serve

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “serve,” “minister,” “walk with,” or “service” is translated in Igede as myị ẹrụ or “agree with message (of the one you’re serving).” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In Quetzaltepec Mixe, “serve” is translated as “obey.” (Source: Robert Bascom)

angel

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The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Aramaic that is translated as “angel” in English versions is translated in many ways:

  • Pintupi-Luritja: ngaṉka ngurrara: “one who belongs in the sky” (source: Ken Hansen quoted in Steven 1984a, p. 116.)
  • Tetela, Kpelle, Balinese, and Mandarin Chinese: “heavenly messenger”
  • Shilluk / Igede: “spirit messenger”
  • Mashco Piro: “messenger of God”
  • Batak Toba: “envoy, messenger”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “holy servant” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida 1961; Igede: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Central Mazahua: “God’s worker” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Saramaccan: basia u Masa Gaangadu köndë or “messenger from God’s country” (source: Jabini 2015, p. 86)
  • Mairasi: atatnyev nyaa or “sent-one” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “word bringer” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Apali: “God’s one with talk from the head” (“basically God’s messenger since head refers to any leader’s talk”) (source: Martha Wade)
  • Michoacán Nahuatl: “clean helper of God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Noongar: Hdjin-djin-kwabba or “spirit good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Wè Northern (Wɛɛ): Kea ‘a “sooa or “the Lord’s soldier” (also: “God’s soldier” or “his soldier”) (source: Drew Maust)
  • Iwaidja: “a man sent with a message” (Sam Freney explains the genesis of this term [in this article ): “For example, in Darwin last year, as we were working on a new translation of Luke 2:6–12 in Iwaidja, a Northern Territory language, the translators had written ‘angel’ as ‘a man with eagle wings’. Even before getting to the question of whether this was an accurate term (or one that imported some other information in), the word for ‘eagle’ started getting discussed. One of the translators had her teenage granddaughter with her, and this word didn’t mean anything to her at all. She’d never heard of it, as it was an archaic term that younger people didn’t use anymore. They ended up changing the translation of ‘angel’ to something like ‘a man sent with a message’, which is both more accurate and clear.”)

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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) is used as in mi-tsukai (御使い) or “messenger (of God).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also angel (Acts 12:15) and this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Hebrews 1:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 1:7:

  • Uma: “When God speaks about angels, like this are his words: ‘God makes his angels become servants that are like wind and that are like flames of fire.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “About his angels this is what God said, ‘The angels are just my servants, and I can make them into wind or flames of fire if I wish.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But by contrast, what God said about His angels was: ‘They are just My messengers, and it’s possible for me to make them into something like wind, or if not that, something like fire, if I want to.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “This is what God said concerning the angels, ‘My angels, I send them like wind and fire.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, concerning also the angels he also said, ‘In the angels’ serving of me I can make them like wind or like flames of fire.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But when God said what work the angels do, he only said: ‘These angels are God’s messengers. And they go like the wind goes. They have power like fire which no one can overcome,’ he said.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

For the Old Testament quote, see Psalm 104:4.

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("do/reckon")

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, s-are-ru (される) or “do/reckon” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Hebrews 1:7

This verse begins another contrast: verse 7 refers to the angels, and verses 8-12 to the Son. The “And” with which the verse opens (King James Version) should therefore be omitted, so as to make a clean break. But in Good News Translation suggests a contrast with verse 6, and Good News Bible therefore uses however in verse 8 for variety. However, in the Greek the major contrast is clearly between verses 7 and 8. Earlier editions of Good News Bible left the minor contrast between verses 6 and 7 implicit by beginning verse 7 This is what God said about the angels.

About the angels God said may be expressed as “God spoke about his angels” or “in speaking about his angels, God said.”

God, at the beginning of the quotation, is implied, but Revised Standard Version shows how confusing a translation can be if this is not made explicit. On a first reading, it is not at all clear to whom RSV’s “Who” refers.

The quotation is an example of parallelism, a common device of Hebrew poetry. As in this verse, the two halves of the statement often mean essentially the same. For stylistic reasons it may be necessary to use two different words for angels and servants, but there is no difference in meaning in this context. In English and some other languages, the and can be omitted before his servants to make it clear that the second line of the quotation largely repeats the first.

In order to understand the first line of the quotation, it is necessary to realize that Greek has the same word for wind and “spirit.” (The same play on words is made in John 3.8.) Since the second line of the quotation mentions flames of fire, it is best to translate winds in the first line. However, since the same Greek word is used in verse 14 with the meaning “spirits,” it may be helpful to add a footnote to verse 7; for example, “The same Greek word means ‘wind’ and ‘spirit.’ ”

What is the exact relationship between angels and servants on the one hand, and winds and flames of fire on the other hand? In other words, what is the meaning of the word translated makes? The Hebrew text of Psalm 104.4 may mean either (a) God makes winds and flames into his messengers and servants; or (b) God turns his servants into winds and flames. The Greek text can mean only (b). Moffatt (Moffatt) translates “turns his angels into winds, his servants into flames of fire.”

A strictly literal rendering of God makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire would imply that God was actually changing his angels into wind and changing his servants into flames of fire, as some kind of miraculous change of real substance. Obviously the emphasis here is upon the contrast between the functions and roles of the angels and of the servants of God. It is sometimes said that Hebrews wishes to emphasize the changeable nature of angels, in contrast with the eternal nature of the Son (verse 8). However, there is little or no evidence that “wind” and “fire” suggest weakness or changeableness in the Bible. The contrast between verses 7 and 8-10 is between angels as subordinate, created beings, and the Son as creator and Lord. It may thus be necessary in some languages to employ a simile rather than a metaphor. Hence, one may translate “God makes his angels to be like wind, and he causes his servants to be like flames of fire” or “… fiery flames.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .