gentiles / nations

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).

Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).

In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also nations.

complete verse (Habakkuk 1:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Habakkuk 1:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “But do you, God, accept for them to continue to do like this? Are these people to continue forever destroying other communities without having mercy (for them)?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Are they to keep on catching nations in their net,
    destroying them with no mercy whatever?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So, LORD, (are) they to keep-on-capturing and keep-on-destroying nations without mercy?’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You did violent things to the people in Lebanon,
    and you killed the wild animals there,
    but you will be punished severely for doing that.
    You have killed many people
    and you have destroyed their lands and their cities.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Habakkuk 1:17

In the traditional Hebrew text, this verse has the form of a question. The Dead Sea Scroll of Habakkuk treats it as a statement by omitting one letter. This matches the Septuagint but is not followed by any major modern translation. A question certainly seems more appropriate in the context: Habakkuk asks how long the LORD will allow Babylonian cruelty to continue.

Emptying his net continues the picture of the Babylonian armies as fishermen from verses 14-16. Here they are described as taking the fish they have caught out of their net. The Dead Sea scroll is again one letter different from the traditional text and has “sword” instead of “net.” This is followed by Good News Translation with “Are they going to use their swords” (compare Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, New American Bible, New English Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). There is little difference in overall meaning between the two possibilities. The Dead Sea Scroll text gives in nonfigurative language the same sense that the traditional text gives in a figure of speech. The majority of modern versions (Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible) follow the traditional text. This seems the best thing to do, since it is in keeping with the metaphor of the previous three verses.

The word translated for ever goes with the second half of the verse in the traditional Hebrew text as in Revised Standard Version, but it goes with the first half in the Dead Sea Scroll, as in Good News Translation. In a sense for ever goes with both halves of the verse anyway. Translators may place it in either half, according to the stylistic requirements of their language.

Slaying nations is expressed in more modern language by Good News Translation as “destroying nations.” Mercilessly means “without showing any pity.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Habakkuk 1:17

1:17a Will he, therefore, empty his net and continue to slay nations without mercy?

Will they continue ⌊to catch even more people⌋ with their net?

⌊In that way, will they continue⌋ to kill the nations without pity forever?
-or-
Will you (sing.) allow/let them ⌊to collect even more victims⌋ with their net? ⌊Will you (sing.) ⌋ always ⌊allow/let them in this way⌋ to destroy people of other nations without showing compassion/mercy?
-or-
Will they go on ⌊conquering people as a fisherman⌋ catches fish? Will they succeed forever in their conquests without any pity?

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