Translation commentary on Zephaniah 1:4

Verses 4-6 form a unit in Hebrew which consists of a long list of different classes of people in Judah and Jerusalem who will be singled out for punishment. For a comparable list, see 2 Kings 23.5. Since it is not natural in English to have the long list of noun phrases in verses 4 to 6 dependent on a single verb in verse 4, as in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation has split the list into several sentences and repeated the clause “I will destroy” in each sentence.

At the beginning of verse 4 in Hebrew there is a figure of speech which is retained in Revised Standard Version, I will stretch out my hand against (compare 2.13). This figure is not normal usage in English, and Good News Translation therefore drops it and gives the meaning in nonfigurative language with “punish.” In other languages, however, this figure of speech may well be acceptable, and translators should consider whether they can keep it in their own language. “Punish” may be restructured as “cause to suffer” (see comments under Nahum 1.2).

The opening part of verse 4 also shows a repetitive structure in Hebrew which can be seen in the Revised Standard Version wording against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Good News Translation makes the English clearer by reversing the order of the place names to give “the people of Jerusalem and of all Judah.” This also has the effect of putting the main focus on Jerusalem, which is what the Hebrew does by mentioning Jerusalem last. Since this is the first mention of Jerusalem in Zephaniah, it will be helpful for many translators to identify it as a city or town. An alternative translation base for this first sentence is “I will cause all the people in the city of Jerusalem and in the land of Judah to suffer.” For comments on the translation of “city,” see notes on Nahum 3.1

Good News Translation‘s “I will destroy” translates the Hebrew verb for cut off, as in the previous verse. See verse 3 for comments on the translation of cut off or “destroy.”

The remnant of Baal means “every vestige of idol worship” (Lehrman) and is expressed in Good News Translation as “the last trace of the worship of Baal.” This may need to be expressed in some languages as “every single person who worships Baal.” This is the first time the god Baal has been mentioned in these three prophetic books. In many languages translators will need to identify Baal as a male god and as a false god (see Nahum 1.14 for a discussion on the translation of “god”).

In Hebrew the verb cut off also governs a second object, which is rendered in Revised Standard Version the name of the idolatrous priests. These are of course the priests involved in the cult of Baal, and Good News Translation makes this explicit with its “the pagan priests who serve him.” The Hebrew expression cut off … the name means “cause people to forget,” and this is the meaning expressed nonfiguratively in Good News Translation, “no one will even remember.”

The Hebrew text contains two more words, translated “with the priests” in the Revised Standard Version footnote. The ancient Greek translation omits these words, and many modern versions do the same, including Revised Standard Version, Moffatt, Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Good News Translation, and Bible en français courant. However, the word used suggests that the second group are priests of the LORD who have turned away from him to serve Baal. One can therefore translate “no one will remember the pagan priests or the priests who have turned away from the LORD.”

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 Zephaniah 3:5

In the first four verses of this chapter Revised Standard Version has never identified the city as Jerusalem, and Good News Translation has named the city only once. For many translators it will be helpful to say “… in Jerusalem” in the first sentence or at some other point in the verse.

Despite the failures of the leading men, the LORD himself “is still in the city” (Good News Translation). His presence within her is contrasted with that of the “officials within her” (verse 3). Whereas they acted wickedly, the LORD is righteous, he does no wrong. Good News Translation expresses this in a structure which brings out more sharply the contrast between the positive and negative sides of the statement: “he does what is right and never what is wrong.”

The next part of the verse consists in Hebrew of two clauses with partially overlapping meaning: every morning he shows forth his justice, each dawn he does not fail. Good News Translation compresses these two clauses into one and avoids repetition by saying “Every morning without fail, he brings justice to his people.” In languages which use repetitive structures, the more literal version of Revised Standard Version may be a satisfactory translation base. However, many translators will prefer to avoid repetition, and they will find useful guidance in the example of Good News Translation.

The words every morning here echo “till the morning” of verse 3 and again heighten the contrast between the cruelty of the leaders and the faithfulness of the LORD. If a literal translation of every morning would imply the exclusion of the rest of the day, then one may translate as “every day.” The focus is on the constancy of God’s justice.

The clause he shows forth his justice may also be rendered as “he treats his people with justice,” “he uses justice in his relations with his people,” or “he shows what it means to behave justly.”

He does not fail (Good News Translation “without fail”) means he does it “constantly” or “never missing a day.” Some languages will handle this idea of “constantly” through reduplication of some sort; for example, “every every morning.”

