In Bauzi “swear” can be translated in various ways. In Hebrews 6:13, for instance, it is translated with “bones break apart and decisively speak.” (“No bones are literally broken but by saying ‘break bones’ it is like people swear by someone else in this case it is in relation to a rotting corpse’ bones falling apart. If you ‘break bones’ so to speak when you make an utterance, it is a true utterance.”) In other passages, such as in Matthew 26:72, it’s translated with an expression that implies taking ashes (“if a person wants everyone to know that he is telling the truth about a matter, he reaches down into the fireplace, scoops up some ashes and throws them while saying ‘I was not the one who did that.'”). So in Matthew 26:72 the Bauzi text is: “. . . Peter took ashes and defended himself saying, ‘I don’t know that Nazareth person.'” (Source: David Briley)
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 inclusive pronoun, including everyone.
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Benjamin” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “wolf,” referring to Genesis 49:27. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 21:18:
Kupsabiny: “But we are not able to allow these people to marry our girls, because we made vows to God that God should curse any man who gave his daughter in marriage to a man from the clan of Benjamin.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “But we cannot give our daughters to them in marriage, for we have sworn an oath, saying, ‘Anyone who gives [his] daughter child to a Benjaminite, [that] man will fall under a curse.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “But (it is) not possible that we (excl.) will-cause-to-marry with them our (excl.) female children/(daughters) because we (excl.) already had-promised that the one-who-will-do this will-be-cursed.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “But we cannot allow our daughters to marry these men, because we vowed that Yahweh will curse anyone who gives one of his daughters to become a wife of any man of the tribe of Benjamin.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The Israelite leaders continue with the same reasoning they used in the previous episode. They had vowed to not give their daughters in marriage to the surviving Benjaminites (verse 21.1), so they must find wives for them in some other way.
Yet we cannot give them wives of our daughters is literally “And we, we cannot give them wives from our daughters.” This sentence continues the quote of the previous verse. The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered Yet is followed by an emphatic pronoun for we, so it introduces a contrast here. Other possible ways to begin this verse are “But we can’t…” (Contemporary English Version), “But as for us, we cannot…,” and even “However, it is out of the question that we….” For give them wives of our daughters, see verse 1.12 and verse 21.1. This whole sentence may be rendered “But we cannot allow our daughters to marry them.”
For the people of Israel had sworn: The quote of the Israelite leaders has ended as the first person reference switches to third person. The narrator comes back to the former explanation. However, many versions seem to assume the Israelites’ quote continues here (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible). ver CEVver*, for example, says “We made a sacred promise not to do that, and if we break our promise, we will be under our own curse.” However, this change does not seem warranted. Though repetitive, this verse gives the precise content of the curse accompanying their oath.
The Hebrew particle ki rendered For introduces why the Israelites could not allow their daughters to marry the Benjaminites. The people of Israel is literally “the sons [or, children] of Israel” (see verse 1.1). For had sworn, see verse 21.1.
Cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin: This is a direct quote of the Israelites’ actual curse. The passive verb Cursed be implies that Yahweh will curse the person who does such a thing, so in some languages we might say “May Yahweh curse [or, punish] the one who….” For the practice of cursing, see the comments on verse 5.23. He who gives correctly renders the Hebrew participle here, which may also be translated “anyone who gives” (New Revised Standard Version) or “the person who gives.” Gives a wife to may be expressed as “marries his daughter to” or “gives his daughter to marry.” The translation should reflect the marriage practices of the Israelites and not those of the target culture. In ancient Israel young women did not choose their own marriage partners.
Translation models for this verse are:
• However, for our part, we cannot possibly allow our daughters to marry them.” In effect, the people had sworn, “May Yahweh punish anyone who lets his daughter marry a Benjaminite.”
• But there is no way we can give our daughters to become wives of the Benjaminites.” Indeed, the people had made a solemn vow, saying, “Cursed is the person who gives his daughter in marriage to a Benjaminite.”
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 .
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