The Bible Translator: Volume 37, Issue 2

Non-church people, women, and people of child-bearing age should take priority over church people, men, old people and teenagers when defining a target audience for a translation. Education levels and social classes must be considered. While working, translators should have in mind four or five particular individuals who are typical of the target audience. View Less

When transliterating or borrowing proper nouns, original Greek or Hebrew forms and native sound patterns should be considered. Terms for God generally exist in the receptor language. When the meaning of the noun is important to the context, translation may require parentheses or a footnote. Examples include compound names, derived forms, qualifiers, variant spellings, book names. View Less

Since Scriptures are being given to unchurched people, some cultural, historical and religious background material must be included in translation. Lengthier pieces of information may be introduced in footnotes, glossaries or brief introductions to each book. View Less

Jeremiah uses standard expressions of well-being but shifts their use to convey the theme of punishment and doom. This shows the people how their expectations of well-being were to be disappointed and it captures the audience’s attention. Examples. Translators should attempt to retain their “punch line” impact. View Less

The Monkole (Benin) term kuma means “clear, rational, true.” Its components do not match Greek hagios, “clean, pure, holy, sinless.” Translators are now looking at alternative expressions: to cause to be without fault, to be given to God wholly, to clean. View Less

Lack of a published OT can hinder readers understanding of NT allusions to OT characters. Translators can add some of these names to the Word List of the NT. Suggests entries. View Less

For some cultures (like the Bataks of North Sumatra) biblical genealogies are not simply passages which are boring and without meaning. In fact, these lists of ancestors are means by which they identify with biblical culture and history. In translating the genealogies, attention needs to be paid to the standard form of genealogical lists in the receptor language. This is illustrated from Matthew 1:2–16, Luke 3:23–28, and OT genealogies. View Less

In Bokyi, a language spoken in the Cross River State of Nigeria, the reversal of word order in the phrase “Jesus Christ” would indicate two different people. The translator must be careful not to confuse his readers. View Less

The translator must be careful to mark a narrative as a parable if there are no literary conventions which distinguish between historical and non-historical events. View Less

While the GNB translation of “Mount Seir” as “Edom” is acceptable, there is one place where this is illegitimate: Jos. 15:10. View Less

The GNB translators were not consistent in their translation of shekel. It is probably best to consistently translate the term in reference to weight. View Less

Translations must reflect good royal style when speaking to Kings in the context of a narrative, such as 2 Kings 18:13–37. Translators must be sensitive to the cultural styles and variations of the receptor language. View Less

Discusses the principles followed and the problems encountered in producing a version of the NT for children by the Indonesian Bible Society. View Less