Translation commentary on Zephaniah 3:19

The verse begins in Hebrew with the exclamation translated Behold in Revised Standard Version. Since this is no longer used in modern spoken English, other versions have tried to convey the same effect of catching attention, but by different means. Thus New American Bible begins with “Yes,” and New English Bible has “see” later in the sentence. Good News Translation does not use a separate word but rather uses punctuation to achieve the same effect. It makes a separate sentence of the phrase at that time and adds an exclamation mark “The time is coming!”

The statement I will deal with all your oppressors has an overtone of threat (compare Ezek 20.44), and this is made explicit in Good News Translation as “I will punish your oppressors” (compare Jerusalem Bible). Your oppressors may be expressed as “those who oppress you” or “those who treat you cruelly.”

The next two clauses use the figure of a shepherd caring for sheep, to express what the LORD will do for his people: I will save the lame and gather the outcast. The language is closely similar to that used in Micah 4.6-7. The word translated outcast in Revised Standard Version is often used to refer to the people who were in exile, and Good News Translation makes this clear by saying “I will … bring the exiles home.” However, the word translated lame in Revised Standard Version is the same in Good News Translation. This means that Good News Translation retains the figure of speech in one clause and drops it in the other. It may be better for translators either to expand these two clauses and give both the figures and their meanings, or else to drop the figures and state the meanings in nonfigurative language. A translation model of the former can be “I will rescue the people who are as helpless as lame sheep, and will bring home those who, like scattered sheep, have been driven into exile.” For those who wish to state the meaning in nonfigurative language, a model can be “I will rescue the people who are helpless, and bring home those who have been driven into exile.”

I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth: the last clause promises that the people will have a new reputation to match their new status. Because of their exile, they had been mocked and scorned by other nations (compare Obadiah 10-14), but once restored by the LORD, they will have praise and renown in all the earth. Good News Translation turns this into two clauses and says “I will turn their shame to honor, and all the world will praise them.” In certain languages it will be necessary to rephrase these final clauses and say “I will make people honor them so that they will no longer be ashamed.”

The word translated their shame in Revised Standard Version makes the sentence a little awkward grammatically in Hebrew. Some scholars think that it is wrong and should be replaced by some words from verse 20 which are somewhat similar in spelling. These words are translated “when I restore your fortunes” in Revised Standard Version. This view is adopted in Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible, and thus Jerusalem Bible for instance has here “when I restore their fortunes.” However, the Hebrew text can be understood as it stands, and there is no need for translators to make this alteration.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Zephaniah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Habakkuk 2:15

This is where the fourth taunt begins. As with the first and second taunts (verses 6, 9), it starts in the third person and changes to second. Good News Translation, as in the earlier cases, treats it as second person throughout. The topic in this taunt is the misuse of liquor, which is given a figurative application. The Babylonians were fond of drinking, and their parties could easily turn into shameful orgies (compare Dan 5). In verse 15 the Babylonian treatment of conquered nations is pictured in terms of such an orgy.

Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink: the neighbors stand for the surrounding nations whom the Babylonians conquered. Their forced obedience to the Babylonians is pictured as if they were forced to drink. In some languages a literal translation of neighbors may give the wrong meaning. In such a case it will be helpful to translate explicitly and say “the neighboring countries.” For an alternative rendering of Woe (or “doomed”), see verse 6.

The next two words in Hebrew are of uncertain meaning. The first word may mean “pour” (Revised Version footnote, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible; compare New American Bible, New English Bible) or “add” (Revised Version). The second word has a basic sense of heat, which leads to figurative meanings of either “anger, wrath” (Moffatt, Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New English Bible, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) or “poison, venom” (Revised Version, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant). The second word may also be taken as coming from a different root with the meaning “wineskin” (New International Version; compare King James Version). The first of these two Hebrew words ends with the same letter as the second word begins with. Some scholars think this letter appears twice by a copying error, and they have suggested that it should be dropped from the end of the first word. This suggestion is followed by Revised Standard Version and gives (drink) of the cup of his wrath, which fits the context well. Of the other possible combinations, most are used in at least one version: “addest thy venom” (Revised Version; compare Hebrew Old Testament Text Project); “pours his poison” (Jerusalem Bible); “you pour out your wrath” (New Jerusalem Bible; compare New American Bible, New English Bible); “pouring it from the wineskin” (New International Version). All make reasonable sense in the context, but none is outstanding. Whichever one is chosen, the overall thrust of the verse remains broadly similar. We are inclined to recommend the Revised Standard Version rendering as giving the best sense, and one which matches both the figure which follows in verse 16, and Old Testament usage elsewhere. As a second choice we suggest the New International Version interpretation.

