Translation commentary on Zechariah 7:10

This verse continues the same sentence in Hebrew.

Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor: Commands of this type are frequent in the prophets before the exile, as are complaints that the people did not obey them (compare Isa 1.17, 23; Isa 10.2; Jer 5.28; Jer 7.5-7; Amos 2.6-7; 5.11-12; 8.4-6). Widows and orphans were the typical examples of people who were defenseless and oppressed in ancient times. The fatherless is a reference to orphans, since in Hebrew culture children whose fathers had died were considered orphans even if the mothers were still alive. The sojourner was a foreigner who had taken up residence, temporary or permanent, among the people of Israel. As an individual lacking the support of a clan group, he could also be easily exploited by people who had power in the community. The poor is intended in a wide sense, and is rendered in Good News Translation as “anyone else in need.” In certain languages this will be expressed as “anyone who has few possessions.”

Let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart: To devise evil … in your heart (compare Micah 2.1) means to think of ways of harming people. Contemporary English Version has “stop making plans to hurt each other,” which suggests that the people were already doing this. This is indeed the sense of the Hebrew, though in some languages “do not plan ways of harming one another” (Good News Translation) may sound more appropriate for a general statement like this. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch expresses the sense well with “don’t keep hatching new plans to harm each other.” Against his brother, as in the previous verse, means “against anyone else.” Good News Translation again translates his brother as “one another,” as do several other modern versions.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Zechariah 9:6

A mongrel people shall dwell in Ashdod: The word mongrel in English is commonly used of a dog of no particular breed. When applied to people, it suggests that they are “of mixed race” (Good News Translation), and has overtones of low social worth. This probably fits the intention of the Hebrew term whose exact meaning is not clear. Elsewhere it means a bastard or person born outside of a regular marriage (Deut 23.2). In later Jewish interpretation, it referred especially to someone born of an adulterous relationship or as the result of incest. Here the word is singular, and could refer to an individual of mixed race ruling over Ashdod (Driver). But most translators from the Septuagint onwards have taken it as collective, referring to a population of mixed race, possibly resulting from forced interbreeding with conquerors (Jerusalem Bible footnote). Contemporary English Version shows the hostile force of the sentence with “A mob of half-breeds will settle in Ashdod.”

I will make an end of the pride of Philistia: At this point the Hebrew changes from third person singular to first person. Many translators will find it helpful to follow the example of Good News Translation and identify the speaker: “The LORD says.” It is also possible to change the first person pronouns to third person, both here and in verse 7, as Contemporary English Version has done, and if necessary in verse 8 also. This sentence functions as a summary of the fall of all the Philistine towns, and makes it clear that it is the LORD who controls their destiny. The Hebrew word translated make an end of is literally “cut off” (New International Version), and some translators may be able to retain this metaphor. Other metaphors used in modern versions include “cut down” (Revised English Bible) and “uproot” (New English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh); but many versions use nonfigurative language, such as “humble” (Good News Translation) or “destroy” (New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation). The pride of Philistia may refer to general Philistine “arrogance” (Jerusalem Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 2. Edition) or in particular to their pride in being an independent nation (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1. Edition). Probably a general term like “pride” is better than a particular one. Philistia stands for the Philistine people, and many translators will prefer to render it this way (compare Good News Translation).

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Zechariah 11:10

And I took my staff Grace: This is the first staff mentioned in verse 7, and translators should ensure that they give it the same name here as there.

And I broke it: In languages where there are different verbs for different kinds of breaking, translators may assume that the staff was snapped (New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, New Living Translation) across the middle, possibly more than once so that it may have ended up in more than the two pieces mentioned in New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, and New Living Translation. In some languages I took … and I broke will be very natural, but in others it may be too wordy. In such cases it may be sufficient to say just “I broke my staff called Grace.” Translators should try to choose a term for broke which can also be used in the parallel context in verse 14.

Annulling the covenant which I had made with all the peoples: To annul means to “cancel” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), “revoke” (New International Version, New Living Translation), or just “break” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible). Breaking the staff symbolizes breaking the covenant. Again translators should use a verb that will also fit the parallel context in verse 14. The difficulties in this part of the verse arise more from interpretation than from translation as such, but in this case the decisions made about the interpretation do affect the translation. There are three questions to be answered:
(1) Who is the I? Some scholars see these words as coming from the mouth of the LORD, but others see them as the words of the prophet speaking on behalf of the LORD. This second view fits the flow of the paragraph better. Some scholars like Delcor think that the Hebrew words underlying “my covenant which I had made” (King James Version, Revised Version) twice contain an abbreviation for the divine name, and should be understood to mean “the LORD’s covenant which the LORD made.” Of available versions, New English Bible/ Revised English Bible and Jerusalem Bible incorporate this view, but it is abandoned by New Jerusalem Bible. Its advantage is that it avoids having the prophet speak of himself as making a covenant, but there is no serious problem anyway in having the prophet identify himself with the one on whose behalf he is speaking. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament also advises against the abbreviation view, and we recommend that translators render “my [or, the] covenant which I had made.”
(2) Who are all the peoples? The Hebrew noun is plural, and some scholars take it to refer to the gentile “nations” (New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, New Living Translation) surrounding the Jews. Compare Hos 2.18-20. Driver, Cashdan, Lamarche, Delcor, and Petersen assume that the LORD had made a covenant with these nations that would prevent them from attacking Israel (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), and that now this embargo would be lifted. The problem with this view is that there is no evidence of the existence of any such covenant. Mitchell, Gaide, Chary, Meyers & Meyers, Merrill, and Redditt (1995) prefer to understand all the peoples to refer to all the tribes of Israel, as in 1 Kgs 22.28. In a context where the prophet is concerned more with Israel’s relationship with the LORD than with its relationship with other nations, this view seems more convincing, so translators may say “with all the people of Israel.”
(3) What sort of covenant is referred to? Those who think in terms of a covenant with gentile nations tend to want to give the term a meaning weaker than that which it normally bears, and so use a word different from the usual one (Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), one more like “pact,” “armistice,” or “truce.” In English Moffatt uses “safe-guard,” which both sounds and looks rather odd. It seems more consistent with the context to understand the covenant God made with his own people, and to translate the word in the usual way. For covenant see 9.11.

The following are possible alternative models:

• I took my staff called “Grace” and I snapped it. In this way I showed that the covenant I had made with the whole nation of Israel was broken.

• … that I had canceled the agreement that I had made with all the people of Israel.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Zechariah 14:4

On that day: These words mark the beginning of a new discourse unit when they occur at the beginning of a sentence in Hebrew, as in 12.4, 6, 8, 11; 13.1; 14.20. Here they are not in fact at the beginning of the sentence, and do not indicate a new unit. Of the available versions, only King James Version and Revised Version follow the Hebrew word order. In many languages as in English, it may be more natural for a time expression to come at the beginning of the sentence. If so, then translators should consider some form of wording which is not identical with the wording they use in places where “On that day” does function as the marker of a new unit. Translators might say, for instance, “When that day [or, time, as in Bible en français courant and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente] comes” instead of “On that day.” It is better not to omit the phrase completely as Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch and Contemporary English Version do.

His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives: This statement is made about the LORD, and is one of the most striking places in the Old Testament where the LORD is spoken of as if he had body parts like a human being. His feet is a figure of speech called a synecdoche, in which a part stands for the whole: his feet represent the LORD himself in the act of standing. Translators should retain the figure if at all possible. In some cultures such language is offensive when used about God, and in cases like this, translators may give the meaning of the figure, namely, “he shall stand.” But if they feel obliged to do this, they should put the literal form of the Hebrew in a footnote.

The Mount of Olives is a ridge about four kilometers (two and a half miles) long, to the east of Jerusalem. It is higher than the city and completely blocks the view eastwards from the city. This is the only time the name Mount of Olives occurs in this form in the Old Testament. Its significance for the prophet probably lay in the fact that this was the place where Ezekiel saw the glory of the LORD stand when it was departing from the city (Ezek 11.23). When the glory of the LORD returned (Ezek 43.2), it also came from the east, but no mention is made of a mountain on that occasion. The Mount of Olives is also associated with the departure of King David from Jerusalem when he was fleeing from Absalom (2 Sam 15.30). In many languages the name Mount of Olives will be familiar from the New Testament. It may be translated as “the mountain where olive trees grow.”

Which lies before Jerusalem on the east: This clause explains the relationship of the Mount of Olives to the city for the benefit of readers who were not familiar with the geography of the Jerusalem area. In many languages a shorter form of expression will be sufficient, such as “to the east of Jerusalem” (Good News Translation) or “east of Jerusalem” (New International Version, Contemporary English Version).

The Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley: The effect of the LORD’s presence is here described in terms of the effect of a very powerful earthquake. This kind of comparison is found quite frequently in the Old Testament, for example in Jdg 5.5; Psa 97.5; Amos 9.5; Micah 1.3-4; Nahum 1.5. There is no existing valley such as that described here. Its creation is part of the change that will take place when the LORD finally intervenes in human history. In translating a very wide valley, translators should try to use a word that describes a broad and relatively flat-bottomed area between the mountains. The word “gorge” in Jerusalem Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh refers to a steep and usually narrow cleft, and is rather misleading. Split in two … may also be expressed as “divided down the middle, forming a wide valley that runs [or, goes] from east to west” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

So that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and the other half southward: These clauses add further detail about the geographical changes that will take place when the LORD comes. In meaning they match fully with the previous clause. Withdraw means “move backwards,” that is, away from the newly formed valley. The mention of northward and southward means that with east and west above, all the four main points of the compass have been mentioned. In many languages the terms for these directions may be complex expressions, but translators need not worry about this, as some of the Hebrew words are also complex. The word for west, for instance, is related to the Mediterranean Sea, and of the two different words used for east, the second is directly related to the sunrise, and the first is related to the direction straight ahead, on the assumption that the speaker is facing the rising sun. See also the notes on verse 8.

The whole description in this verse has some points of resemblance with the description given by the Jewish writer Josephus in the late first century A.D. of the earthquake that took place in the days of King Uzziah, about 760-750 B.C. (compare Amos 1.1). It seems that there was a strong folk memory of this event (which is referred to in the next verse), but the changes pictured here are on a much vaster scale than what happened in Uzziah’s day.

In traditional Christian interpretation, this verse is often linked with the ascension of Jesus from the Mount of Olives and the promise of his return (Acts 1.9-12). There are various views about these events, and translators must be careful not to slant their rendering toward any particular interpretation, or even to a Christian interpretation rather than a Jewish one. For instance, it would be quite unacceptable to translate verses 3-4 here in such a way as to give the impression that “the LORD” or his feet were intended to refer to the LORD Jesus. This may eventually prove to be the case, but neither the translation nor any footnotes in a Bible to be published by the Bible Societies should state this directly. A fuller discussion of the events of the end time is the task of theologians and preachers but not of translators.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Malachi 2:3

The opening Hebrew word, which Revised Standard Version translates Behold, indicates the beginning of the second half of the unit 2.1-4. Within the first clause I will rebuke your offspring, there are two problems of understanding arising from uncertainties in the Hebrew text. A literal translation is “I will rebuke the seed for your sake” (Revised Version), and there are four possible understandings of “seed.”
(1) The first meaning, found in King James Version and Revised Version, takes “seed” literally so that the clause then refers to the failure of crops. The priests did not own land, so the failure of the crops would affect them only indirectly in that they would receive smaller amounts of tithe from a smaller crop.
(2) The second meaning takes “seed” figuratively to refer to the descendants of the priests. When the LORD says he will rebuke (or, “punish” as in Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) the descendants of the priests, this is understood to mean that he will reduce their numbers so that eventually there are none left. Since the priesthood was hereditary, this means it would come to an end (compare Verhoef). This is the view taken by the majority of modern versions.
(3) Some modern scholars and translators follow the Septuagint in reading the Hebrew word for “seed” with different vowels, and translate it “arm” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Beck) or “arms” (Moffatt, Revised English Bible). This makes it necessary to decide what rebuke could mean in connection with a part of the human body, and thus involves a second problem in the clause. This concerns both the form and the meaning of the Hebrew word underlying rebuke. The Septuagint seems to suggest the meaning “cut off” (New English Bible/Revised English Bible), but other choices are “disable” (Moffatt), “break” (Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible), “paralyse” (Jerusalem Bible), and “restrain” (Beck). If the priests had their arms damaged, they would not be able to perform their sacrificial duties, nor raise their arms to bless the people. But the lack of agreement among those who hold this view is an argument against accepting it.
(4) New American Bible follows the Septuagint more literally and translates “arm” as “shoulder” and interprets the verb underlying rebuke to mean “deprive.” The priests were entitled to receive the shoulder of a sacrificial animal as their special portion (Deut 18.3), so “I will deprive you of the shoulder” makes sense in connection with priestly privileges. The problem is that this does not appear to be a sufficiently severe punishment to fit the context of this verse, especially the last part.

