “This is the one who-brought you to destruction, for you had-sex with the ones-from-other nations and you defiled yourself by worshipping their little-gods.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “It is because of what you have done that you will be punished like that; you have been an immoral prostitute; you have had sex with men of other nations, and you have caused yourselves to become unacceptable to me byworshiping their idols.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Translation commentary on Ezekiel 23:29 - 23:30
And they shall deal with you in hatred means Oholibah’s former lovers will treat her in the same way as she treated them, namely, without love or affection (see verse 28).
And take away all the fruit of your labor means they will take everything Oholibah has gained through her work, so that she will have nothing left. This clause and the previous one may be rendered “They will treat you with no love, and will take from you everything you have worked for.”
And leave you naked and bare means they will leave her “stark naked” (New Jerusalem Bible). For the strong Hebrew expression rendered naked and bare, see the comments on 16.7. Here “naked and exposed” is a good translation.
And the nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered continues the theme of Oholibah’s nakedness—as she was naked while she was acting like a prostitute, so she will be naked when she is punished and everyone knows of her sin. Uncovered means both that she will be naked and that her sin will be exposed. It is difficult to capture all of this in translation. A possible model for this clause is “Just as you were naked when you were doing those bad things, so you will be naked when everyone knows how sinful you are.”
Your lewdness and your harlotry have brought this upon you: Revised Standard Version and most other translations take Your lewdness and your harlotry (see verse 27) as the subject of the verb brought at the beginning of verse 30. This means that Oholibah’s sexual immorality will cause her to lose everything. This interpretation requires a slight change to the Hebrew text, and it is better to include Your lewdness and your harlotry as part of the subject of the verb be uncovered in verse 29; for example, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders the last clause of verse 29 as “your naked whoredom, wantonness, and harlotry will be exposed” (similarly King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). If the passive verb be uncovered is not natural, translators may say “and all will see your shameful immorality and what a prostitute you are.” If Your lewdness and your harlotry is taken with the previous clause, the beginning of verse 30 may be rendered “This will happen to you” (New Jerusalem Bible), “These things will be done to you” (New American Standard Bible; similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “I will do these things to you” (New King James Version ; similarly King James Version), or “So you will be punished for this” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This interpretation emphasizes the idea that God is the one who will bring the punishment on Oholibah.
Because you played the harlot with the nations, and polluted yourself with their idols repeats in summary form the reasons for God’s punishment of Oholibah. For played the harlot, see Ezek 23.3. The nations are the foreign nations of Assyria, Babylonia, and Egypt. For polluted yourself with their idols, see Ezek 23.7.
Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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