scattering

In Gbaya, the notion of scattering something or someone in all directions in the associated verses is emphasized with the ideophone sót-sót.

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

complete verse (Ezekiel 12:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 12:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “I shall scatter his people together with his leaders and all his soldiers. I shall draw my sword and follow (them) behind and be killing them.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I will-scatter everywhere all his men — his servants and guards — and everywhere they go I will-cause- them -to-be-killed.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I will scatter in all directions all those who have been around him—his advisors and his soldiers—and I will cause his enemies to pursue them, with their swords ready to strike 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 Ezekiel 12:14

And I will scatter toward every wind all who are round about him, his helpers and all his troops: God threatens to scatter King Zedekiah’s officials and guards to many different countries (see 2 Kgs 25.5). For toward every wind, that is, “in every direction” (Good News Translation), see 5.10. All who are round about him, his helpers and all his troops probably refers to the officials and soldiers who served the king, that is, those who tried to escape from Jerusalem with him (see 2 Kgs 25.4), but it may also include all the people living in Jerusalem. This sentence may be rendered “I will scatter to the four winds all his officials [or, advisers] and guards who serve him.”

And I will unsheathe the sword after them means God will send their enemies to pursue and kill them. See the comments on 5.2. This clause may be rendered “and I will chase them with a sword [or, weapon]” or “and I will chase after them to kill them.” Since God is not the one who will actually do the killing, Good News Translation has “and people will search for them to kill them,” which is a good model.

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 .