The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 5:10:
Kupsabiny: “God says, ‘The leaders of Judah are like those people who distort/move borders. So I shall send my anger to them piling up like a waterfall.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The leaders of Judah are like those who move boundary stones. I will pour out my anger upon them like a river at flood stage.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The leaders/[lit. heads] of Juda (are) like men who move the landmarks for they took-away-from Israel of (her/their) land. Therefore I will-pour-out my anger on them like a flood.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Because the leaders of Judah seized some land that belonged to Israel, they are like those who move boundary markers to get more land for themselves; so I will punish them severely.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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.
At the beginning of this verse Good News Translation adds the quote frame “The LORD says” to make clear who is speaking (see the introductory comments on the previous section). Wolff believes the audience may have interrupted the prophet at this point, indicating that Judah was the guilty party with respect to the border towns just mentioned in verse 8, and that the first two lines of this verse may be the prophet repeating their accusation, thus agreeing that Judah bears guilt.
The princes of Judah have become …: Now the political leaders of the southern kingdom, Judah, are accused as well. For the Hebrew word rendered princes, see 3.4.
Like those who remove the landmark makes use of the figure of the sacred boundaries established by God for his people (Deut 19.14; 27.17). According to this simile, Judah has invaded Israel and captured some of its territory. Good News Translation makes this explicit by rendering the first two lines of this verse as “the leaders of Judah have invaded Israel and stolen land from her.” Since Judah did invade the territory of Benjamin and capture Gibeah, Ramah and Bethel, we would not expect a simile here, although most translations take it that way. However, the Hebrew prefix rendered like can also be an emphatic marker, so another possible model here is “The leaders of Judah are the ones who indeed moved the boundary markers.”
Upon them I will pour out my wrath like water: This figurative expression indicates that God is so angry that he will punish Judah very severely. Good News Translation expresses God’s wrath earlier in the verse as “I am angry,” and at this point Good News Translation uses the idea of “punishment,” since in English, anger remains within a person, while “punishment” can be “poured out,” especially when someone does something to another because of the anger that he feels. Pour out … like water uses the image of completely dumping a full bucket of water upon someone. Like water may be better rendered “like a flood” (Good News Translation) to preserve the effect of destructive punishment from God. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is similar with “like a cloudburst.”
A translation model for this verse is:
• The leaders of Judah are the ones
who indeed moved the boundary markers [of Israel].
I will pour my rage on them like water.
Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
In this verse, the focus shifts from the northern kingdom of Israel to the southern kingdom of Judah.
5:10a
The princes of Judah are like those who move boundary stones: This statement is a simile. In this simile, the princes of Judah are compared to people who move a “landmark” (English Standard Version) or “boundary markers” (NET Bible). This was clearly prohibited in Deuteronomy 19:14 and Deuteronomy 27:17.
Scholars do not know specifically how Judah’s princes were similar to people who moved boundary markers. However, we do know that people did this in order to steal land from their neighbors.
Here are some ways to translate this figure of speech:
•Make explicit that moving boundary stones was illegal. For example:
Judah’s leaders are like crooks who move boundary markers (Contemporary English Version)
• Translate the significance of the action but omit the specific reference to boundary stones. For example:
The leaders of Judah are like those who steal other people’s land. (New Century Version) -or-
The leaders of Judah have become like thieves (New Living Translation (2004))
The princes of Judah: This phrase refers to those who rule the kingdom of Judah. It includes the king, his officials, and military leaders.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
The rulers of Judah (New Jerusalem Bible) -or-
Those who govern/rule Judah
5:10b
I will pour out My fury upon them like water: This verse part describes the LORD’s response to the sin of the leaders of Judah. As a result of their sin, he will punish them severely. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this connection explicit. For example:
So… (Good News Translation) -or-
that’s why… (Contemporary English Version)
The LORD’s fury is compared here to water. In this context, it implies a large quantity of water, such as in a flood. Here are some of the ways in which his anger is like water:
(a) The amount of both is great and overwhelming.
(b) Both cause great destruction.
Here are some other ways to translate this simile:
I will pour out punishment on them like a flood (Good News Translation) -or-
I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water (New International Version) -or-
I will flood them with my anger (Contemporary English Version)
In some languages, verbs like pour out cannot be used with words like “wrath” or “punishment.”
Here are some other ways to translate this simile:
I will punish them severely. It will be as if a terrible flood carries them away. -or-
I am very angry at them. I will destroy them like a flood.
fury: This word refers here to the LORD’s fierce anger that he expresses when he judges or punishes people.
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