The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
papyrus
Although there has been considerable debate among botanists as to the identity of the various types of reed in the Bible, there is general agreement that the Hebrew word gome’ refers to the Papyrus Cyperus papyrus, based on etymological and practical grounds. As for the Hebrew word ’eveh, the phrase “skiffs of ’eveh” in Job 9:26 suggests that it refers to papyrus, since boats in Egypt were made of papyrus, apart from those made from wood. However, versions are divided between “papyrus” (New International Version) and “reed” (NRSVue, Revised English Bible) in this passage.
Papyrus is a very tall grass producing many flower stems that can be as much as 6 meters (20 feet) tall and 10 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter. The head at the top the stem separates into hundreds of branches that spread out like the top of a palm tree. Each one has small flowers. Papyrus was the most versatile grass in the Ancient Near East. In Egypt it was used to make boxes, mats, ropes, and especially paper. Perhaps its use in boats came to the mind of Jochebed when she wanted to save her infant son Moses from the wrath of the Pharoah (Exodus 2:3). Job’s companion Bildad uses papyrus as an example of a plant that needs water, and further as a slam at Job suggesting he must have sinned (Job 8:11). Isaiah 18:2 refers to “ambassadors by the Nile, in vessels of papyrus” as emblems of the great political power of Egypt. Poor people also used papyrus for barrels, huts, sandals, and clothing. Perhaps surprisingly, papyrus was not usually used for baskets. The baskets of the Egyptians, like those in sub-Saharan Africa today, were made of coiled construction using a core of date palm leaflets, fibers, or the split midrib, with a fiber wrapped around the core, like a guitar string.
There are over six hundred kinds of Cyperus growing in tropical and warm climates throughout the world, but many do not resemble the papyrus. For example, the tigernut sedge, found in West Asia and Africa and producing a tasty tuber (also called chufa or Zulu nut), belongs to the Cyperus genus. So also do the coco grass and several other types used for mats throughout Asia. The papyrus proper is now rare in Egypt but rampant in northern Uganda, where it is called sudd.
Most of the contexts where gome’ is found are rhetorical (Exodus 2:3 being the exception), opening the way for translators to substitute local equivalents. However, if the original plant name is replaced, it is usually good to document the original in a footnote, especially where the word identifies a particular area, as in Isaiah 18:1, where papyrus vessels are identified with “Ethiopia.” In Exodus 2:3 the mother of Moses did not use “bulrushes” (Revised Standard Version, King James Version) but papyrus, nor did she make a “basket” (NRSVue) but a “box” (tevah in Hebrew). If there is a word for “box,” it should be used. Otherwise, the general word for “basket” can be used, and a type of strong grass used for baskets should be used for the material. The following options are available for gome’:
1. use a local strong grass;
2. use a descriptive phrase such as “strong grass”;
3. use a generic word for “grass”;
4. leave the plant implicit as part of the verb “weave” or the noun “box/basket” in Exodus 2:3;
5. use “rush” (Revised English Bible), “papyrus reeds” (Living Bible), or “reeds” (Good News Bible).
If transliterations are needed for papyrus, some possibilities are French jonc and Portuguese/Spanish papiro.

Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)
gentiles / nations
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) (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), 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.
sea / lake
The various Greek, Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Translation commentary on Isaiah 18:2
Which sends ambassadors by the Nile: The first two lines of this verse describe the country in the previous verse. The Hebrew word rendered ambassadors refers to people sent out by a person in authority to represent that person. The text does not specify where these messengers were sent, but most commentators assume it was Jerusalem (see the introductory comments on this section [18.1-7]). By the Nile is literally “by the sea.” Most translations refer to the Nile River since the papyrus boats mentioned in the next line probably only sailed on rivers and not at sea. But we recommend saying “on the sea” or “by sea” (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) since this is poetry, which does not require precise descriptive language.
In vessels of papyrus upon the waters: Papyrus is a lightweight and waterproof reed that grows along the Nile River. People can bundle many of these reeds together and make them into boats for sailing on water. The Hebrew word translated vessels is a general word for any kind of container. Here it refers to a boat or raft. Upon the waters is parallel to the phrase “by the sea.”
Go, you swift messengers: Here it is probably the prophet who orders messengers to go. The messengers could be the same as the ambassadors (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), or they could be different (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The text is silent about their identity as well as their destination. We expect this kind of vague speech in poetry. Because of it commentators and translations offer different interpretations here. For most it may mean: (1) the Cushite ambassadors are sent back home to Cush from Jerusalem (so Good News Translation), or (2) the Egyptian ambassadors are sent to Cush (so Contemporary English Version). There is no way that we can resolve this problem. See our models below and our recommendation in the introductory comments on this section [18.1-7]. The messengers are described as swift. This adjective was used in 5.26 to describe a nation coming “speedily” to attack Judah.
To a nation, tall and smooth: This is the first of four lines describing the people to whom the messengers are sent. The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered tall is uncertain. It comes from a verb meaning “to draw/drag [along].” Most translations agree on tall as the best rendering since something that is drawn out becomes long. The meaning of the Hebrew word for smooth is also uncertain. It comes from a verb meaning “to be smooth/bald/bare” or “to polish.” This gives two possible translations: “smooth-skinned” (Good News Translation) or “bronzed” (New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible), which refers to a deep golden skin color. Although the messengers may be Nubians, there is no indication that the Hebrew word refers to dark skin color. Bible en français courant and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch speak of “gleaming skin.”
To a people feared near and far: This second descriptive line is literally “to a people feared from it and further onward.” The passive verb feared may be made active by rendering this line as “to a people whom others near and far all fear.” Contemporary English Version summarizes the meaning with “feared all over the world.” Bible en français courant has “to those people who are feared from here to the ends of the world.” Translators are free to choose an appropriate idiom in their language.
A nation mighty and conquering: This third descriptive line also has an exegetical problem. Mighty renders an unusual Hebrew word (qaw-qaw). Besides verse 7, this is the only place it occurs in biblical Hebrew. Because of a similar word in Arabic, commentators have suggested that qaw-qaw could refer to something very strong (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). The alternative suggestion is that the unusual double form describes the sound of a language not understood by the Israelites, so it means “meaningless sounds.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh chooses this interpretation by rendering this line as “A nation of gibber and chatter.” New International Version has “an aggressive nation of strange speech.” Most versions accept that qaw-qaw means “strong.” The nation is also described as conquering (New International Version “aggressive”). The Hebrew is literally “treading down” or “trampling.” For the whole line Bible en français courant has “that powerful nation that tramples its enemies.”
Whose land the rivers divide is the final descriptive line. Its literal meaning is clear, but we do not know what country is in view. It could be Cush/Ethiopia or Egypt with the rivers referring to branches of the Nile River. It is mostly Cush, but translators should not make this explicit. See the introductory comments on this section [18.1-7].
Good News Translation rearranges the last half of this verse, without affecting its meaning substantially. For the translation of this verse we suggest a fairly literal rendering, one that leaves the interpretation open:
• It sends ambassadors by sea in reed boats on the waters.
Go, swift messengers, go to a nation of tall and smooth-skinned people,
to people who spread fear near and far,
to a nation powerful and all conquering,
whose land is cut by rivers.
• It sends messengers by sea, in boats made of reeds, floating/going on the water.
Go, you speedy messengers, to a nation tall and smooth-skinned,
to a people that others near and far are afraid of,
to a strong and conquering nation,
through whose land the rivers flow.
A footnote will be needed to indicate that the meaning of several terms in the Hebrew text is unclear.
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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