God's anger, wrath of God

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated into English as “the wrath of God” or “God’s anger” has to be referred to in Bengali as judgment, punishment or whatever fits the context. In Bengali culture, anger is by definition bad and can never be predicated of God. (Source: David Clark)

Translations in other languages:

  • Quetzaltepec Mixe: “translated with a term that not only expresses anger, but also punishment” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “the coming punishment of God on mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “God’s fearful/terrible future punishing of people” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “the coming anger/hatred of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “the punishment which will come” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “God’s action of anger comes forth in the open” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Mairasi: “His anger keeps increasing (until it will definitely arrive)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)

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) is used as in mi-ikari (御怒り) or “wrath (of God)” in the referenced verses. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also anger and the coming wrath.

complete verse (Exodus 22:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 22:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “I will be annoyed/angry with you (plur.) and push you to be killed in war. Your wives will become widows and your children become orphans.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword. Your wives will become widow and your children fatherless.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I will- become -angry with you (plur.) and I will-kill you (plur.) in war. Your (plur.) wives will-become-widows and your (plur.) children will-become-orphans.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “[When] it’s like that then I will be angry and so send your enemies in order that they come and strike you dead. [When] it’s like that then your spouses will remain as widows and your children will be orphans.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “and I will be angry for you, will make you die in war. So, your wife will be widow, and children your will be orphans.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “And I will be angry with you, and I will cause you to be killed in a war. Your wives will become widows, and your children will no longer have fathers.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 Exod 22:23 - 22:24

These verses add a penalty to the law in verse 22. If you do afflict them is literally “If [ʾim] humiliating you will humiliate him.” The same verb as in verse 22 is doubled here in the emphatic form, which New American Standard Bible renders as “If you afflict him at all.” Surprisingly the plural you is here changed to singular, and the singular “him” is used instead of them. In English it is more natural to say them, and translators should follow what is natural in their languages. Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version do not repeat the phrase afflict them. However, in many languages it will be helpful to follow Revised Standard Version.

And they cry out to me is literally “for if [ki ʾim] crying he will cry out to me,” using the emphatic form again and the singular “he.” The two words “for if” are probably used here to emphasize the ʾim in the first line, so Good News Translation has “when they cry out to me” (so also New Revised Standard Version). The translation should not suggest that God will not act if they do not cry out, for the idea is that they will cry out “for help” (Good News Translation). So “when” is better than “if” in this second instance. I will surely hear their cry, literally “hearing I will hear his cry,” again uses the double verb for emphasis. Good News Translation brings this out by changing hear to “answer.” However, Contemporary English Version‘s “I will come to their rescue” is also possible. Another possibility is “I will hear their cry and help them.”

And my wrath will burn is literally “and my nose will become hot,” which is an idiom for intense anger. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “My anger shall blaze forth,” and New American Bible has “My wrath will flare up.” (See the comment at 4.14.) And I will kill you with the sword uses a general word for kill (see 2.14), and you is plural. With the sword may be understood in an indirect way as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh (“I will put you to the sword”), or in a figurative way as in Translator’s Old Testament (“I will cause you to die a violent death”). Good News Translation interprets this indirectly, “kill you in war.” Contemporary English Version is very emphatic, “In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men,” interpreting you to mean “men,” as the wives would be without husbands (widows) and the children would be fatherless (orphans).

And your wives shall become widows uses the plural form of your. Widows is the same word used in verse 22. And your children fatherless is literally “and your sons orphans,” using the same word as in verse 22. Here Good News Translation changes to “fatherless,” but New Revised Standard Version has changed Revised Standard Version to “orphans.” (See the comment at verse 22.) Translator’s Old Testament effectively adds “own” to “your own wives” and “your own children” (similarly Revised English Bible).

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .