The Hebrew and Greek that is translated into English as “the wrath of God” or “God’s anger” has to be referred to in Bengali as judgment, punishment or whatever fits the context. In Bengali culture, anger is by definition bad and can never be predicated of God. (Source: David Clark)
Translations in other languages:
Quetzaltepec Mixe: “translated with a term that not only expresses anger, but also punishment” (source: Robert Bascom)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “the coming punishment of God on mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “God’s fearful/terrible future punishing of people” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “the coming anger/hatred of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “the punishment which will come” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Bariai: “God’s action of anger comes forth in the open” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
Mairasi: “His anger keeps increasing (until it will definitely arrive)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
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) is used as in mi-ikari (御怒り) or “wrath (of God)” in the referenced verses. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “anger” or similar in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied”).
Chichewa: “have a burning heart” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) (see also anger burned in him)
Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)
In Akan, a number of metaphors are used, most importantly abufuo, lit. “weedy chest” (the chest is seen as a container that contains the heart but can also metaphorically be filled with other fluids etc.), but also abufuhyeε lit. “hot/burning weedy chest” and anibereε, lit. “reddened eyes.” (Source: Gladys Nyarko Ansah in Kövecses / Benczes / Szelid 2024, p. 21ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 10:25:
Kupsabiny: “I shall not punish you for a long time, but I shall destroy those people of Assyria.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Now, after some time, the anger which I expressed against you will subside. Then the anger that I expressed for your destruction will go towards the Assyrians.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Because in not a long-time my anger against you (plur.) now will-end and to them now I will-show my anger until they will-die.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
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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.
The connector For introduces the reasons for Zion not to be afraid. It is an important connector between verse 24 and this verse.
In a very little while renders a Hebrew phrase that is literally “few little.” It refers to a relatively short time. It may be rendered “very soon.”
My indignation will come to an end: God’s indignation is directed against Israel here, as Good News Translation makes clear. Throughout the book we can see that God has his times of anger against Israel, due to their failures and disobedience. But that anger is not permanent. Yahweh indicates that although he is angry with them, that is about to end.
And my anger will be directed to their destruction: When the LORD is no longer angry with Israel, he directs his anger against the Assyrians and destroys them. So the pronoun their refers to Assyria (as implied in Good News Translation), not to Israel or Judah. The connector and is better rendered as “but” to express the contrast here (see the examples below).
There is a textual issue here since some versions read the Hebrew phrase rendered to their destruction to say “it will be fulfilled.” Revised English Bible (also Bible en français courant) adopts this reading by rendering the whole verse as “for in a very short time my wrath will be over and my anger will be finally spent.” Several modern versions, in their notes, indicate that the Hebrew of this line is obscure. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project cautiously recommends the reading that is adopted in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• Because very soon I will not be angry with you any longer,
but I will turn my anger against Assyria
and destroy it.
• For soon I will not be angry with you but instead turn my anger toward the Assyrians and destroy them.
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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