The result of forcing drink upon others is that he (that is, the Babylonians) makes them drunk or “causes them to get drunk.”

The purpose of all this is to gaze on their shame. The word translated shame is literally “nakedness” (King James Version, Revised Version, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). When people are drunk, they lose control of themselves and may expose their sexual organs, as Noah did (Gen 9.20-23; compare the story of Lot in Gen 19.30-38). This was regarded as a great disgrace. The Babylonians made people drunk in order to disgrace them in this way. Good News Translation does not mention the nakedness but only the disgrace which it represents.

The Dead Sea scroll has a word meaning “festivals” instead of the one meaning “nakedness,” but this does not make much sense and is not used in any translations.

Good News Translation has completely restructured the verse so that it is difficult to see exactly how its parts match up with the more literal renderings of Revised Standard Version. In particular the clause “you made them stagger” has no clear basis in the Hebrew, and no parallel in Bible en français courant or Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. For this reason we cannot recommend Good News Translation as a model in this verse. If a restructured translation base is needed, one possibility is “You are doomed! You made neighboring nations drink from the cup of wine which represents your anger. You made them drunk, then disgraced them by gazing at their naked bodies.” Another possibility is “God will punish you! You made neighboring nations drink from the cup of wine which represents your anger. You made them drunk, then caused them to lose face by gazing at their naked bodies.” If the last part of the verse is hard to understand when the metaphor is retained, translators may prefer to follow the example of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and state the meaning in nonfigurative language. One may say “you rejoiced to see them in a powerless and shameful condition.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Nahum 1:9

As mentioned above, some versions take verses 9 and 10 as addressed to the people of Judah (Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Jerusalem Bible translates the opening words of verse 9 as “How do you imagine Yahweh?” and some such meaning as this would make sense if addressed to Judah. However, the majority of versions and commentators think that these opening words have a different meaning: What do you plot against the LORD? (Revised Standard Version; compare Good News Translation, New English Bible, New International Version, Moffatt, Bible en français courant). This was the meaning understood by the ancient Greek and Latin translations, and the one which occurs again in a similar phrase in verse 11 (compare Dan 11.24; Hos 7.15), and it is therefore to be preferred here. If this meaning is accepted, the verse will continue the theme of punishment in verse 8, and the pronoun you will refer implicitly to the people of Nineveh. This fits the context better.

The word plot in English carries bad overtones; it implies “making evil plans” or “planning to do evil things,” as does the Hebrew word it translates. Translators should try to find some expression with similar overtones in their own language if possible.

He will make a full end: He refers to the LORD, and the implied object is the you of the first line; thus, “… make a full end of you.” Good News Translation makes this explicit and translates in simple language as “He will destroy you.” Some translators may say “He will cause you all to be destroyed” or “He will cause you all to die.”

He will not take vengeance twice on his foes: the final line describes the result of the LORD’s action in the second line. It says literally “oppression will not arise a second time” (compare Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). The meaning is that when the LORD destroys something, his destruction is complete, and no further trouble can ever come from the same source (compare 1 Sam 26.8; 2 Sam 20.10). Several translations understand the Hebrew word meaning “oppression” to be a figure of speech called a metonym and to stand for the people who cause the oppression. Thus Good News Translation translates “No one opposes him more than once” (compare New American Bible, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). Revised Standard Version obtains much the same result but does so by changing the Hebrew text to say his foes instead of “oppression.” Revised Standard Version also changes the Hebrew word for “arise” to say take vengeance, but this is unnecessary, since the Hebrew makes good sense as it stands. Translators are recommended to follow Good News Translation here.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• What evil things are you people of Nineveh planning to do against the LORD? He will cause you all to die. In fact no one is able to oppose him more than once.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A . A Handbook on the Book of Nahum. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Nahum 3:14

Nahum now gives further commands to the people of Nineveh to prepare themselves for a siege (compare 2.1). Again these commands are ironic, for Nahum goes on to say in verse 15 that the city will be captured anyway.