This Handbook recommends that translators follow the Hebrew text and accept (2), the interpretation found in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. The language is somewhat similar to that used in the description of the punishment of the priest Eli in 1 Sam 2.31. This interpretation means that the promise given to the priestly line in Num 25.12-13 would be canceled. “I will punish your descendants” (Contemporary English Version) is better than “I will punish your children” (Good News Translation).

And spread dung upon your faces: According to the Law (for instance in Exo 29.14; Lev 4.11-12), certain parts of sacrificed animals, including the dung, were to be taken away and burned, so for the priests to have it spread on their faces was a serious insult (compare Nahum 3.6). As well as dishonoring the priests, it would make them ritually unclean so that they could not carry out their duties. The word translated dung refers to the contents of the stomachs of sacrificial animals, not to what they had already excreted. In more detail it probably refers primarily to the contents of the fourth stomach of ruminant animals, that is, animals that chew the cud. In some languages there may be a special term for this, and if so it could be used here.

The dung of your offerings makes it clear what dung is referred to. The Hebrew word that Revised Standard Version renders offerings is literally “feasts” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible), but in this context it must refer to the animals sacrificed at the feasts. Thus New International Version has “festival sacrifices” and this may be a useful model for translators in some languages.

The final clause I will put you out of my presence renders the last three words of the verse in Hebrew. It is difficult to understand these words (literally “one shall take you away to it”). The Revised Standard Version translation depends on changing the difficult Hebrew text, and this change is followed by a number of modern versions (Moffatt, New English Bible/Revised English Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version). However, it is possible to make sense of the Hebrew text as it stands, and no change is recommended in Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament or Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. The impersonal subject of the verb “take” is equivalent to “they will take you” or, more naturally in English, “you will be taken.” The last word “to it” refers to the dung already mentioned, and thus the effect of the clause is to say “you [the priests] will be thrown out with the animal dung” or “they will throw you priests out with the animal dung.” The priests would not only be insulted by having the animal dung smeared on their faces, but they would also be treated as if they themselves were dung!

Good News Translation has “you will be taken out to the dung heap” in the American and Australian editions. (The British edition has “dunghill” instead of “dung heap,” but this is only a dialect variation.) Other versions that translate in a similar way to Good News Translation include New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Beck, New Living Translation, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente. This is the approach that this Handbook recommends.

An alternative translation model for the whole verse is:

• See, I am going to punish your descendants. I will spread on your faces the dung of the animals you sacrifice, and you will be taken away with the dung.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Malachi. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Malachi 4:2

Whereas in verse 1 the LORD made statements about the wicked, speaking of them in the third person, in verses 2-3 he speaks to the faithful directly, addressing them in the second person.

But for you who fear my name: This verse and the next contrast the destiny of the faithful with that of the wicked described in verse 1. But should therefore be a strong term if translators have to choose between different conjunctions indicating contrast. You who fear my name are the same group of people as “those who feared the LORD and thought on his name” in 3.16. As before, the name stands for the person, and fear for “respect,” so Good News Translation is justified in rendering this expression as “you who obey me.” This may be a useful model for some translators.

The sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings: There are several translation questions in this clause. The phrase sun of righteousness occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament, so its meaning has been the subject of debate. In Christian tradition going back to early times, this phrase has been interpreted as relating to the coming of the Messiah. While there may be truth in this interpretation from a Christian perspective, it seems unlikely that this was the prophet’s main intention, and translators should avoid building such an interpretation into their translation. A number of English versions (Moffatt, Beck, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation, New King James Version ) follow King James Version in spelling “Sun” with a capital “S.” This spelling does suggest a reference to the Messiah, and translators should not follow it. The same versions (with the addition of New English Bible) translate “his wings/rays” rather than its wings, and this further strengthens the suggestion. (Beck and New King James Version even spell “His” with a capital “H.”) It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word for sun, which is usually masculine, is in this sentence feminine, so a literal translation would be “her wings,” but only Hill translates like that. This is a warning to translators not to read more into a text than the original writer intended. If translators wish to point out the tradition of interpreting this verse in relation to the Messiah, they should do so in a footnote (as Jerusalem Bible does), not in the text.

What then is the meaning of the expression sun of righteousness? The Hebrew word translated righteousness has a wide range of meaning associated with the idea of vindicating people and actions that are in accordance with the will of God. Thus New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible here translate it as “justice” and Contemporary English Version as “victory.” The phrase “saving power” in Good News Translation is based on a similar understanding, but is unfortunately quite unnatural style. Translators may render it as “justice,” “victory,” “vindication,” or even “salvation.” Possible models for sun of righteousness are “the sun that brings righteousness/justice” and “the sun that shows publicly that you [or, people] are right” (see the alternative models at the end of the verse).

For you … the sun … shall rise is a vivid and striking metaphor (compare 2 Sam 23.4; Psa 84.11), and if possible, translators should keep a figure of speech here. However, it may be clearer in some languages to turn the metaphor into a simile, as Good News Translation has with “will rise on you like the sun,” or perhaps “will shine on you like the sun.” The whole expression you … the sun of righteousness shall rise may then be understood to mean something like “the light of the sun will show that you are right.” For other possible restructurings, see the discussion below.

With healing in its wings: All over the ancient world from Egypt to Persia, the sun was pictured as a winged disk, and this is probably the symbolism behind Malachi’s figure of speech. Healing has the sense of restoring physical and psychological injuries to perfect condition. The sun is also associated with healing in Isa 30.26 and 58.8. In its wings is generally thought to be a figurative way of referring to the rays of the sun, so Good News Translation and numerous other versions translate wings as “rays.” The word translated wings can also mean a fold of a garment in which things could be carried (for instance Hag 2.12; Zech 8.23), much as a modern pocket. However, in English the idea of the sun having pockets is even more difficult than the idea of it having wings! New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “with healing in the folds of its garments” as an alternative rendering in a footnote and in some languages this may be a possible model.

Other possibilities for the first part of this verse are “As for you who follow me truly, that day will be a day of salvation for you. As the sun rises in the sky, so true judgment will spread across your land. The sun’s warmth will heal your wounds and sicknesses” and “As for you people who honor me with one heart, when dawn comes on that day, the sun will pull down truth and salvation on you. Its warmth will heal you.”

You shall go forth leaping like calves from the stall: Here the figure changes, both in its form (a simile instead of a metaphor) and in its content. The imagery here seems to be of the faithful people leaping for joy like young cows let out into a field after being confined in a stall. It is also possible that calves kept in a stall were destined for fattening and slaughter (compare Amos 6.4). In that case, being released from the stall would be like being saved from execution. Whatever the exact background, the point of the picture seems to be joy, so Good News Translation renders “You will be as free and happy as calves let out of a stall.”

In most languages translators should be able to keep the picture of the calves. However, the picture of a winged sun bringing victory and healing may be too difficult for readers to understand, and in that case, a restructuring may be necessary, such as is done in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. A possible model based on Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is:

• But for you who have been faithful to me, on that day the sun will rise. Its light will show publicly that you are right, and all your wounds will be healed. You will jump for joy like calves let out of a stall into a pasture.

Another model is:

• But for you who honor me, salvation will come upon you just as the rising sun heals you with its rays. You will jump….

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Malachi. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Haggai 1:6

This verse consists of five statements each accompanied by a contrasting one. Together, these statements describe vividly the difficult economic conditions of Haggai’s own day.

First of all the people have sown much, and harvested little, that is to say crops have been poor. In areas where grain is not grown, it may be necessary for translators to use a more general expression such as “You have planted [or, sown] many crops [or, much seed], but few of them have grown,” or even “You harvest less crops than you plant.” Instead of “planted much grain,” the British edition of Good News Translation has “sown much corn,” but the meaning is the same.

The second statement expresses the result of the first: you eat, but you never have enough. In some languages this could be expressed as “You have a little food to eat, but you are still hungry when you have eaten it.” In areas where the term for “food” in general is “rice,” “yam,” “sago,” or the name of some other staple food, that word may be used; for example, “You have rice to eat, but not enough to make you full.”

The third statement moves on to consider another result of poor crops: you drink, but you never have your fill. Good News Translation makes the object clear: “You have wine to drink, but not enough to get drunk on!” Haggai is not suggesting that the people ought to have got drunk, but rather is mocking them because they did not have enough wine to get drunk on if they had wanted to. It is probably better not to speak about getting drunk. This statement may be translated in a manner parallel with the previous one: “You have a little wine to drink, but you are still thirsty when you have drunk it [or, you cannot slake your thirst].” Compare New Living Translation “You have wine to drink, but not enough to satisfy your thirst.” In cultures where wine made from grapes is unknown, some local alcoholic beverage such as “palm wine” can be used in the translation. It would be wrong, however, to use “water” in this context.

