justice

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “justice” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that describes the quality or principle of fairness, righteousness, and impartiality in treating other people. A literal back-translation of the signs are “FOLLOW(God is implied) ACTIONS, DECISIONS JUST-RIGHT”. A more idiomatic back-translation would be: “actions and decisions are right/fitting/just in accordance to God’s will.” The movement in the signs itself helps to indicate that this is a noun, not a verb. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Justice” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

complete verse (Exodus 23:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 23:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “A vulnerable/weak person should not be pressed down when he is being reconciled with (the) other person.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Do not hold back to offer justice to the needy people.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘You (plur.) be-sure that the poor will-get justice in their case.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “‘If they make a poor man to testify on charges, you (pl.) can’t mustn’t speak falsely about him. Lest they not straighten his dispute well.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “If they judge people, judgement of poor people and judgement of rich people let it not (imp.) [body] divide.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “Decide the cases of poor people who are on trial as fairly as you decide the cases of other people.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 23:6

Verse 6 returns to the courtroom setting. You shall not pervert the justice uses the same word for pervert as in verse 2, and here the word for justice is explicit. But the word for pervert may also mean “turning aside” or “denying.” So Good News Translation has “Do not deny justice,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “You shall not subvert the rights.”

Justice due to your poor is literally “justice of your [singular] needy,” with the same word for justice (mishpat) that is used in 21.9. The word for poor is different from that used in verse 3, but the meaning is the same. (See the discussion there on ways to translate “poor.”) The idea of due is understood but not explicit in the text. The pronoun your is omitted in Good News Translation, but New American Bible has “one of your needy fellow men,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “the poor among you.” In his suit, as in verse 3, means “in his lawsuit” (Revised English Bible), or “in court” (Good News Translation). Contemporary English Version has “Make sure that the poor are given equal justice in court.” An alternative model is “when a poor person appears before the judges, you must make sure that they decide [or, judge] his case fairly.” In cultures where “chiefs” are the judges, one may translate “Chiefs must decide the cases of poor people just as fairly as they judge other people.”

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 .