steadfast love

The Hebrew that is translated as “steadfast love,” “lovingkindness” (Goldingay 2018: “commitment”) or similar in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Vidunda: “love of enduring” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Bura-Pabir: “love which cannot be-changed” (hyirkur na a palidzi wa)
  • Hausa Common Language Bible “his love without changing” (kaunarsa marar canjawa) (source for this and above: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Elhomwe: “love that does not finish” (echikondi yoohisintheya) (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Nyamwezi: chelu, combining “love,” “faithfulness,” “loyalty,” and “kindness” (source: James Lundeen)
  • Newari: dayāmāyā (दयामाया), a compound word made from two Sanskrit-derived terms: dayā (दया) or “compassion, mercy, kindness” and māyā (माया) or “love, affection” (source: Newari Back Translation)

In Pijin tinghevi long or “think heavy about” is used. “The Pijin expression ‘think heavy about’ is very much within the domain of committed relationships. The relationship between father and child, husband and wife, God and His people. There is a very strong element of ‘loyalty’ in this expression.” (Source: Bob Carter)

See also mercy and pain-love.

mercy

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin terms that are typically translated as “mercy” (or “compassion” or “kindness”) in English are translated in various ways. Bratcher / Nida classify them in (1) those based on the quality of heart, or other psychological center, (2) those which introduce the concept of weeping or extreme sorrow, (3) those which involve willingness to look upon and recognize the condition of others, or (4) those which involve a variety of intense feelings.

While the English mercy originates from the Latin merces, originally “price paid,” Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Corsican, Catalan, Friulian) and other Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Danish — Barmherzigkeit, barmhärtighet and barmhjertighed, respectively) tend to follow the Latin misericordia, lit. “misery-heart.”

Here are some other (back-) translations:

See also steadfast love.

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Judg 1:24)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding the man coming out of the city.

complete verse (Judges 1:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 1:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “When those spies arrived there, (they) saw a man coming from the city. (They) said to that man, ‘Show us (a) way/path which goes to the city, so that we do not do anything (bad) to you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “These who came spying, having seen a man coming out of the city, said to him, "Tell us how to go into the city and we will not do you any harm."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “the spies saw a man coming-out from that-particular town. They said to him, ‘Show us (excl.) how (we excl) can-enter into the town and we (excl.) will- not -harm you (plur.).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The spies saw a man who was coming out of the city. They said to him, ‘If you show us a way to get into the city, we will be kind to you and we will not kill you.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Judges 1:24

And the spies saw a man coming out of the city: The descendants of Joseph evidently got as far as the town, where they waited outside the wall. And translates the Hebrew waw conjunction, which should be rendered in a natural way, for example, “Then,” or possibly omitted. Some languages may need a transition phrase to begin this verse, for example, “When the spies got to the city” or “Outside the city walls.”

Here the spies renders a participle of a different Hebrew verb (shamar), which is literally “those watching/keeping guard.” Having arrived outside the city, the Israelites were looking for ways to get into the town without being noticed. They had only simple weapons, so they had to find a way into the well-defended town. It would have been obvious to the local Canaanites that these people waiting outside were strangers, so these spies had to figure out a way in. An illustration of a walled city would help the reader imagine the situation, especially if the target audience does not live in cities surrounded by walls.

Saw renders a Hebrew verb root that occurs twice in this verse (translated show the second time). The spies see a man coming out of Bethel. This is the first occurrence of the Hebrew verb meaning “come out” (yatsaʾ), which plays a very important role throughout this book, but especially in the appendices (verse 20.1, 21; verse 21.24).

And they said to him, “Pray, show us the way into the city”: The Israelite spies stop a local resident and ask him to tell them how to enter the town. This request from the spies sounds almost too polite for the circumstances. Pray renders the Hebrew particle naʾ, which may also be translated “Please.” The Hebrew verb rendered show is a causative form of the verb for “see,” literally “make us see.” The Hebrew word for way is related to the verb for “come” or “enter” and thus refers to the entrance to the city. However, obviously the Israelites are not referring to the main gate but to a secret passageway. Oftentimes, in ancient cities there was a tunnel dug from inside to bring water into the city from a well or spring outside its walls. Archaeologists have discovered many such tunnels in ancient cities in the area. The city of Hazor is especially famous for this, as was Hezekiah’s tunnel (verse 2 Kgs 20.20). For city see verse 1.8. We might say “Please show us how to get into the town.” Using indirect speech, we might say “The spies asked him to please tell them how to get into the town,” but this takes away from the liveliness of the exchange.

And we will deal kindly with you: Like the previous clause, this statement seems overly polite. Kindly renders the Old Testament Hebrew key term chesed, which is often translated “kindness” in other contexts. It is the same word that Rahab uses when she discusses her fate with the Israelite spies: “Now then, swear to me by the LORD that as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house” (verse 2.12). For deal kindly with you, we could say “treat you well.” Good News Translation uses language associated with a threat by translating this clause as “we won’t hurt you.” Contemporary English Version is similar with “we will make sure that you aren’t harmed.” Some languages may prefer indirect speech, for example, “they promised to treat him well [or, not harm him].”

Translators may choose to render the spies’ words as a condition-consequence (if-then) construction, for example, “If you tell us how to get into the city, we will protect you [or, spare your life].” Taken at face value, the spies are speaking very kindly to the man, but this is really a veiled threat. The spies may have even been holding a knife to the man’s throat!

For the translation of this verse some models are:

• The spies noticed a man coming out of the town and they said to him, “Please, tell us how to get inside the town. If you do, then we will make sure nothing happens to you.”

• The men waiting outside saw a man coming out of the town. They stopped him and said, “Please show us the secret entrance, so we can be kind to you.”

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .