The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated in English as “wild animal” or similar is translated in Newari as “animal that lives in the jungle.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
complete verse (Hosea 2:12)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 2:12:
- Kupsabiny: “I shall destroy her vines and her fig trees
that she is saying that her lovers paid to her.
I shall make her farms become bush
which the wild animals shall eat.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation) - Newari: “I will destroy her grapevines and fig trees.
Things about which she said, these are the wages given by my lovers,
And I will make these trees into a forest,
and wild animals will eat them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon: “I will-ruin her grape plants and fig trees which she said were-paid for her by her lovers/[lit. men]. I will-make its fields into a densely-over-grown-with-long-grass-and-shrubs forest, and its fruits will-be-eaten by wild animals.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
vine
The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated in English typically as “vine” is translated in Lak as къюмайтӀутӀул мурхьра: “the (grape-) cluster tree.”
Vitaly Voinov tells this story: “Laks (who live in the mountainous regions of Dagestan) historically have had no experience with planting and tending vineyards. They buy grapes at the market or the store, but that’s about all they know of grape growing. Thus, in field testing, none of the readers could picture the primary image of this chapter. The translator’s initial attempt of rendering ‘vine’ as ‘grape stalk’ met with complete non-understanding. After much discussion of the problem and potential solutions, we settled on what one of the field testing respondents suggested to remedy the problem: ‘vine’ was rendered as ‘the (grape-)cluster tree’ (къюмайтӀутӀул мурхьра). Technically grapes of course don’t grow on trees, but something had to be put in the text, and it had to be said in a way that the average reader/hearer could understand it. The Lak team could have borrowed the Russian word for ‘vine’ (лоза), but since this is a very low-frequency word in the Russian language, it’s likely that many Laks wouldn’t know the Russian word either. So the team settled for a reduction of accuracy in order to achieve greater clarity. After all, the primary point of importance in this passage is not a horticultural analysis, but a metaphorical comparison to the spiritual world, to the relationship between the Father, His Son, and the followers of Jesus. This rendering allows readers to get to the core of this meaning without getting tangled up in unknown terms.”
In Elhomwe it is translated as “tree of grapes” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext), Akan (Fante dialect) and Ewe have “wine tree” (source: Anthony Badu in Journal of Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics and Theology 2021, p. 88ff. ).
The Common Grape Vine Vitis vinifera is mentioned more often than any other plant or tree in the Bible. Excavations in Greece have discovered grape seeds dating to 4500 B.C. Egyptian records document the existence of cultivated vines in Canaan as early as 2375 B.C., and subsequent records report trade in vine products around 1360 B.C. and many times thereafter.
The vine is a creeping plant that develops a woody stem when it matures. It grows along the ground until it finds a tree or other object to climb, using tendrils. It bears bunches of small round fruit that are sweet and juicy. Today farmers grow them commercially throughout the Mediterranean area, in South Africa, in North America, and in many other countries. The first reference to the vine in the Bible (Genesis 9:20) tells us that Noah planted a vineyard (Hebrew kerem) and that he made an alcoholic drink from the fruit. Farmers since then have improved on the size, color, and quality of the fruit by careful pruning and selection until now there are at least 65 kinds of grapevines. Like many other plants in temperate areas, the vine has leaves that appear in early spring. After the fruit is picked and the weather gets cold, the leaves drop off and the plant is bare until the following spring. A typical vineyard in Bible times was surrounded by a stone fence. It had a stone tower from which the owner could watch for predators, and a place to squeeze the juice out of the fruits.
The vine is the most frequently cited plant in the Bible, and that alone makes it special. Vines, grapes, raisins, and wine were a major element of Jewish life, so it is not a surprise that the vine and its products are used figuratively probably more than any other Bible plant. After the flood purified the earth at the time of Noah, the vine became the means by which the human race was plunged again into sin (Genesis 9:20). We know from Jacob’s blessing in Genesis 49:11f. and other passages that the vine was the symbol of blessing, prosperity, and happiness. The fact that there were groups like the Nazirites and Rechabites who abstained from drinking wine simply shows the radical self-denial that these people imposed on themselves. A drink offering of wine was an important part of worship (Exodus 29:40), and the image of contentment was “every man under his vine and under his fig tree” (Micah 4:4). Jotham includes the vine in his well-known Parable of the Trees (Judges 9:7ff.). In the New Testament, Jesus rescued a man from humiliation at a wedding party by miraculously providing a fresh supply of wine (John 2:1ff.). Wine becomes a major symbol in the Christian community when Jesus foreshadows his crucifixion by comparing the wine poured out in the Passover celebration to his blood (Matthew 26:27f. et al.). He speaks of the need for Christians to be like the branches of the vine, drawing their nourishment from him, the True Vine (John 15.:1ff.). Nearly every New Testament writer makes some metaphorical reference to the vine or its products.
There are around 65 kinds of grapevines (Vitis vinifera) found in the Northern Hemisphere. They belong to a larger family of creeping plants called Vitaceae, which has over 800 species throughout the world including many in the tropical and warm climates of the world.
Grapevines have occasionally been grown in West Africa (for example, in The Gambia and in northern Nigeria) but are not well known even where they are grown commercially. Attempts at substituting a local tree name have not been entirely successful because the species chosen is usually not cultivated and/or does not have the same economic or social function that the grape had in Israel.
Thus it is probably best to use a transliteration from a major language. However, in parts of Nigeria and perhaps elsewhere, the word grep refers to “grapefruit” and should be avoided in translation. A transliteration from “vine” or “wine” is preferred, although a translator needs to be careful. The English word “vine” refers to any creeping plant, but it also refers to a particular kind of vine that produces grapes (Vitis vinifera). This can be confusing. Furthermore, translators in English-speaking countries should think carefully about what they are going to do with the word “wine.” In The Gambia, Mandinka translators first used “wayini tree” but later concluded that it may be better to have a word for “vine” that is not necessarily identical with “wine.” Bine, from binekaro (“vinegar”), was considered, as was inabi (“grape”) from Arabic.
Languages that borrow the Arabic word inabi must deal with the fact that this word bears an unfortunate resemblance to annabi (“prophet”) and new readers reading “water of inabi” in a context of prophecy may associate it, for better or worse, with prophets and prophecy. In northern Nigeria church people have gotten used to inabi in the New Testament even though many of them don’t know what it is. Basa in Nigeria uses a wild grape-like plant (afwafwa), and Igala has used the same species (achiwebetema) for years. Likewise, two translations in Mali and Burkina Faso use their local name for a wild vine (Lannea microcarpa) for the biblical vine. There is a species (Rhoicissus tridentata) in southern and eastern Africa known as “African grape” (locally called “bobbejaantou”). In such cases translators should write a footnote (or glossary item) stating that the grapes of Bible times were larger and sweeter than the local variety, and that they were cultivated extensively as a source for producing beverages. Other possibilities for transliteration are: vinyola/videra (Portuguese), vitis (Latin), and inab (Arabic).
Fruit of the vine (Hebrew ‘enav; Greek botrus, staphulē): There is some evidence that botrus refers to a bunch of grapes, while staphulē refers to individual grapes. According to Louw and Nida (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains, 1988), however, both words may refer to individual grapes as well as bunches of grapes. The Hebrew word tirosh is equivalent to the word “vintage” in English, that is, the grape harvest and possibly the first squeezing of the grapes. It is normally used along with the words referring to the olive harvest (yitshar) and grain harvest (dagan).
Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)
1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
See also pronoun for “God”.
fig
Two types of fig trees are mentioned in the Bible, the Common Fig Ficus carica (Hebrew te’enah) and the Sycomore Fig Ficus sycomorus (Hebrew shiqmah; see “Sycomore fig”). They are closely related. The common fig tree grows not only in Israel, but throughout the world in warm climates. In the Holy Land it was a common source of food; the fruit was eaten both fresh and dried. Sometimes the dried ones were pressed together to form flat “cakes” or blocks (Hebrew develah). But, just as important, the large leaves of the fig make it an excellent shade tree. However, the first use of the fig mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 3:7) was not for food or shade but for clothing; Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves for themselves to cover their nakedness.
The fig was probably domesticated in northwestern Turkey from a wild variety that grew there around 5000 years ago. Greek, Roman, and Egyptian records indicate that the fruits were popular. Figs are now grown especially in Israel, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Portugal, as well as in the warm parts of the United States.
The fig is believed to be indigenous to western Asia and to have been distributed by humans and birds throughout the Mediterranean area. Remnants of figs have been found in excavations of sites traced to at least 5000 B.C.
The domesticated fig grows to about 5-8 meters (17-26 feet) and has a round crown and very deep and round roots. The trunk may grow to be more than 70 centimeters (2 feet) thick. Fig trees may grow to be several decades old, if they are well cared for. Figs are usually propagated by planting cuttings. The pollination of the flowers is an amazingly intricate process closely linked to the life cycle of a tiny wasp, and the fact that fig trees, like papayas and date palms, are male or female. (There are now some kinds of figs that produce fruit without pollination.) The fruits are about the size of a hen’s egg and can be green, yellow, purple, or brown depending on the type. They are sweet and soft and difficult to transport. For that reason most farmers dry the fruits before shipping them. The “fruit” of the fig is technically a strangely shaped flower. Noting the absence of a “real” flower, the ancient people of India called it a flowerless tree.
The common fig tree, along with the vine and the olive, is one of the three “top trees” for the Jews. The Bible refers to the fig over 270 times. The image of peace and happiness in Israel was “every man under his vine and under his fig tree” (1 Kings 4:25).
Wild figs are common throughout the tropical world; there are at least eight hundred species of Ficus, thirty-two in southern Africa alone. The banyan, peepul, and bo are all types of fig. The fruits of wild fig trees are not nearly as juicy or sweet as those of the domesticated ones. In many places people eat the fruit when they find it in the wild, but do not market it or cultivate the trees. Translators are urged to use the local word, and, if necessary, use a footnote to indicate the difference between the local one and the biblical one. Where it is not known at all, transliterations from a major language may be used in nonfigurative contexts.
Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)
Translation commentary on Hosea 2:12
In this section the discourse continues moving back and forth rapidly between the figures in the allegory (the prostitute, lovers, and payment) and the reality of Israel’s festivals, vineyards, and fig trees. The translator should make sure that the translation accommodates the multiple layers of interpretation that the text offers, so that the reader can make these switches and is not restricted to one single interpretation. Depending on the receptor language, specific stylistic or literary devices may have to be employed to ensure that the allegorical nature here can be recognized.
And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees …: This verse describes the destruction of vegetation, which Yahweh hinted at earlier (2.3, 9). The Hebrew verb for lay waste is a general term for willful destruction, as in war. It has connotations of desolation. It only occurs here in Hosea. Translators should use a verb that fits the complete destruction of a vineyard or a grove of fig trees, such as “ruin” (New International Version) or “ravage” (Revised English Bible). The repeated and emphatic use of the possessive pronoun her continues in this verse.
Vines are the plants on which grapes grow for making wine. Farmers prune them and tend them carefully. Fig trees bear brown, sweet fruit, which is round but tapering to the stem. If fig trees are unknown in the receptor language, a more generic expression is acceptable, such as “fruit trees.” Both grapes and figs were harvested at the same time. They were important ingredients for one of the annual festivals.
Of which she said: As in 2.5 and 2.7, this quote frame probably introduces what the woman thought, not what she actually said. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh makes this clear by rendering this line and the next two as “Which she thinks are a fee she received from her lovers.”
These are my hire, which my lovers have given me are the thoughts of the woman. Hire translates a Hebrew word used for payment made to a prostitute. New Revised Standard Version says “pay,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “fee,” which is an even clearer hint at her payment as a prostitute. In any case, a term should be used that indicates that the payment is in exchange for services rendered. My lovers refers to the pagan gods (see 2.5). Israel thought that her grapevines and fig trees were gifts from those gods in response to her pagan sacrifices. In the allegory, Israel is the prostitute who thought these things were her payment (see 2.8). Like New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Good News Translation uses an indirect quote here by rendering these two lines and the previous one as “which she said her lovers gave her for serving them.” Other languages may prefer doing this if direct speech would give the impression that the first person singular pronouns my and me refer to Yahweh instead of the woman.
I will make them a forest: God will cause the vineyards and fig trees to be overgrown with weeds, bushes, and even trees. They will become like a jungle infested with wild animals. The pronoun them refers to the vineyards and fig trees, which Good News Translation makes clear by saying “her vineyards and orchards.” Good News Translation translates forest as “wilderness,” which should not be understood as a desert. Bible en français courant is better with “bushy area,” and so is New Jerusalem Bible with “jungle.”
And the beasts of the field shall devour them: The beasts of the field refers to “the wild animals” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). They will eat whatever remains of the grapes and figs. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders this line as “what still grows will be eaten up by wild animals.”
A translation model for this verse is:
• I will ruin her vines and fig trees
of which she thought
these were her fees
received from her lovers.
I will turn the vines and fig trees into a jungle,
and wild animals will eat them.
Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 2:12
2:12a
I will destroy her vines and fig trees, which she thinks are the wages paid by her lovers: This verse refers back to 2:5, which lists gifts from the woman’s lovers in payment for the sexual relations she had with them. Here her lovers may refer to the Baal idols that Israel worshiped in various shrines. Israel considered her vines and fig trees as wages from these Baals in exchange for her worship.
If grapes and fig trees are unknown in your language group, you may want to add pictures. You may also want to include descriptions in a footnote.
vines: This word refers to grape vines. Grapes were one of the most important crops for the people of Israel. Wine was made from the juice of this fruit. Some versions make the kind of vine explicit. For example:
grapevines (Good News Translation)
-or-
vineyards (New Living Translation (2004))
A vineyard is a farm where grape vines grow and produce grapes.
Here are some other ways to translate “vineyard”:
grape farm
-or-
field of grape vines
fig trees: Fig trees produced another very important and useful fruit for the Israelites. Figs were very nourishing and were also used as medicine (2 Kings 20:7).
In language areas where fig trees are not known, here are some other ways to translate this term:
• Use a more general term. For example:
orchards (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
fruit trees
• Use a loan word(s) from a major language in your area. For example:
igo trees (from Spanish higo)
If you use this option, people should clearly understand that the loan word refers to a kind of fruit tree.
General Comment on 2:12a
In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder the two clauses within this verse part. For example:
She said that her lovers paid her for sex by giving her grapevines and fig trees. But I am going to destroy those vines and fig trees.
In some languages, it may also be necessary to use a direct quote instead of an indirect quote. For example:
I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, ‘These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.’ (English Standard Version)
2:12b
So I will make them into a thicket: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as thicket refers to a tangled area of plants and trees.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase
I shall leave them to grow wild (Revised English Bible)
-or-
I will let them grow into tangled thickets (New Living Translation (2004))
Use an expression in your language that describes an area that once was cultivated, but later was allowed to grow wild.
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