Apali: “God’s one with talk from the head” (“basically God’s messenger since head refers to any leader’s talk”) (source: Martha Wade)
Michoacán Nahuatl: “clean helper of God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Noongar: Hdjin-djin-kwabba or “spirit good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Wè Northern (Wɛɛ): Kea ‘a “sooa or “the Lord’s soldier” (also: “God’s soldier” or “his soldier”) (source: Drew Maust)
Iwaidja: “a man sent with a message” (Sam Freney explains the genesis of this term [in this article ): “For example, in Darwin last year, as we were working on a new translation of Luke 2:6–12 in Iwaidja, a Northern Territory language, the translators had written ‘angel’ as ‘a man with eagle wings’. Even before getting to the question of whether this was an accurate term (or one that imported some other information in), the word for ‘eagle’ started getting discussed. One of the translators had her teenage granddaughter with her, and this word didn’t mean anything to her at all. She’d never heard of it, as it was an archaic term that younger people didn’t use anymore. They ended up changing the translation of ‘angel’ to something like ‘a man sent with a message’, which is both more accurate and clear.”)
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) is used as in mi-tsukai (御使い) or “messenger (of God).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Bender / Belt (2025, p. 2f.) report about the translation of “angel” in Cherokee: “In John, the concept of angel is translated using a descriptive neologism rather than a semantic extension, suggesting the lack of a ready parallel. The plural is dmikahnawadidohi, ‘the law-givers’ or ‘those who go around looking after the medicine.’ Cherokee speakers argue that the Cherokee word for ‘law,’ dikahnawadvsdi, expresses the intent to maintain social, physical, and spiritual health and has at its core the word for ‘medicine,’ mwoli, which encompasses all aspects of social and spiritual well-being, including balance and order (Altman and Belt 2009), much more than the English word. Thus, the Cherokee word for ‘angel’ represents a new perspective on this category of spiritual beings named in the Bible. It does not derive from the concept of messenger present in both its Greek (angelos) and Hebrew (malak) antecedents perhaps because the Cherokee word for ‘messenger,’ atsinvsidasdi, is widely used to translate the foreign lexeme ‘servant.'”
The Hebrew and Latin that is transliterated as “Nahum” in English is translated in Hungarian Sign Language with a sign that is derived from the meaning of his name and refers to divine comfort. The name Nahum means “comforter,” “comforted,” or “consolation.” The name originates from the fuller form Nahumyah, which means “Yahweh consoles or comforts.” (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Nahum” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Nahum,” the second and third parts refer to “prophet” and “book” (source )
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting “punish a place,” especially referring to Nahum 1 and 3. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin that is transliterated as “Habakkuk” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign for “dialog,” referring to the dialog between Habakkuk and God in chapters 1 and 2. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign referring to direct communication with God; the hand shape is the same as the one used for the sign for complaint. Here, it is directed toward God, as if the prophet were lodging a complaint with him (see Habakkuk 1:2ff.) (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Habakkuk” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Habakkuk,” the second and third parts refer to “prophet” and “book” (source )
The Hebrew and Latin that is transliterated as “Zephaniah” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that depicts “blessing on a place.” This refers to the blessing of Zephaniah 3:14 and following. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that is a one-handed version of the two-handed sign for “explaining”; it refers to the firm mediation of God’s will, which the prophet proclaims and explains to the people. This sign faithfully reflects the prophetic ministry of Zephaniah, who proclaimed the Day of the Lord (see Zephaniah 1:14) with strict firmness, while providing a clear explanation of the people’s sins and future hope. The “explaining” motion within the sign emphasizes the teaching and mediating role through which the prophet made the divine message intelligible to his contemporaries. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Zephaniah” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Zephaniah,” the second and third parts refer to “prophet” and “book” (source )
The Hebrew and Latin that is transliterated as “Malachi” in English means “angel or messenger of the Lord,” “my messenger.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
It is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “offering” referring to Malachi 3:8 and following. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that refers to an address — a firm reminder to the people of what God’s will is. Since the Hebrew name Malachi means “my messenger” or “my envoy,” the sign in sign language refers to an address, as the prophet is God’s spokesperson who conveys his message. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Malachi” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Malachi,” the second and third parts refer to “prophet” and “book” (source )
The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is transliterated as “Zechariah” or “Zachariah” means “whom YHWH remembers,” “remember God.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that is based on calling attention to God’s will and encouraging the building of the temple (see Zechariah 4:99. This sign clearly distinguishes the prophet from the previously mentioned New Testament Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist). While the latter’s sign refers to muteness, the prophet’s sign captures his active theological and historical role — the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and spiritual awakening. This distinction highlights the precision of biblical sign language: they do not merely denote names, but encode the person’s significance in salvation history within the signs themselves, thereby aiding believers in identification and scriptural interpretation. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Zechariah” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Zechariah,” the second part refers to “book” (source )
The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is transliterated as “Haggai” in English means “festival of the LORD,” “born of a festival day,” “my solemn feast.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts the prophet pointing to God as his message to the people in Jerusalem.
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that suggests that the prophet directly interprets the word of God to the people. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Haggai” in Hungarian Sign Language — note that only the first part refers to “Haggai,” the second and third parts refer to “prophet” and “book” (source )
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
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