The first command is Draw water for the siege. During a siege, a good water supply is essential for the defenders. However, since Nineveh was situated on the bank of a major river, water was not likely to be a serious problem for its inhabitants. Because of this some scholars think that this command refers to filling the moats which were part of the city’s defenses. However, all available English translations use the word Draw, which normally refers to a supply of drinking water, and translators are recommended to follow this interpretation. The word Draw in English normally signifies the action of using some container such as a bucket to take water out of a well or some other place where there was a water supply. This first sentence may also be translated “You must draw water to prepare for the time when your enemies surround your city.”

Strengthen your forts means make any necessary repairs so that the forts will be in good condition to resist attack. Forts here probably refers to the strongest places in the wall of the city itself. The main building material that was used in Assyria was brick, and many bricks would be needed to repair the fortifications of the city.

The rest of the verse speaks about various parts of the process of making bricks. The first two are go into the clay, tread the mortar. They refer to the trampling of the clay underfoot to make it soft enough to be shaped. Good News Translation drops the repetition and expresses this aspect of the brick making in a single clause, “Trample the clay to make bricks.” When the clay was soft enough, it was put into a brick mold, which was a wooden container that would form each brick into the same shape and size as the other bricks. The bricks were then removed from the mold to dry in the sun. Nahum tells the people of Nineveh to take hold of the brick mold, or as Good News Translation puts it more clearly, “get the brick molds ready!” This sentence can also be translated as “Trample the clay which you use to make bricks, and prepare the brick molds” or “Use your feet to soften the clay which will be used to make bricks….”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A . A Handbook on the Book of Nahum. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Zephaniah 2:12

This verse deals with a distant nation to the south, called in Hebrew “Cushites” (New American Bible, New English Bible, New International Version). The area occupied by these people was the Upper Nile, which included most of the country now called Sudan as well as part of modern Ethiopia. Good News Translation therefore translates “the people of Sudan” rather than the more traditional Ethiopians (King James Version, Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible). In this verse “Cushites” may stand for Egyptians, since, during the years of the twenty-fifth dynasty (715–663 B.C.), the throne of Egypt had been occupied by Cushites. Their power had ended over thirty years before the time of this prophecy, but it is possible, as mentioned in the comments on 1.1, that Zephaniah himself had some ancestral link with the people of Cush, and perhaps it was this that led him to use that name here, even if he intended to refer to Egypt. See also comments on Nahum 3.9.

Another possibility is that “Cushites” represent a typical large and remote nation on the border of the known world. If this is the correct meaning, the effect is to emphasize the great power of the LORD, which reaches even to the most distant places.

These Ethiopians, or “people of Sudan,” will also undergo the punishment of the LORD. They will be slain by my sword. Mention of the particular weapon sounds very old-fashioned in English, and Good News Translation therefore uses a more general term, “put … to death.” However, this refers to death in warfare, so an alternative translation model is “The LORD will cause enemy soldiers to kill the people of Sudan.” Translators should use whatever expression is natural in their own language.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Zephaniah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Habakkuk 1:11

There are several difficulties in this verse.
(1) The Hebrew word translated wind in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation may also mean “mind” (King James Version) or “spirit” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Which meaning is more appropriate here?
(2) Is this word the subject of the verbs translated sweep by and go on in Revised Standard Version, or not?
(3) Does the Hebrew word translated guilty men in Revised Standard Version go with the first part of the verse, as the Hebrew punctuation suggests, or does it go with the second part, as most modern scholars and translators believe?
(4) Is this Hebrew word to be read as in the traditional Hebrew text, or as in the Dead Sea Scroll of Habakkuk, which has one letter different?

In response to (1), if the meaning is taken to be “mind” or “spirit,” then the sense of the verse is that the Babylonians go beyond the command God had given them and become proud of their own strength (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible footnote). However, most scholars and translators (Revised Version, Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) prefer to take the meaning as “wind.”

