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 (Joshua 11:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 11:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “Those kings came with their very many soldiers. They came with horses and countless carts that were pulled.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “They came bringing their troops. Their number was very great, and their many horses and chariots were like the sand of the seashore.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “All these kings arrived, with their soldiers their number (was) the same as the sand of the seashore. They also had-many horses and chariots.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So the armies of all those kings gathered together, bringing their horses and chariots. There seemed to be as many soldiers as grains of sand on the seashore.” (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 Joshua 11:4

The huge size of the enemy army is described in the common expression, “as many as the grains of sand on the seashore.” Readers who know anything about an ocean would have no difficulty understanding this figure of speech. However, even though it may be understood, many cultures will have expressions of their own which are more meaningful. For example, “as many men as there are trees in the jungle.”

The Hittite chariot was pulled by two horses and carried the driver and two warriors. It is possible to mention in one sentence the soldiers, horses, and chariots, and then to make the comparison in a separate sentence: “They brought together many soldiers and also a large number of war chariots that were drawn by horses. They had as many soldiers as there are grains of sand on the seashore.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .