gentiles / nations

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).

Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).

In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also nations.

complete verse (Daniel 3:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 3:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, the announcer/speaker proclaimed in a loud voice, ‘You people of all provinces, communities and languages, listen to these words:” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “At that time a person coming to make an announcement with a two-headed drum cried out in a loud voice and spoke like this, "O peoples of various ethnic groups, of various nations, speaking various languages, listen kings commanded!” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “the one-who-gives-news shouted, ‘You (plur.) who came from different nations, races, and languages,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then an announcer shouted, ‘You people who come from many countries and many people-groups and who speak many languages, listen to what the king has commanded!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Daniel 3:4

The herald: the function of this person was to speak in a loud voice on behalf of the king. In many languages it may have to be translated “a spokesman” or “a messenger for the king.” But some languages have a more technical term for the person who makes announcements for the chief. Bible en français courant translates “the master of ceremonies.” There is no definite article in the original, so it will be misleading to give the impression that a particular person is in view. Several recent translations have simply “a herald” (Good News Translation, Anchor Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible).

You are commanded: this passive construction may be rendered actively as “The king has commanded (or is commanding),” or it may possibly be left to be understood by using imperative verb forms for the actions required of those present. Another possibility is to say at the beginning or end of this verse something like “Listen to the king’s command.”

O peoples …: the position of this vocative form in the sentence may have to be changed in some languages. Translators should consider which is the most natural order in their language.

Peoples, nations, and languages: here again we have another list. In this case the exaggerated language serves to show that the king wanted the worship of his statue to be universal. In some cases the three terms may have to be translated “people who come from all countries and who speak all languages.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .