truth

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is usually translated in English as “truth” is translated in Luchazi with vusunga: “the quality of being straight” (source: E. Pearson in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 160ff. ), in Obolo as atikọ or “good/correct talk” (source: Enene Enene), and in Ekari as maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (esp. in John 14:6 and 17; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).

The translation committee of the Malay “Good News Bible” (Alkitab Berita Baik, see here ) wrestled with the translation of “truth” in the Gospel of John (for more information click or tap here):

“Our Malay Committee also concluded that ‘truth’ as used in the Gospel of John was used either of God himself, or of God’s revelation of himself, or in an extended sense as a reference to those who had responded to God’s self-disclosure. In John 8:32 the New Malay translation reads ‘You will know the truth about God, and the truth about God will make you free.’ In John 8:44 this meaning is brought out by translating, ‘He has never been on the side of God, because there is no truth in him.’ Accordingly Jesus ‘tells the truth about God’ in 8:45, 46 (see also 16:7 and 8:37a). Then, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ becomes ‘I am the one who leads men to God, the one who reveals who and what God is, and the one who gives men life.” At 3:21 the translation reads ” … whoever obeys the truth, that is God himself, comes to the light …’; 16:13a appears as ‘he will lead you into the full truth about God’; and in 18:37 Jesus affirms ‘I came into the world to reveal the truth about God, and whoever obeys God listens to me.’ On this basis also 1:14 was translated ‘we saw his glory, the glory which he had as the Father’s only Son. Through him God has completely revealed himself (truth) and his love for us (grace)’; and 1:17 appears as ‘God gave the law through Moses; but through Jesus Christ he has completely revealed himself (truth) and his love for us (grace).'” (Source: Barclay Newman in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 432ff. )

Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) tells of the translation into Kui which usually is “true-thing.” In some instances however, such as in the second part of John 17:17 (“your word is truth” in English), the use of “true-thing” indicated that there might be other occasions when it’s not true, so here the translation was a a form of “pure, holy.”

complete verse (Job 6:13)

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

  • Kupsabiny: “Truly, I have no strength in my life,
    and there is nowhere I can still be getting any help.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “What! I don’t have the strength to help myself, do I?
    What! Wisdom is drifting far from me, isn’t it?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I do not have strength to save myself. I do not have a chance anymore to succeed.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So I am not able to help myself,
    and it seems that there is no one to rescue me.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Job 6:13

In truth I have no help in me: In truth translates a word that occurs elsewhere only in Numbers 17.13. There it is translated as introducing a question. The remainder of the line is literally “not my help within me,” which appears most likely to mean “I am unable to help myself.” Many modern translations understand this line to be a question; for example, New English Bible has “Oh how shall I find help within myself?” and New Jerusalem Bible “Can I support myself on nothing?” Syriac and Vulgate render it “behold there is no….” Dahood combines the first two Hebrew words of the line to get “Should I increase a hundredfold.” The basic meaning is that Job is at the end of his power to endure.

The two lines are parallel in sense. And any resource is driven from me: resource translates the same word rendered “success” by Revised Standard Version in 5.12. In the present verse it means help, counsel, support. Some scholars suggest a modification to the text to get deliverance or salvation, which is reflected in Good News Translation as “strength left to save myself.” In many languages the passive is driven from me will have to be replaced by an active construction; for example, “I cannot depend on anyone to support me,” “there is no one else to strengthen me,” or “there is no one to rescue me.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .