Thesis (DTh (Old and New Testament))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It has been acknowledged in two recent studies that the translation of key biblical terms is an area that needs urgent attention. Many lexicons provide the meaning of a word by describing its etymology, hardly paying any attention to the socio-cultural contexts within which it is used. Thus, lexicons are often of limited value for Bible interpretation and translation. This dissertation argues that the meaning of a word can only be fully determined by taking into consideration the linguistic and socio-cultural contexts within which it functions. A basic assumption is that the biblical source text serves as a frame of reference for the semantic analysis of a particular word. The text provides an integrative semantic and pragmatic framework within which a biblical term must be investigated with reference to its wider socio-cultural setting. In the light of this framework, this study investigates the meaning of dsj in the book of Ruth from a Lomwe perspective. Although the word occurs only three times (Ruth 1:8, 2:20 and 3:10) with reference to Ruth, Boaz and Yahweh as subjects, respectively, the book is a “dsj story”, which represents the essence of the covenant between Yahweh and His people. The essence of this covenant is demonstrated by the main characters of the story, which unveil the theological depth that dsj brings to the understanding of this narrative. Since the aim of the study is to evaluate the suitability of the terms osivela, osivela combined with woororomeleya and ikharari in relation to others that are potentially available in Lomwe to convey the conceptual complexity denoted by dsj, a Cognitive Frames of Reference (CFR) approach was introduced for the translation. To bridge the cognitive gap between the socio-cultural worlds of the biblical audience and the target audience, the study used different dimensions of CFR namely the textual, socio-cultural, communicational and the organizational frames of reference. Using the book of Ruth as a starting point for the translation of the word dsj into Lomwe, it is argued that this approach offers a better understanding of the meaning of dsj in Ruth 1:8, 2:20 and 3:10. Since osivela waya woororomeleya does not do justice to the meaning of dsj in the three passages, the words ikharari (1:8 and 2:20) and oreera murima (3:10) have been proposed as exegetically and socio-culturally more appropriate alternatives. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In twee onlangse studies is aangedui dat daar dringend aandag geskenk behoort te word aan die vertaling van sleutel bybelse terme. Baie woordeboeke verskaf die betekenis van woord deur die etimologie daarvan te beskryf, met beperkte fokus op die sosio-kulturele kontekse waarin dit gebruik word. Gevoglik is die waarde van woordeboeke beperk met betrekking tot bybelinterpretasie en -vertaling. Hierdie proefskrif argumenteer dat die betekenis van woord slegs volkome bepaal kan word deur die inagneming van die literêre en sosio-kulturele kontekste waarin dit funksioneer. Basiese aanname is dat die bybelse bronteks as verwysingsraamwerk dien vir die semantiese analise van bepaalde woord. Die teks verskaf geïntegreerde semantiese en pragmatiese raamwerk waarin bybelse term ondersoek moet word met verwysing na sy breër sosio-kulturele milieu. In die lig van hierdie raamwerk ondersoek hierdie studie dus die betekenis van dsj in die Boek van Rut vanuit Lomwe perspektief. Alhoewel die woord slegs driekeer voorkom (Rut 1:8, 2:20 en 3:10) met betrekking tot onderskeidelik Rut, Boaz en Jahwe as onderwerpe, is die boek “dsj storie” wat die essensie van die verbond tussen Jahwe en sy volk verbeeld. Die wese van dié verbond word gedemonstreer deur die storie se hoofkarakters wat die teologiese diepte van dsj tot beter verstaan van die narratief blootlê. Aangesien die studie evaluering van toepaslike terme osivela, osivela, gekombineer met woororomeleya, en ikharari, in verhouding tot andere wat moontlik in Lomwe beskikbaar is, om die konseptuele kompleksiteit weer te gee, ten doel het, is Kognitiewe Verwysingsraamwerk (KWR) benadering vir vertaling voorgestel. Ten einde die kognitiewe gaping tussen die sosiokulturele wêrelde van die bybelse gehoor en die teikengehoor te oorbrug, het hierdie studie verskillende dimensies van KWR, te wete die tekstuele, sosio-kulturele, kommunikatiewe en organisatoriese verwysingsraamwerke aangewend. Deur die Boek Rut as vertrekpunt te neem vir die vertaling van dsj in Lomwe, word geargumeenteer dat dié benadering beter verstaan van dsj se betekenis in Rut 1:8, 2:20, 3:10 tot gevolg het. Aangesien osivela waya woororomeleya nie reg laat geskied aan die betekenis van dsj in hierdie drie perikope nie, is die woorde ikharari (1:8 en 2:20) en oreera murima (3:10) as eksegeties en sosio-kultureel meer toepaslike alternatiewe voorgestel.