burnt-offering

The Hebrew olah (עֹלָה) originally means “that which goes up (in smoke).” English Bibles often translates it as “burnt-offering” or “whole burnt-offering,” focusing on the aspect of the complete burning of the offering.

The Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate Bibles translate it as holokautōma / holocautōsis (ὁλοκαύτωμα / ὁλοκαύτωσις) and holocaustum, respectively, meaning “wholly burnt.” While a form of this term is widely used in many Romance languages (Spanish: holocaustos, French: holocaustes, Italian: olocausti, Portuguese: holocaustos) and originally also in the Catholic tradition of English Bible translations, it is largely not used in English anymore today (the preface of the revised edition of the Catholic New American Bible of 2011: “There have been changes in vocabulary; for example, the term ‘holocaust’ is now normally reserved for the sacrilegious attempt to destroy the Jewish people by the Third Reich.”)

Since translation into Georgian was traditionally done on the basis of the Greek Septuagint, a transliteration of holokautōma was used as well, which was changed to a translation with the meaning of “burnt offering” when the Old Testament was retranslated in the 1980’s on the basis of the Hebrew text.

In the Koongo (Ki-manianga) translation by the Alliance Biblique de la R.D. Congo (publ. in 2015) olah is translated as “kill and offer sacrifice” (source: Anicet Bassilua) and in Elhomwe as “fire offering.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

The English translation of Everett Fox uses offering-up (similarly, the German translation by Buber-Rosenzweig has Darhöhung and the French translation by Chouraqui montée).

See also offering (qorban).

Aaron

The name that is transliterated as “Aaron” in English is translated in Catalan Sign Language and Spanish Sign Language as “stones on chest plate” (according to Exodus 28:15-30) (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


“Aaron” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In Colombian Sign Language, Honduras Sign Language, and American Sign Language, the chest plate is outlined (in ASL it is outlined using the letter “A”):


“Aaron” in ASL (source )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Moses, more information on Aaron , and this lectionary in The Christian Century .

complete verse (Leviticus 6:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 6:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘Tell Aaron and his sons that this is the law about sacrifices that are burned completely. The sacrifices that are burned completely must stay on the altar until daybreak and the fire must burn all that time.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Command Aaron and his sons like this, ‘This is the rule of burnt offerings — A burnt offering must stay on the altar all night and until morning. The fire on the altar must be burning. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The LORD commanded Moises to tell Aaron and his male children of these regulations/[lit. what-is-to-be-followed] concerning the burnt offering:
    This offering must be-left on the altar until (it) becomes-morning, and the fire on the altar must be-kept blazing/burning.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Tell this to Aaron and his sons: These are the regulations concerning the offerings that will be completely burned on the altar: The offering must remain on the altar all during the night, and the fire on the altar must always be kept burning.” (Source: Translation for Translators)