The Value of Studying Key Terms in the Target Language

In the Bible there are practices, ideas, concepts and elements of culture that are not known in various cultures and languages of today. Some of these practices, ideas and concepts which have special significance are sometimes known as Key Biblical Terms. The correct translation of these words is crucial for the communication and understanding of the message of the Bible. Barnwell (2020) outlines five steps in translating Key Biblical Terms as follows: Study the meaning, compare with similar words, write a list of possible solutions, choose the most appropriate solution and test your choice. The focus appears to be on the source language and has less to do with the target language, perhaps based on the assumption that since the translators are speakers of the language, once they understand the meaning in the source text, they will automatically know how to express it in the target language. This paper argues that it is also important to study the proposed word in the target language and compare it with other related words in order to choose the best expression for the translation. A careful study and comparison of the two Yala expressions chɛ̄ku and de ɔtū che used in translating the Greek pisteuo (‘I believe’ in English) in John demonstrate the value of studying key terms in the target language with as much attention as in the source language.