The final words of the verse seem to have no close connection with the earlier part, and this, together with the variety of translations in the ancient versions, has led some scholars to suggest that they should be deleted (compare New American Bible, New English Bible margin). However, the words in Hebrew make sense, and there is no textual reason to omit them. Revised Standard Version but the unjust knows no shame is expanded in Good News Translation to “And yet the unrighteous people there keep on doing wrong and are not ashamed.” They continue with their evil conduct despite every evidence of the LORD’s goodness to his people mentioned in the earlier part of the verse. Unjust or “unrighteous” refers to the people mentioned in verses 3-4, and in many languages may be translated as “evil people” or “wicked people.”

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 2:2

The opening words And the LORD answered me apply to the whole of the rest of verses 2-5 (Revised Standard Version) or 2-4 (Good News Translation). However, verses 2 and 3 contain only instructions on how to handle the message. The content of the message comes only in verse 4. The first instruction is that the prophet should Write the vision; make it plain upon tablets. It is not often that the Old Testament records a direct command to a prophet to write his message (compare Isa 8.1; 30.8; Jer 30.2; Ezek 37.16).

For notes on the word translated vision, see the comments on Nahum 1.1. Good News Translation here translates as “what I reveal to you.” Another way of saying this is “the things I am about to tell you.”

The word tablets does not indicate what they were made of. Clay, wood, metal, and stone are all possible. However, the word is used chiefly of the stone tablets on which the ten commandments were written (see for instance Exo 24.12). So if translators need to make a decision as to what material was involved, they may say “stone.” The British edition of Good News Translation has “clay tablets.” Some languages have a special word for “writing” on a hard surface such as stone or clay. That word should be used here.

Good News Translation combines the two clauses of this instruction into one: “Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you.” Some translators may find it helpful to do the same. “What” in many languages will be rendered as “the things that.”

The last clause says literally so he may run who reads it. In English this does not make clear the relationship between the verbs run and reads. It may appear at first sight that the running is a result of the reading, a way of speedily obeying the message. This interpretation is found only in the New International Version footnote, “so that whoever reads it may run with it.” However, this seems unlikely, since the message itself does not contain any command to run. Another interpretation is that the person who reads the message reads it aloud as a professional herald, running from place to place to spread the message. This understanding is found in New English Bible, “for a herald to carry it with speed,” and in New International Version, “so that a herald may run with it.” The majority of modern translations take the meaning to be “so that a man may run while reading.” That is to say, the message is to be plain enough that one will not have to stop and peer at it, but can read it while still running. In this respect it would be like a large modern advertisement beside a main road. Good News Translation expresses this interpretation well: “so that it can be read at a glance.” Other ways of saying this are “so that it can be read easily” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “so that one can read it easily” (New American Bible). This interpretation is the one recommended to translators.

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 3:14

The description of the defeat of God’s enemies continues, and as in the previous verse, there are some problems with the text.

Thou didst pierce with thy shafts the head of his warriors: the Hebrew word translated thy shafts in Revised Standard Version is literally “his own staves” (Revised Version). It is the same word as that translated “arrows” in verse 9 and can be interpreted in the same way here. Many modern versions change one letter of this Hebrew word to alter the possessive suffix and have “your arrows” instead of “his arrows” (Moffatt, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible). This has the support of one manuscript of the Septuagint. However, the traditional Hebrew text also makes good sense (Revised Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New International Version, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project) and supplies an element of poetic justice, and even makes the punishment fit the crime in a manner similar to that which occurred frequently in the taunts of 2.6-20.

The word head may be taken literally (New American Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) but is usually understood to mean “leader” (Moffatt, Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), and this seems to fit the context better, especially if verse 13 is understood as in the comments above.

The Hebrew word translated warriors in Revised Standard Version occurs nowhere else, and its meaning is uncertain. The rendering warriors is based on the understanding shown in the ancient Latin Vulgate version. It is accepted in most modern versions and makes good sense.

Good News Translation “Your arrows pierced the commander of his army” accepts the change from “his” to “your,” and with the word “commander” makes it clear that it understands “head” in the sense of “leader.” Since warriors is rather old-fashioned, Good News Translation uses the modern term “army.” However, in languages which do not have a collective word for army, translators may express the final phrase as “leader (or, commander) of his soldiers.”

