hungry

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated in English as “hungry” (or: “famished”) is translated in a number of ways:

  • Noongar: “without stomach” (koborl-wirt) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Kölsch translation (publ. 2017): nix zo Käue han or “have nothing to chew on” and singe Mage hät geknottert wie ne Hungk or “his stomach growled like a dog” (source: Jost Zetzsche)
  • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Hunger überfiel ihn or “Hunger overtook (lit.: “attacked”) him” (in Matthew 4:2)
  • Kupsabiny: “hunger ate him” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Mairasi: “feeling tuber pains” (tubers are the main staple) (source Enggavoter 2004)

If your enemies are hungry . . .

For the phrase “If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink; for you will heap coals of fire on their heads,” see Romans 12:20.

Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as “If your enemy is hungry, nourish him; if he is thirsty, give him to drink. For by doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head.” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)

drink

In Telugu different verbs for humans drinking (tāgu / తాగు) and animals drinking (cēḍu / చేడు) are required.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 25:21

Verses 21-22 form a unit in which verse 22 is the reason given for following the advice of verse 21. Paul cites these verses in Rom 12.20, omitting the second line of verse 22.

“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat”: “Enemy” is literally “one who hates you,” but some translators make the term plural. “Bread” is used generally for “food,” and in many areas “food” will serve better in translation than “bread”, which is sometimes little known and seldom eaten. So we may say, for example, “If your enemy [or, the one who hates you] is hungry, give him something to eat.”

“And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink”: This line is parallel to the first in form and meaning.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

complete verse (Proverbs 25:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 25:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “When/if a person who hates you is hungry, feed (him), or when/if he is thirsty, draw water for (him).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat,
    and if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If your (sing.) enemy is hungry, have-(him)-eat; if thirsty, have-(him)-drink.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If/When your (sing.) enemy is-hungry, feed-(him); if he-is-thirsty, cause-(him)-to-drink.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat;
    if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;” (Source: Translation for Translators)