In answer to (2), if “wind” is taken as the subject (Jerusalem Bible “Then the wind changes and is gone”), then the first sentence is a metaphor. Its meaning is that the Babylonians, after conquering one place, “sweep on” to attack other places. Sweep by means to pass by, moving along at great speed. However, most translations take the Babylonians as the subject and translate as “like the wind (or, storm)” (Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New English Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This really involves adding one letter to the traditional Hebrew text. But it has the advantage of keeping the same subject as in the preceding verses. This interpretation has much the same meaning as the one in Jerusalem Bible above and fits more smoothly into the paragraph as a whole.

In answer to (3), those who prefer the meaning “mind” or “spirit” in (1) tend to take the word translated guilty men in Revised Standard Version with the first part of the sentence (King James Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). This fits the meaning that the Babylonians become guilty by overstepping the task God has given to them (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Most translations take “guilty men” with the second part of the verse (Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New International Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) and take that as the explanation of the guilt.

Under (4) Good News Translation seems to be the only English translation which follows the Dead Sea scroll. This manuscript has “set up” instead of “guilty” and gives the meaning “they set up their own power as a god.” This avoids the problem of (3) but is otherwise not much different from most other translations, which assume some such word as “is” (Revised Standard Version whose own might is their god).

Therefore, although the main thrust of the verse is fairly clear, it is almost impossible to make firm decisions about the details. Taking the majority decision on each of the above questions, we recommend a translation model as follows: “Then they hurry on just like the wind and pass by. They are guilty men whose power has become just like a god to them” (compare Bible en français courant). Or “Then they hurry on, just as the wind blows by and disappears. They are guilty men who worship their own power as if it were a god.” Compare the second half of verse 7 with the second half of this verse.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Habakkuk 3:6

The prophet now speaks of the effect of God’s presence on the world. The description mingles language appropriate to a thunderstorm with language appropriate to an earthquake. This kind of mixture is acceptable in Hebrew poetry, which sees God’s presence in all the major events in the world of nature.

He stood is ambiguous. It may refer either to standing up from a sitting position (Jerusalem Bible “When he stands up”) or to standing still in contrast with moving (New American Bible “He pauses,” New English Bible “He stands still”). Since the previous verse implied that God was moving, the second possibility seems much more apt. Good News Translation accepts it and translates unambiguously as “When he stops.” In some languages it will be necessary to indicate what action was completed or stopped. In such a case one may say “When he stops moving…” or “When he stops walking…” (compare Bible en français courant).

Measured the earth: the word translated measured in Revised Standard Version is doubtful in meaning. Many scholars think that the Hebrew form comes from a different verb which means “to shake” (Moffatt, Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch; compare the Septuagint). Good News Translation accepts this interpretation and renders “the earth shakes.” This fits the context better and is recommended to translators.

He looked and shook the nations: the second line is parallel to the first but extends its thought to include the effect of God’s presence on people. Good News Translation expresses this from the point of view of the people concerned and says “at his glance the nations tremble.” “At his glance” will be difficult to translate in certain languages. An alternative translation is “When he looks….” “The nations” will be rendered in certain languages as “all the people of the world.”

The next two lines say the same thing twice in different words: then the eternal mountains were scattered, the everlasting hills sank low. The language here is drawn from the effect of an earthquake (compare Micah 1.4). The Hebrew verb translated scattered in Revised Standard Version is taken by Good News Translation to come from another root meaning “to shatter.” “Scatter” means to be dispersed or to move away from something (in this case, from the LORD), and “shatter” means to break into little pieces. Major translations are evenly divided between them. “Scatter” or something similar is found in Revised Standard Version, Moffatt, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Bible en français courant, while “shatter” or the like occurs in New American Bible, New English Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. Both meanings fit the context well, and it makes little difference to the overall effect of the verse which one is chosen.

The words translated eternal and everlasting do not imply that the mountains and hills were not created by God. Rather they refer to the apparent permanence and stability of the mountains in contrast with the brief span of a human life. It may perhaps be better to use terms like “ancient mountains” and “age-old hills” (New International Version; compare Gen 49.26; Deut 33.15). In languages which do not use the passive, one may say “He causes the ancient mountains to shatter into pieces (or, to scatter) and the hills to sink down.”