Who came like a whirlwind to scatter me translates the traditional Hebrew text (compare Revised Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project), which makes good sense. Some scholars change one letter of the Hebrew to read “us” instead of me (Moffatt, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). However, me can be interpreted as a collective singular, like “anointed” in verse 13, and rendered as the exclusive pronoun “us” on translational grounds rather than by changing the text (Driver, Lehrman).

Other scholars have suggested more extensive changes, so that New English Bible, for instance, translates “their leaders are torn from them by the whirlwind.” New American Bible omits the line altogether. All this seems quite unnecessary. Good News Translation “When it came like a storm to scatter us” expresses the meaning clearly and simply and is an adequate translation model. The words “to scatter us” imply a comparison with grain husks which are blown away by the wind of the “storm.” If translators need to use the word “soldiers” rather than a collective word meaning “army,” it is possible to translate the second line as “when they (or, the soldiers) came like a storm to scatter us.” Scatter can be rendered as “cause to go in all directions.”

The last line adds to the description of the wicked, speaking of their attitude toward God’s people: rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret. In this setting the rejoicing is for bad reasons, and Good News Translation shows this by the word “gloating” (compare New International Version; and see Obadiah 12-13; Micah 7.8 in Good News Translation).

To devour is figurative and implies a comparison with wild animals. Good News Translation expresses this in nonfigurative language as “oppress.” Some versions try to keep the figure of speech in English, but they express it by translating in secret as “in their lair” (Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). “Lair” in English is used primarily of the home of a fierce wild animal (see Nahum 2.11 on the translation of “lair” or “den”). “Oppress” may be expressed in some languages as “treat cruelly,” “rob,” or “plunder.”

The Hebrew word for the poor meant originally those in physical need. Later it came to be applied to the godly minority, since they were often oppressed by those in power (compare Zeph 3.12). Here the word probably has these religious overtones, but its main reference is to physical need. This is shown by the terms used in various versions: “some poor wretch” (Jerusalem Bible), “the wretched” (New American Bible, New International Version), “their wretched victims” (New English Bible). Poor can also be rendered “poor people,” or even “powerless people.” However, in languages spoken by marginal peoples where most of the population is termed poor by the rest of the world, there may not be precise terms for distinguishing between poor and rich people. In such cases translators will find it helpful to use phrases such as “people who have no possessions” or “people who have only one animal.” Alternative translation models for this final clause are “gloating like those who secretly treat poor people cruelly,” or in the case of translators who wish to follow Revised Standard Version rephrases with modern grammar as “You trampled the sea with your horses.” The various subtle allusions which were understood by the original readers are almost always lost in translation. This is one of the difficulties of translating poetry, but it simply has to be accepted.

Revised Standard Version takes the second line, the surging of mighty waters, to be in apposition to the sea in the first line (compare Jerusalem Bible). However, in other versions the fact that the waters surge is taken as the result of the treading (New English Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). This may be stated as a cause–effect relationship, or just as two simultaneous events. Good News Translation does the latter: “and the mighty waters foamed.” In this way the cause–effect relationship is implied but not stated explicitly. In some languages it may be necessary to be more explicit and say “You trampled the sea with your horses and made the mighty waters foam” or “You rode your horses over the sea, and they trampled it and made the mighty waters foam.”

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 3:1

The first three verses of chapter 3 continue to picture the fall of Nineveh begun in chapter 2. They are very vivid and very abrupt, and in fact do not form full sentences in Hebrew. They are mainly phrases strung together without formal connection. Their effect is to reinforce the impression of confusion and panic, and translators should try to create a similar effect in their own language. Some may be able to use a string of phrases like the Hebrew, while for others, this may result in nonsense. Some languages have special grammatical constructions to express a series of dramatic descriptive phrases such as those in verse 2. Each translator has to make the decision how best to achieve an effect equivalent to that of the Hebrew in the receptor language.

Good News Translation varies in its approach, using short but complete sentences in verses 1 and 3, and a string of separate phrases in verse 2.

The Hebrew in verse 1 consists of two parts, the first describing the characteristics of the city at the height of its power, and the second the riches for its conqueror to plunder.

Woe to the bloody city: Woe to here is a statement rather than a wish, as it sometimes is elsewhere. “Doomed is the … city” (Good News Translation) may also be rendered as “The … city will certainly be destroyed” or “There is no escape for the … city.” In some cultures there are no human settlements which are the equivalent of cities, but people live in villages or small groups of houses, sometimes without any walls for protection. In such cases it will be necessary to refer to a city as “a large group of houses surrounded by a strong wall,” or perhaps as “the large (or, chief) village.”

The word bloody is used here in its original meaning, “causing bloodshed,” and is not to be misunderstood as the common swear word used in many dialects of English.

The city is called bloody and full of lies, referring to the cruelty of its armies toward the people they had conquered, and to the deceitfulness of the rulers in making false promises. Good News Translation reverses the order of these statements and says “Doomed is the lying, murderous city.” Since murder is generally reckoned to be more serious than telling lies, this sequence forms a better climax in English. “Murderous city” can also be phrased as “city full of murderers.” Another translation model for these first two clauses is: “The city full of liars and murderers will certainly be destroyed.”

The second half of the verse says the city is full of … booty—no end to the plunder. The Hebrew word translated plunder is the same word as that used for “prey” in 2.12, 13 and thus gives a hint that the comparison of Nineveh with a den of lions is still in the prophet’s mind. Good News Translation expresses the Hebrew nouns as verbs and says “full of wealth to be looted and plundered.” Nineveh was full of rich and luxurious goods of all kinds, many of which the Assyrians had previously taken from other cities which they had captured. Languages which do not use the passive will need to restructure this sentence. One possible translation model is: “full of wealth that your enemies will loot and plunder.” See also 2.2 and 2.9 on translation choices for plunder. The word “looted” in Good News Translation is used as a synonym for “plundered.”

It is also possible to understand the second half of the verse as parallel to the first half and continuing the description of the Assyrians in the days of their power. Thus Jerusalem Bible has “stuffed with booty, whose plunderings know no end!” and New International Version has “full of plunder, never without victims!” It does not really matter much which interpretation the translator follows, because, as has already been pointed out, the most important feature of this passage is its overall effect rather than its details.

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 1:15 - 1:16

These two verses form one sentence in Hebrew and are composed of short, vivid, and poetic descriptive phrases with no main verb stated. The verb “to be” is implied and is used in all major English translations, as in Revised Standard Version A day of wrath is that day. Wrath or “fury” refers to the anger of God. So one may translate “It will be a day when God displays his fury (or, terrible anger),” or in a more figurative way, “It will be a day when God shows a terribly hot heart.” See Nahum 1.2 for other ways to translate “anger.”

A day of distress and anguish: in Hebrew there is a play on the sounds of the two nouns used. The second has some sounds similar to the first but has an extra syllable at the beginning. A similar structure would be produced in English by translating “a day of stress and distress” (Moffatt), but this is not in keeping with patterns of poetic usage in English. If translators can use some kind of play on sounds that fits their own language patterns, that will be very suitable here. In some languages translators may need to expand this sentence and say “a day when people will be troubled and distressed” or “a day when people will receive trouble and experience terrible difficulties.”

A day of ruin and devastation: a similar play on the sounds of the Hebrew words is used here, and again it will be appropriate to use a play on sounds in a translation, if it can be done according to the patterns of the language. No major English version succeeds in making a play on the sounds, in this case. This phrase also occurs as “dry and desolate ground” in Job 30.3; 38.27. In some languages it will be necessary to show the subject of the events of ruin and destruction; for example, “a day when the enemies will cause ruin and destruction.”

A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness: there are no wordplays in these phrases, but a translator should feel free to include them here instead of (or as well as) in the previous phrases, if it is easier to do so. These phrases occur also in Joel 2.2. As with the previous sentences, translators may need to structure this sentence in a slightly different way; for example, “a day full of darkness and gloom, a day full of clouds.” Gloom is similar to darkness. Perhaps it can be expressed as “complete darkness.”

A day of trumpet blast: blowing a trumpet was the traditional way to call soldiers to prepare for battle (see Judges 3.27; 6.34). The trumpets were actually made of rams’ horns, and many translators will have terms in their languages for some similar instrument. The same type of description is found in Amos 2.2. In many languages one may say “A day when they blow the war trumpets (or, rams’ horns),” or even “A day when people hear the sound of the war trumpet.”

And battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements: this last part of the verse in Hebrew consists of three phrases. The first of them is closely linked with the earlier part of the sentence, and the other two are parallel to each other in structure. All this can be seen clearly from the literal translation of Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation has made the relationships between the different parts explicit by stating that the battle cry is “of soldiers attacking.” In many other languages this information will also need to be made explicit. The fortified cities of ancient times usually had a strong stone wall around them and were strengthened with lofty battlements, or as Good News Translation puts it more simply, “high towers” at the corners. In some languages, of course, these cities will need to be described as “large groups of houses surrounded by strong walls with high towers at the corners,” or some similar phrase. The whole of this passage may be based on the events at the time of the Scythian raid mentioned in the introduction, “Translating the Book of Zephaniah.”

