Maternal Imagery in Bible Translation: A Comparative Analysis of Divine Nurturing Metaphors Across Indigenous Languages in Ghana

This study investigates how maternal imagery is translated and interpreted in divine metaphors of Twi, Ewe, and Dagbani Ghanaian languages. It analysed the translations of maternal nurturing metaphors in these three indigenous languages through a comparative analysis of key Bible passages (Isa. 66:13, Hos. 11:3-4, and Deut. 32:18), exploring their theological and cultural implications. This study applied a methodology that combined textual analyses with ethnolinguistic methods to compare the semantic range and cultural resonance of maternal imagery traits, as salient in translation discourses. The study found important variances in how maternal metaphors are preserved, modified, or recreated in these languages, revealing degrees of interrelatedness among linguistic constraints and worldviews regarding divine nurturing. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on the subject of Bible translation in indigenous African languages and gender-inclusive language in sacred texts. Keywords: Bible Translation, Maternal Imagery, Divine Metaphors, Gender Linguistics