drawn sword

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “drawn sword” in English is translated in Newari as “naked sword” (source: Newari Back Translation).

complete verse (Isaiah 21:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 21:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “It is like that because,
    those people are fleeing from knives/swords
    that were pointed at them.
    They are fleeing from arrows that were shot at them,
    and a battle which was painful.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “From the sword, from the naked sword,
    from the bent bow [lit.: bow -arrow], and from a great war they have escaped.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They have-fled from the severe war; they are-being-pursued by their enemies with sword and arrows.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They are fleeing in order not to be killed by their enemies’ swords
    and not to be shot in battles by arrows.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 21:15

The preposition from (literally “from the face of”) occurs four times in this verse and the word sword occurs twice.

The connector For introduces why the people are fleeing; it does not give the grounds for the command to provide food and water. This is clear in the Hebrew text, where the connector immediately follows the word for “fugitive” in the previous verse. Several versions leave the conjunction implied (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version). The people are fleeing because their enemies are attacking them.

They have fled from the swords, from the drawn sword pictures people fleeing from a military attack. Swords is a figurative term for the attackers (see 1.20). The parallel phrase from the drawn sword is added for emphasis. A drawn sword is a sword taken out of its scabbard (that is, its holder), ready for use.

From the bent bow, and from the press of battle: The bent bow is another weapon that is ready for use (see 5.28). The bow is ready to shoot an arrow (see Good News Translation). This is another way of describing the attack from which the fugitives flee. The Hebrew term rendered press comes from a root meaning “heavy.” The press of battle refers to a violent attack. So New American Bible says “the fury of battle,” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh suggests “the stress of war,” and New International Version has “the heat of battle.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Because they have fled from those with the sword, from those ready to attack with swords,
from the archers readying their arrows, from the heat of battle.

• For they flee from the sword, the sword drawn,
from the archer’s bent bow, from the fury of the battle.

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 .