by Mark D. Taylor, NLT Bible Translation Committee
There are many figures of speech in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. These include metaphors and similes. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines metaphor as “a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them.” And a simile is “a figure of speech comparing two unlike things and often using like or as (as in cheeks like roses)” (In each example below the bolded words or phrases are used to show the metaphor or simile.)
Many metaphors are easy to translate, and the reader will readily understand it—even if it’s not a metaphor we use in English. For example, Jesus described himself as a good shepherd, though he was not a literal sheep-tending shepherd. But his listeners knew a lot about shepherds, since they were part of everyday life in ancient Israel. And most modern readers don’t have any trouble understanding that metaphor. Jesus meant that he was a leader who loved and cared for his followers.
But other metaphors are more challenging to understand, and Bible translators have to decide whether to translate the metaphor literally or translate the meaning of the metaphor.
For example, one Hebrew metaphor is gird up one’s loins. The literal meaning of this expression is to pull up the hem of one’s long tunic and tuck it into a belt, thereby making it easier to run. We see this expression in 1 Kings 18:46. The KJV renders it literally, while most modern translations translate the meaning, as in the NLT:
| 1 Kings 18:46, King James Version | 1 Kings 18:46, New Living Translation |
| “And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.” | “Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.” |
Peter used this metaphor figuratively (a metaphor within a metaphor!) in 1 Peter 1:13. The NKJV renders it literally, while most modern translations translate the meaning, as in the NLT:
| 1 Peter 1:13, New King James Version | 1 Peter 1:13, New Living Translation |
| “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” | So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. |
There are many figures of speech in the Song of Songs. For instance, the young man describes his lover’s beauty this way:
| Song of Songs 4:1, English Standard Version | Song of Songs 4:1, New Living Translation |
| Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead. | You are beautiful, my darling, beautiful beyond words. Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats winding down the slopes of Gilead. |
Note that the NLT expands these metaphors to help the reader understand the meaning of the poetic language. A literal metaphor, as in the ESV, is “Your eyes are doves.” The NLT renders it as a simile: “Your eyes are like doves.” And in the second part of the verse, the Hebrew uses a simile: “Your hair is like a flock of goats.” But the NLT clarifies the simile to help the reader get a visual image of the woman’s hair: “Your hair falls in waves, like a flock of goats.” The meaning, which would have been clear to an ancient reader, is obscure to most modern readers. The NLT translators recognize that for translation to be effective, the meaning—not just the words—must be clear to the English reader.
In another example, the Apostle Paul uses a metaphor to describe the lack of love he senses from the Corinthian church. He uses graphic anatomical terminology to describe his relationship with the Corinthians, but most modern translations, including the NLT, render the meaning more clearly for a contemporary audience:
| 2 Corinthians 6:12, King James Version | 2 Corinthians 6:12, New Living Translation |
| Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. | There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. |
As a final example, we may note that many Hebrew names are plays on words. For instance, in Genesis 25:26 we read about the birth of the twins Esau and Jacob: “Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob.” To the original Hebrew audience, that made perfect sense. But English readers see no connection there. Why does it say “so they named him Jacob”? To give the reader a clue, the NLT adds a footnote that reads, “Jacob sounds like the Hebrew words for ‘heel’ and ‘deceiver.’”
These are all examples of metaphorical language that can be challenging for translators. Thankfully, many metaphors and similes are clear enough to modern readers. But many others have to be explained for the benefit of English readers. Bible readers are often confused or need to consult reference works to understand ancient metaphors. The NLT, with its emphasis on translating meaning as a crucial part of the translation process, often provides the explanation within the text itself.
May we take to heart these figures of speech as we read and meditate on passages from the Bible.