anger

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The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “anger” or similar in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied”).

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • Chichewa: “have a burning heart” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) (see also anger burned in him)
  • Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)

In Akan, a number of metaphors are used, most importantly abufuo, lit. “weedy chest” (the chest is seen as a container that contains the heart but can also metaphorically be filled with other fluids etc.), but also abufuhyeε lit. “hot/burning weedy chest” and anibereε, lit. “reddened eyes.” (Source: Gladys Nyarko Ansah in Kövecses / Benczes / Szelid 2024, p. 21ff.)

See also God’s anger and angry.

Translation commentary on 2 Maccabees 14:45

Still alive and aflame with anger, he rose, and though his blood gushed forth and his wounds were severe he ran through the crowd: Aflame with anger is a figurative expression, meaning Razis was very angry. Many translators will have vivid idioms to describe such extreme anger; for example, “his blood was boiling with anger.” His blood gushed forth and his wounds were severe may be rendered “blood was gushing out of his terrible wounds.” We suggest this alternative model for the whole sentence:

• Razis was still alive, but he was also very angry [or, his blood was boiling]. He got to his feet and ran through the crowd [of soldiers], even though he was badly wounded and blood was gushing out of his terrible [or, severe] wounds.

And standing upon a steep rock: If we are right in picturing this scene occurring in the courtyard of Razis’ home, we have to wonder where the steep rock came from. Actually, the Greek word for steep does not have this sense, but it suggests that this rock was broken off something, presumably the wall itself. Again, in the absence of information to the contrary, we suggest that translators render this clause clearly by saying “He stood on top of a big rock that had broken off the wall.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.