Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 11:11:
Kupsabiny: “As this city is in a bad position you are also in a bad position! You will be killed until the border of Israel.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “This city will- not -be like a cooking-pot for you, and you will- not -be like a meat inside it. For I will-punish you till the border of Israel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “This city will not be aa place were you will be protected like meat in a covered pot. I will punish you wherever you are in Israel.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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.
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).
The Spirit lifted me up: See 3.12. Again the Spirit is better rendered “a spirit” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “a wind.”
And brought me to the east gate of the house of the LORD, which faces east: In many languages the verb brought is better rendered “carried” in this context (see 8.3). The wind or God’s power carried Ezekiel to the east gate of the house of the LORD, that is, the east gateway of the Temple, where the living creatures carrying the throne of God were (see 10.19). To make sure that no one misunderstood what gate was in view, Ezekiel added that it was the one which faces east, which may be rendered “This is the gate that faces east.” If such emphasis is not natural in the receptor language, this clause may be omitted (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). The LORD renders God’s name “Yahweh” (New Jerusalem Bible).
And behold, at the door of the gateway there were twenty-five men: Here behold introduces another vivid detail in Ezekiel’s vision. For the door of the gateway, see 10.19. The twenty-five men may have been inside the gateway itself, the appropriate place for a meeting. Some scholars have suggested that these men were same as those in 8.16, but we can’t be certain.
And I saw among them Ja-azaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people: We know nothing about these men, except the names of two of them: Ja-azaniah and Pelatiah. Apart from their fathers’ names, nothing is known of them. However, concerning Ja-azaniah see the comments on 8.11. The names of these two men and of their fathers were common names at the time. These two men were princes of the people, that is, political officials of some sort. For those cultures with a chiefly tradition, they may be called “chiefs.” Another possible rendering for princes is “leaders” (Good News Translation, New International Version) or “officials” (New Revised Standard Version). The translation of this whole sentence should not suggest that all twenty-five men were leaders. Contemporary English Version provides a good model here, saying “where I saw twenty-five men, including the two leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah.”
Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Verses 11-12 summarize the previous verses. Jerusalem will not be a safe place for its leaders, but God will judge and punish them before they can leave the country, and by this they will recognize and acknowledge God.
This city shall not be your caldron, nor shall you be the flesh in the midst of it: See verses 3 and 7.
I will judge you at the border of Israel: See verse 10.
Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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