complete verse (Isaiah 13:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 13:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “Every person who is found will be speared,
    every person who has been caught will be killed with a sword.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “As many as are found will all be pierced with a spear and killed.
    and all who are caught will be chopped with a sword and killed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Whoever is- captured/caught will-be-killed by sword until (it is) dead.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Anyone who is captured in Babylon
    will be killed by their enemies’ swords.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 13:15

Whoever is found will be thrust through: Whoever is found refers back to those who scatter or flee in an attempt to avoid God’s punishment. In Good News Translation it is unclear whether those caught are among the foreigners escaping, or among the Babylonians remaining. Anyone caught trying to escape will be thrust through. This is an explicit reference to being stabbed to death with a sword or spear (see Good News Translation). If the weapon used for the stabbing needs to be mentioned here, translators can use “spear,” so that it differs from the weapon mentioned in the next line. In languages where active verb forms are required here, translators can use “the invading army” or “the soldiers attacking the land” as the subject. An alternative model for the line is “The attacking soldiers will thrust a spear through anyone they find.”

Whoever is caught will fall by the sword is parallel to the previous line. Anyone captured by the invading enemy will fall by the sword, that is, they will be stabbed to death with a sword. For sword see 2.4.

Idiomatic expressions for causing violent death such as the ones used here in Masoretic Text may not be readily available in the receptor language. A literal rendering may be possible if it is accepted that this is poetry. In any case, ordinary narrative style should be avoided.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Anyone caught [trying to escape] will be stabbed to death; anyone captured will die by the sword.

• If the invaders find anyone trying to escape, they will run them through; if they catch anyone, they will put them to death with the sword.

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 .