messenger

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

complete verse (Ezekiel 23:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 23:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “And when (she) wished to glance, the desire of the body pulled (her) to admire/lust for those people. Then she sent some people to go to Babylon.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Because she was-attracted with them, she sent-someone to Babilonia to invite these officials to come to her.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “As soon as she saw those drawings, she wanted to have sex with those men, and she sent messages to them in Babylonia.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 23:16

When she saw them she doted upon them: When Oholibah saw the carved pictures of the Babylonian men, “she wanted to have sex with them” (Contemporary English Version). For the Hebrew verb rendered doted upon, see Ezek 23.5.

And sent messengers to them in Chaldea: Oholibah asked Babylonian men to come to her for sex. Historically this clause probably reflects an attempt by the king of Judah to make a political alliance with the Babylonians against the Assyrians, but there is not enough detail to be sure exactly when this happened.

Here is a model for verses 14-16:

• 14 But she was even more immoral than her sister. She saw images [or, pictures] of Babylonian men carved on the walls. These images were painted in bright red. 15-16 The men wore handsome belts around their waists and had helmets with sashes [or, ribbons] flowing in the wind. They all looked like officers going into battle on their horses. When she saw these images of native Babylonians, she lusted after them, and sent messengers to Babylonia to ask them to come and have sex with her.

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 .