Translators should notice, in tackling a passage like this, that part of the meaning comes from the cumulative effect of having phrase heaped upon phrase. In some languages it may be difficult to find words exactly equivalent to those in the Hebrew, especially where the Hebrew uses pairs of words very close together in meaning, as in verse 15. In such languages the translator should not worry too much about matching the number of terms in the original, but rather about matching the overall effect in building a picture of terror and panic. The fact that a number of phrases in these verses occur elsewhere in the Old Testament as noted above suggests that the language is partly traditional, making use of established expressions. Translators may therefore be able to use similar traditional expressions in their own language to create a similar effect, even if the individual words are not identical in meaning with those of the Hebrew. They should be careful, however, not to introduce into the translation any element that would have been culturally or historically impossible in Israel in the seventh century B.C.

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 Zephaniah 3:16

The opening words On that day mark explicitly that the prophet is speaking about the future (compare 1.9, 10; 3.11). Good News Translation translates with a more general expression, “The time is coming.” As in verse 11, this refers to the period following the punishment that the LORD will bring on his people. When that day comes, the message to the people of Jerusalem will be one of encouragement and no longer of threat.

The Hebrew uses a passive form, it shall be said to Jerusalem, which avoids stating who brings the message that follows. In languages which have no passive forms, translators may wish to follow the example of Good News Translation and state the subject in an indefinite way: “they will say to Jerusalem.” Jerusalem here, as often elsewhere, stands for “the inhabitants of Jerusalem,” and some translators may need to make this explicit.

The message begins Do not fear, O Zion. As in the previous sentence, the city stands for its inhabitants. The use of the name Zion here puts emphasis on Jerusalem as a religious center, since Zion was the name for the area which included the Temple.

The last part of the verse, let not your hands grow weak, speaks in traditional language of one of the effects of fear, especially on a soldier who should be gripping his weapons (compare 2 Sam 4.1 [King James Version]; 2 Chr 15.7; Isa 13.7; Jer 6.24). If the meaning of this expression will not be clear, a translator can follow the example of New American Bible and translate in nonfigurative language as “be not discouraged.”

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 2:13

Once again, the Hebrew has the form of a rhetorical negative question which has the force of a strong positive statement (compare verses 6, 7). Good News Translation turns it into a statement and breaks it into two sentences. See the notes on 1.2, 12 for comments on rhetorical questions.

The word Behold is old fashioned and has no exact equivalent in modern English (compare comments on verse 4). Its function is to draw attention to what follows (is it not from the LORD of hosts…?). This function is achieved in Good News Translation by placing the equivalent words, “The LORD Almighty has done this,” as a separate sentence at the end of the verse. For comments on the translation of Behold and the phrase the LORD of hosts, see the notes on Nahum 2.13.

The rest of the verse consists of two lines which are parallel with each other in both form and meaning: peoples labor only for fire, and nations weary themselves for nought. Two similar lines occur in Jeremiah 51.58, which is also speaking about Babylon. It is possible that both Jeremiah and Habakkuk are quoting or alluding to a popular proverb or saying.

The peoples and nations are those whom the Babylonians had conquered and put to forced labor as mentioned in the previous verse. Thus Good News Translation puts the two terms together and translates as “The nations you conquered.”

Labor only for fire means that all that the people were forced to build will be destroyed by burning. Weary themselves for nought means that they became exhausted with their work, but all they did would turn out to be purposeless. The first line, which mentions the fire, gives more of an explanation than the second line, and so Good News Translation reverses the sequence in order to keep the fire as a climax: “The nations you conquered wore themselves out in useless labor, and all they have built goes up in flames.” Note that Good News Translation makes it explicit that the “labor” refers to the building project (“all they have built”). The thought is that, as the Babylonians had destroyed other cities, so Babylon itself will be destroyed and burned.

The expression in Good News Translation “goes up in flames” is rather idiomatic in English. In some languages there may be some natural expression equally vivid, but in others it may be necessary to use plain language and say “all they have built will be burned to ashes” or “completely burned.”

Another translation model for this verse is:

• The nations you conquered did work which gained them nothing. They wore themselves out, but all the things which they built will be completely burned. It is the LORD Almighty who does this.

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 .