angel

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The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Aramaic that is translated as “angel” in English versions is translated in many ways:

  • Pintupi-Luritja: ngaṉka ngurrara: “one who belongs in the sky” (source: Ken Hansen quoted in Steven 1984a, p. 116.)
  • Tetela, Kpelle, Balinese, and Mandarin Chinese: “heavenly messenger”
  • Shilluk / Igede: “spirit messenger”
  • Mashco Piro: “messenger of God”
  • Batak Toba: “envoy, messenger”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “holy servant” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida 1961; Igede: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Central Mazahua: “God’s worker” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Saramaccan: basia u Masa Gaangadu köndë or “messenger from God’s country” (source: Jabini 2015, p. 86)
  • Mairasi: atatnyev nyaa or “sent-one” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “word bringer” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • 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. )

See also angel (Acts 12:15) and this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Exodus 23:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 23:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “My angel will lead you until you capture the nation/land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites. I will completely destroy those people!” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites and I will destroy them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “My angel will-go-ahead-of you (plur.) and he will-bring you (plur.) into the land of the Amornon, Hithanon, Periznon, Canaanhon, Hivhanon, and Jebusnon, and I will-destroy them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “This anggelo of mine will go ahead of you (pl.) and so bring you so that you go to the land of the Amor and It and Peres and Kenan and Ivi and Iebus peoples. And so I will kill them off until they’re finished.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “When my angel will precede for you, will take you place of Amorites, and Hittites, and Perezzites, and Canaanites, and Hivites, and Jebusites, when I will destroy them out,” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “My angel will go ahead of you, and will take you to where the Amor and Heth and Periz and Canaan and Hiv and Jebus people-groups live, and I will completely get rid of them.” (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”.

Translation commentary on Exod 23:23

When my angel goes before you, literally “For my messenger will go to your [singular] face,” uses the word ki, which can mean “For,” “If,” “When,” or “Indeed.” Many translations omit it entirely. This repeats part of verse 20, but here the pronoun my is clearly in the text.

And brings you to the Amorites is literally “and he will cause you to enter unto the Amorite.” What is intended, of course, is “will lead you into the land of the Amorites” (Contemporary English Version). (Good News Translation has “take you” instead of “lead you.”) New Jerusalem Bible has “the home of the Amorites.” As indicated in 3.8, this was the “place,” “the good and broad land,” where these six different ethnic groups lived. Concerning Amorites … Jebusites, see the discussion at 13.5. Note the different order in listing them.

And I blot them out is literally “and I will cause him to be hidden,” or “I will make him disappear.” The singular “him” should be understood as “them” (Good News Translation). The idea is that Yahweh will “destroy them” (Good News Translation), or “wipe them out” (Contemporary English Version, New International Version). Revised English Bible has “I will make an end to them.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “I will annihilate them,” and New Jerusalem Bible even uses the term “exterminate.” In some languages this will be rendered as “wipe them from the ground.” (Note that in Revised Standard Version the sentence continues into the next verse.)

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 .