complete verse (Ezekiel 12:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 12:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘Ezekiel, did these people of Israel whose heads have gone astray not ask you, ‘What are you doing?’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Man, now that the rebellious people of Israel are-asking concerning what you did,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘You human, the rebellious people of Israel asked you, ‘What are you doing?’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 12:9

Translators will need to take special care in verses 9-16 to identify the speakers clearly. Although God is the speaker throughout, in verses 10 and 11 he gives specific instructions to Ezekiel to say something. Most crucial is verse 11 where the pronoun “I” refers to Ezekiel, but in verses 13-16 it refers to God.

For Son of man, see Ezek 12.2.

Has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’: The symbolic actions of Ezekiel in verse 7 had some effect on his fellow exiles. At least they noticed him and they asked him what his actions meant. God’s question here is rhetorical, so Good News Translation uses a statement. Good News Translation also uses indirect discourse for the question of the people. For the house of Israel, see Ezek 12.6; for the rebellious house, see Ezek 12.2. Good News Translation combines these two phrases, saying “those Israelites rebels,” which is a good model.

Contemporary English Version renders this verse as “[the LORD] reminded me that those rebellious people didn’t even ask what I was doing.” It is possible to understand God’s rhetorical question as implying that the people had not noticed, or asked about, what Ezekiel did, but Contemporary English Version is the only translation to follow this interpretation. A better model here is:

• “Mortal man, you hear the rebellious people of Israel asking you what you are doing.

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 .