The fourth statement turns from food to clothes: you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. The people did not suffer the shame of going naked, but nevertheless their clothes were not enough to keep them warm in the cold months of winter, as Good News Translation makes clear. Translators could also say, “You wrap yourselves up, but cannot keep warm” or “your clothes don’t keep you warm” (Contemporary English Version).

The fifth statement deals with the general economic situation, and is expressed as a metaphor: he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes. What this means is that because food, wine, and clothing are scarce, prices are rising faster than wages, and the cost of living is continually increasing. Few parts of the world today have not experienced the same conditions (nowadays called “inflation”), and most translators should have no difficulty in finding suitable vocabulary. Good News Translation drops the metaphor and expresses the meaning in plain language as “workers cannot earn enough to live on.” In many languages “workers” would be rendered as “people who work for pay.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Haggai. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Translation commentary on Zechariah 1:4

This verse consists of only two sentences in Revised Standard Version, but Good News Translation has broken it into three. In this way, the main point is given a clearer emphasis, and stands as a sentence on its own at the beginning. Many translators will find it helpful to follow this example.

Be not like your fathers: For comments on fathers, see verse 1.2 above. The phrase Be not like may also be rendered as “Don’t follow [or, walk] in the same paths as” or “Do not imitate the actions of.” It is also possible to make it clear that the sin of their ancestors was stubbornness and say, “Don’t be stubborn like your ancestors” (Contemporary English Version).

To whom the former prophets cried out: To Zechariah the former prophets meant the prophets who had spoken before the exile. It was not until later than Zechariah’s day that this expression was used as a technical term for the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Good News Translation uses the rather vague term “Long ago” to translate former. It is also possible to express this clause as “Before they were carried away to Babylon, my messengers spoke to them” or, in languages that do not use the passive, “Before their enemies carried them away to Babylon….” The verb cried out introduces the fourth degree quotation.

The repeated formula Thus says the LORD of hosts begins the fourth degree quotation and introduces the fifth degree quotation. It is translated in Good News Translation as “my message.” See the introductory comments on this paragraph. The actual message given by the earlier prophets is quoted in direct speech in Revised Standard Version, as in the Hebrew. The words used are not an exact quotation of any earlier prophet, though they closely resemble such passages as Jer 18.11; Jer 25.5; Jer 35.15. Because no direct quotation is involved, Good News Translation has used indirect speech. However, languages that cannot use indirect speech should use a model similar to that of Revised Standard Version. Direct speech here will give a more dramatic and forceful style in many languages.

Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds: These words constitute the whole of the fifth degree quotation, and also conclude the fourth degree quotation. The Hebrew word translated Return is the same word as was used in verse 3. It will not be possible to keep this verbal link in many languages. Good News Translation restructures the clause as “telling them not to live evil, sinful lives any longer.” The two noun phrases evil ways and evil deeds both mean basically the same thing, so Good News Translation has put them together into the single phrase “evil, sinful lives.” Ways refers to regular behavior or a habitual manner of life. The Hebrew often connects it with “walking.” If a translator uses direct speech, other ways of expressing this sentence are: “Repent and stop living evil and sinful lives,” or idiomatically, “Turn your hearts around completely and stop living evil lives and doing sinful things,” or more simply “turn your lives around and stop doing evil [or, sinning].”

But they did not hear or heed me: These words continue the third degree quotation. They summarize the response given to the earlier prophets, especially Jeremiah. Again, this is not an exact quotation, but uses terms similar to those in such passages as Jer 7.24; Jer 17.23; Jer 29.19. Good News Translation expresses the meaning in more modern terms as “But they would not listen to me or obey me.” It is also possible to say, “But those people would not listen…” or “but they paid no attention” (Contemporary English Version).

Says the LORD: These words translate a phrase that in Hebrew probably has the discourse function of marking the end of both the third and second degree quotations. Alternatively, it may mark a climax in the third degree quotation, which would then be analyzed as continuing (together with the second degree quotation) to the end of verse 6. It is not possible to be certain, but it seems more satisfying to regard the third and second degree quotations as ending at this point, as this produces a better balance for the whole paragraph.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Don’t follow [or, walk] the same paths as your ancestors. Long ago my messengers [or, prophets] spoke my message to them saying, “Turn your hearts around completely and stop living evil lives and doing wicked things.” But those people would not listen to me or obey me.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .