image

The Greek that is rendered as “image” in English translations is translated in Pökoot with körkeyïn, a word that is also used to translate words like parable and example.

See also parable.

eternity, forever, forever and ever

The Greek that is typically translated as “eternity,” “forever,” or “forever and ever” in English are translated in Mairasi as “mashed out infinitely.” Lloyd Peckham explains: “Bark cloth required pounding. It got longer and wider as it got pounded. Similarly, life gets pounded or mashed to lengthen it into infinity. Tubers also get mashed into the standard way of serving the staple food, like the fufu of Uganda, or like poi of Hawaii. It spreads out into infinity.” (Source: Lloyd Peckham)

In Lisu the phrase “forever and ever” is translated as ꓕꓲꓽ ꓞꓲꓼ ꓕꓲ ꓑ — thi tsi thi pa, verbatim translated as “one – lifetime – one – world.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 57f.)

In Makonde it is often translated as navyaka or “years and years.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

See also forever, eternal life and salvation.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Concepts of Eternity .

worship

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The Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are often translated as “worship” (also, “kneel down” or “bow down”) are likewise translated in other languages in certain categories, including those based on physical activity, those which incorporate some element of “speaking” or “declaring,” and those which specify some type of mental activity.

Following is a list of (back-) translations (click or tap for details):

  • Javanese: “prostrate oneself before”
  • Malay: “kneel and bow the head”
  • Kaqchikel: “kneel before”
  • Loma (Liberia): “drop oneself beneath God’s foot”
  • Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “wag the tail before God” (using a verb which with an animal subject means “to wag the tail,” but with a human subject)
  • Tzotzil: “join to”
  • Kpelle: “raise up a blessing to God”
  • Kekchí: “praise as your God”
  • Cashibo-Cacataibo: “say one is important”
  • San Blas Kuna: “think of God with the heart”
  • Rincón Zapotec: “have one’s heart go out to God”
  • Tabasco Chontal: “holy-remember” (source of this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Bariai: “lift up God’s name” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Q’anjob’al: “humble oneself before” (source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. )
  • Alur: rwo: “complete submission, adoration, consecration” (source: F. G. Lasse in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 22ff. )
  • Obolo: itọtọbọ ebum: “express reverence and devotion” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Ngäbere: “cut oneself down before” (“This figure of speech comes from the picture of towering mahoganies in the forest which, under the woodman’s ax, quiver, waver, and then in solemn, thunderous crashing bury their lofty heads in the upstretched arms of the surrounding forest. This is the experience of every true worshiper who sees ‘the Lord, high and lifted up.’ Our own unworthiness brings us low. As the Valientes say, ‘we cut ourselves down before’ His presence. Our heads, which have been carried high in self-confidence, sink lower and lower in worship.)
  • Tzeltal: “end oneself before God.” (“Only by coming to the end of oneself can one truly worship. The animist worships his deities in the hope of receiving corresponding benefits, and some pagans in Christendom think that church attendance is a guarantee of success in this life and good luck in the future. But God has never set a price on worship except the price that we must pay, namely, ‘coming to the end of ourselves.'”) (Source of this and the one above: Nida 1952, p. 163)
  • Folopa: “die under God” (“an idiom that roughly back-translates “dying under God” which means lifting up his name and praising him and to acknowledge by everything one does and thanks that God is superior.”) (Source: Anderson / Moore, p. 202)
  • Chokwe: kuivayila — “rub something on” (“When anyone goes into the presence of a king or other superior, according to native law and custom the inferior gets down on the ground, takes a little earth in the fingers of his right hand, rubs it on his own body, and then claps his hands in homage and the greeting of friendship. It is a token of veneration, of homage, of extreme gratitude for some favor received. It is also a recognition of kingship, lordship, and a prostrating of oneself in its presence. Yet it simply is the applicative form of ‘to rub something on oneself’, this form of the verb giving the value of ‘because of.’ Thus in God’s presence as king and Lord we metaphorically rub dirt on ourselves, thus acknowledging Him for what He really is and what He has done for us.”) (Source: D. B. Long in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 87ff. )

In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:

Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.

complete verse (Revelation 14:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 14:11:

  • Uma: “The smoke from the fire that persecutes them goes up/billows forever. Day and night there is no stopping of their being persecuted, because they worshipped the evil animal and its idol, and they received the sign of the name of that animal.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And the fire for punishing them will smoke without end. The ones who worshiped the creature and his statue and were marked with the name of the creature, there will be no rest from their suffering day and night.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The fire of their torment, it will smoke forever, and their torment will never stop day or night because they worship the beast and the image of the beast and they cause themselves to be marked with the mark of the name of the beast.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The smoke will continually be-rising coming-from where they are being hardshipped forever. Day and night, their suffering will not be alleviated, because they are the ones who worshipped the fearsome animal and the animal-image that was his likeness, and they were also marked with the name of the fearsome animal.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As for that fire which causes them suffering, it really won’t die down till forever. Really night and day, there’s no rest from suffering for these who worshipped that monster and his image, and had themselves branded with that mark which signifies his name.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the smoke which will come from where these people suffer, it will never rest forever. Day and night the calamity will be suffered by those who worshiped the terrible animal or his idol or were marked with the name of the terrible animal.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 14:11

The smoke of their torment: this means “the smoke of the fire that torments them.” For torment see “torture” at 9.5.

Goes up for ever and ever: if it is not natural to speak simply of the smoke rising forever, it may be better to say “The fire in which they are tormented (or, are punished) will burn forever” or “The fire that is tormenting (or, punishing) them will burn forever (or, never stop burning).”

They have no rest: this means they will have no relief from their suffering (see “they never cease,” 4.8). One may also translate “those who worship … will suffer continually (or, day and night).”

And whoever receives the mark of its name: this does not refer to another group, different from those who worship the beast and its image (or, statue); it is another way of describing them. Good News Translation has tried to make this equivalence clear, but it may be made even clearer by saying “Those who worship the beast and its statue and have on them the mark of its name will have no relief, day or night, from their suffering.” For the mark of its name, see 13.16-17. Here it means that they are marked with the name of the beast.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• The fire that torments them will burn forever. For those people who worship the beast and its statue (or, image) and have the mark of its name on them will never stop suffering.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 14:11

14:11a

And the smoke of their torment rises: The fire and sulfur of 14:10c torment those who worship the beast. So the smoke from that fire is evidence of their continuing torment. In some languages it is more natural to explain the metaphor in your translation. For example:

And the smoke ⌊from the fire⌋ of their torment rises
-or-
And the smoke from their burning pain will rise (New Century Version)

forever and ever: The Greek phrase is literally “into the ages of the ages.” The word “age” refers to a very long time. The phrase “the ages of the ages” refers to eternity. For example:

for timeless ages (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

See how you translated this phrase in 1:6 or 10:6.

14:11b–d

Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name: The Greek words are literally “They do not have rest day and night, the ones worshiping the beast and its image and anyone who takes the mark of his name.” The words “The ones worshiping the beast and its image and anyone who takes the mark of his name” explain to whom the pronoun “They” refers. For example:

they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name (Revised Standard Version)

Also see the General Comment on 14:11b–d about reordering it.

14:11b–c

Day and night: This phrase means “at all times.” The suffering does not stop at any time.

there is no rest: This phrase indicates that the torment never ceases. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

There is no relief (Good News Translation)
-or-
There will be no respite (Revised English Bible)

In some languages it is necessary or more natural to translate the word rest as a verb. For example:

They will not be able to rest ⌊from the torment⌋

14:11d

anyone who receives the mark of its name: The mark is the symbol of the beast’s name, as explained in 13:16c–18d. See a similar phrase in 14:9.

General Comment on 14:11b–d

The Greek begins with the pronoun “they.” Then it explains to whom the pronoun refers. In some languages it is more natural to describe them first. For example:

11c Those who worship the beast and his image, 11d or anyone who receives the mark of his name 11b will have no rest day or night.

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