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 .

Translation commentary on Zephaniah 1:7

This verse is an introduction to a long section of direct speech from the mouth of the LORD covering verses 8-13. It sets forth the topic of the following verses, namely, the day of the LORD.

To be silent in the presence of God is a sign of reverence and is mentioned elsewhere in this connection (Hab 2.20; Zech 2.13). The clause Be silent before the LORD GOD may be expressed idiomatically in certain languages as “Be silent in front of the face of the Lord GOD,” or “Do not say anything when you are in front of the Lord GOD’s face,” or “Do not say anything when you are in the place where the Lord GOD is.”

For the spelling of GOD with capital letters, see the comments on Habakkuk 3.19.

The day of the LORD: Good News Translation expands this expression to make the full meaning clear by saying “The day … when the LORD will sit in judgment.” Other possible translation models are “… sit to judge people” or “… cut judgment against the people of the world.” The day … is at hand may also be expressed as “The day when … will come very soon” or “The time when … will come very soon.” Good News Translation also reverses the order of the first two clauses in Hebrew, giving the reason (the nearness of judgment) before the command which follows from it, “so be silent in his presence.”

The second half of verse 7 uses the technical language of sacrificial ritual. The Hebrew roots underlying the words sacrifice, consecrated, and guests all appear in 1 Sam 16.5, but whereas there a literal sacrifice is being described, here the terms have a figurative meaning. The judgment of God is pictured as a sacrifice in which God’s own people are slaughtered by their enemies. When guests at a sacrifice were consecrated, this involved ritual purification and also constituted official invitation. Here the focus is on the invitation, and so Good News Translation translates “has invited.” The guests in this case are enemies who will punish the people of Judah, and Good News Translation “enemies” makes this meaning explicit. Good News Translation makes the identification of all the participants clear by saying “The LORD is preparing to sacrifice his people and has invited enemies to plunder Judah.” One can also make the event or action implied in the word sacrifice more explicit by saying “to slaughter his people as animals are killed in sacrifice.” (Compare with Jehu’s slaughter of the worshipers of Baal in 2 Kgs 10.18-27.)

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 3:8

This verse goes more closely with those that follow than with those that precede. It turns again to the theme of universal judgment found earlier in 1.2-3, 17-18. The persons addressed here are not stated clearly but are referred to in the second person plural. In the light of the note of hope sounded in verses 9-13, many scholars think that verse 8 is addressed to the minority of people in Jerusalem who remain faithful to the LORD (compare 2.3). Jerusalem would of course be involved in a universal judgment, but those of her people who continued to trust the LORD would still have cause to hope for blessing in the end. See especially verse 11.

The opening word of the verse, Therefore, normally refers back to what has gone before. In this case it is not clear exactly how the sins of the people of Jerusalem in verses 1-7 are linked with the LORD’s universal judgment. Good News Translation omits any exact equivalent.

The word wait often has overtones of waiting for help from the LORD (for example Isa 8.17; 64.4), but here it carries rather the idea of waiting for disaster. The word day also reinforces this idea (compare 1.7-10, 14-16). Good News Translation‘s expression “Just wait” is very idiomatic. Another possible translation model is “You must wait for the day.”

In using the words as a witness, Revised Standard Version, in common with Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, and New Jerusalem Bible, is following the ancient Greek and Syriac translations rather than the Hebrew, though only Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, and New Jerusalem Bible acknowledge this in a footnote. The Hebrew actually has “rise up to the prey” (King James Version, Revised Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). In a context of judgment and punishment like this, the overall difference in meaning between these alternatives is not very great. However, the meaning given by the ancient translations seems to fit the context better and also matches other places in the Old Testament where the LORD is spoken of as a witness to give evidence of people’s crimes. See, for instance, Jeremiah 29.23; Micah 1.2; Malachi 3.5. As a witness may also be rendered as “to give evidence against” or “to accuse” (Good News Translation). Good News Translation also makes it explicit that the people to be accused are “the nations,” though in Hebrew they are not mentioned until the next sentence.

The central part of the verse uses parallel expressions to emphasize its point (to gather nations and to assemble kingdoms; my indignation and all the heat of my anger). Good News Translation avoids this repetition and expresses the meaning in more natural English as “I have made up my mind to gather nations and kingdoms in order to let them feel the force of my anger.” Note that the Hebrew figure to pour out upon them my indignation is replaced in Good News Translation by another figure, “to let them feel the force of my anger.” Translators will have to decide for themselves whether they can use the Hebrew figure, or whether they should replace it by a figure similar in meaning in their own language. If neither is possible, the sense can be stated in nonfigurative language as “they will experience my great anger” or “I will make them know that I am very angry with them.”

The last clause of this verse is repeated from 1.18 with only a change of pronoun. See the comments made there.

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 2:5

For the paragraph division, see the introduction to this section. Revised Standard Version includes verse 5 as part of “the vision” mentioned in verses 2 and 3. It should be noted that Good News Translation closes the quotation at the end of verse 4, but Revised Standard Version includes verse 5 as part of the quotation. Either arrangement is possible.

As the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, the traditional Hebrew text in the first two lines is hard to understand. The reference to wine seems to be completely out of place. Some scholars make a small change which gives the meaning “the traitor in his over-confidence” (New English Bible) or “he who boasts of being a traitor” (Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). This seems to fit fairly well with the rest of the verse, understood as speaking about the Babylonians.

The Dead Sea Scroll has a word meaning “wealth” instead of the one meaning “wine.” This possibility is followed by Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Bible en français courant, and Good News Translation, which says “Wealth is deceitful.” This also fits a description of the Babylonians and probably gives the best sense available; translators are recommended to accept it. “Deceitful” here means “untrustworthy” or “something that one cannot put one’s trust in.”

The arrogant man shall not abide: this also speaks about the Babylonians. Some translators take this line more closely with the line that follows (His greed is as wide as Sheol). Good News Translation combines the first two lines of this verse into one clause, saying “Greedy men are proud and restless.” “Proud” is the Good News Translation equivalent of arrogant, and “restless” is the Good News Translation equivalent of shall not abide. This expression Good News Translation takes to mean “shall not remain still or at rest,” hence “restless.” Compare Jerusalem Bible “unable to rest”; New International Version “never at rest.”

His greed is as wide as Sheol: Sheol is the place where the dead were pictured as continuing their existence. It is spoken of as if it were an animal with a huge appetite. The greed of the Babylonians is compared with the greed of Sheol. In the next line, like death he has never enough, the meaning is almost identical. Good News Translation combines these two lines into one with “like death itself they are never satisfied.” In some languages one may prefer to say “like the land of death.” If translators can speak of death as being like a greedy animal, they may be able to keep the picture used in Hebrew, but in many languages it will probably be necessary to use nonfigurative language, as Good News Translation has done. For a similar thought compare Isaiah 5.14.

In the last two lines (He gathers for himself all nations, and collects as his own all peoples) the application is made to the Babylonians. Just as death is never satisfied and is constantly taking more people, so the Babylonians are greedy for wealth and are constantly trying to conquer more nations. The fifth and sixth lines in Revised Standard Version are again parallel in meaning, and again Good News Translation combines them into one clause: “That is why they conquer nation after nation for themselves.”

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 .