Translation commentary on Joel 3:8

I will sell your sons and daughters into the hands of the sons of Judah: I will sell should be understood as causative, since Yahweh did not directly sell the people of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia but worked through others to do so. Therefore Good News Translation has “I will let your sons and daughters be sold….” Your sons and your daughters seems to refer to the next generation. The parents committed the evil against Judah, but their children will suffer the consequences. We may assume that the threat here applies to events within the next ten to twenty-five years.

Into the hand of is a literal rendering of the Hebrew. Hand is a metonym for “power.” Here the whole expression probably means “by means of.” Wolff suggests “by agency of.” The captives, of course, would be for a time “in the hands of” the people of Judah, that is, held captive by them. But they would soon be sold to the Sabeans. Translators should use an expression for into the hand of that will be suitable for the sequence of events. The sons of Judah is better rendered “the people of Judah” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation).

And they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off: The Sabeans were Arab traders who lived in southwest Arabia. Just as the Greeks lived at a great distance from Jerusalem, so the Sabeans were located in the opposite direction, far from Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia, which were to the north and west of Judah. Therefore to a nation far off appears in apposition to the Sabeans, meaning that the Sabeans were the far-off nation. Some scholars believe that the Sabeans were in turn to sell the slaves to another nation far off. This may have happened, but it is not clearly implied in the text. So Good News Translation renders this whole clause as “they will sell them to the far-off Sabeans,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) says “and they will sell them at a distance to the Sabeans,” and Bible en français courant has “They will sell them to the Sabeans, who live in a distant land.”

For the LORD has spoken: This clause gives assurance that this oracle will be carried out. It also serves to mark the end of the oracle, or of this portion of the oracle. Translators may render it as a quotation of Yahweh; for example, Good News Translation has “I, the LORD, have spoken,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) says “I, the Lord, am causing that to happen.” Or they may have the prophet commenting on the message of Yahweh which he has just delivered by saying: “This is what the LORD has spoken [or, has told me to tell you].” The Hebrew particle rendered for is better translated “Indeed” (New American Bible) in this context of a strong assertion, or it may be omitted.

Quoted with permission from de Blois, Kees & Dorn, Louis. A Handbook on Joel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

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