The last line, His ways were as of old, may be understood in two ways. First, it may be taken as a separate statement about God (compare New International Version “His ways are eternal”). Second, it may be taken as in apposition to the previous statement about the mountains and hills. His ways then refers to the mountains and hills as the route by which God moves over the earth. This would be another allusion to the giving of the Law, when the LORD appeared to Moses at the top of Mount Sinai amidst storm and earthquake (Exo 19.16-20). This second interpretation fits the context better and is preferable. Good News Translation accepts it and translates “the hills where he walked in ancient times” (compare Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Some translators will prefer to begin a new sentence with this final clause: “These are the hills where he walked….” See Nahum 1.5 for an alternative translation of “mountains.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• When he stops walking, the earth shakes; as he looks, all the people of the earth tremble. He causes the ancient (or, very old) mountains to shatter into pieces (or, to scatter) and the hills to sink down (low), the hills (or, high ground) where he walked in times long ago.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Nahum 2:5

The difficulty with the first half of this verse lies in deciding whether it speaks of the attackers or the defenders. There are two main problems. The first is that the verse opens with a singular verb in Hebrew (“He summons” in New International Version; “He commands” in New Jerusalem Bible). The nearest singular subject for the “he” to refer to is “The shatterer” of verse 1. If this is indeed the subject, then the description must be of the attackers.

However, the second problem is the occurrence of the word stumble, which seems out of place if applied to well-organized attackers. One of the marks of such an army is that its men do not stumble (Isa 5.27). The word stumble is more appropriate if used about unready defenders hurrying to man the walls. But if this is the case, there is no real subject for the singular verb “summons.”

Those who take this verse to refer to the attackers (Hebrew Old Testament Text Project) may explain the stumbling as caused by their eagerness and haste (Watts). Or else they may change the Hebrew by one letter to form a similar word and translate “they take command of their companies” (J. M. P. Smith).

Those who take the verse to refer to the defenders have to assume that it is the king of Assyria who summons The officers (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Lehrman). This would be rather odd, since he has not previously been mentioned, but it is not impossible in such an abrupt passage as this.

Another possibility is to read a different form of the verb for “summon,” as Revised Standard Version does, and to translate The officers are summoned. This wording seems to have the support of the ancient Greek translation but does not in itself resolve the question of whether the attackers or the defenders are in view. Revised Standard Version applies the words to the attackers (compare Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). Good News Translation uses the same words “The officers are summoned” but applies them to the defenders.

This is one of those cases where it is virtually impossible to be certain what the original writer intended. It seems more likely that the whole of verses 3-5 describes the attackers. However, translators will do well to consider which interpretation sounds best in their own languages. For languages which do not use the passive, a translator can restructure and say “The officers receive a summons,” or else introduce a nonspecific subject and say “they summon (or, call) the officers.” If the second choice is taken, the next sentence will then need to be rendered as “who stumble as they go,” so that the subject refers to officers.

They hasten to the wall: in the second half of the verse the description is definitely of the attackers. Good News Translation makes this explicit: “The attackers rush to the wall,” that is, the wall which protects the inner city.

The mantelet is set up: in ancient warfare the attackers would attempt to break down the gates of a city with a battering ram. This was usually a large tree trunk with an iron tip in the shape of an ax head. It was either carried by soldiers or mounted on a frame which allowed it to be swung at the gates. In either case the attacking soldiers would be exposed to missiles hurled by the defenders. In order to protect their men, the attackers would place over the battering ram a kind of movable shelter called a mantelet (Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible). This is what Good News Translation refers to with the words “set up the shield for the battering ram.” It will be useful in some languages to say “set up a protective shield (or, protective device) over the battering ram.” It may be helpful to include an explanatory footnote here, as Bible en français courant does. “Battering ram” may need to be rephrased as “the tree trunk for battering the walls or gates.”

Another translation model for this verse is:

• They call the officers, who stumble as they press forward.
The attackers (or, enemy soldiers) run quickly up to the wall
and set up the shelter for the tree trunk to batter the wall.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A . A Handbook on the Book of Nahum. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .