complete verse (Isaiah 24:17)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 24:17:

  • Kupsabiny: “Shame, holes/pits and traps shall catch you (plur.),
    oh, people of this earth.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “O all [you] people who live on earth
    Terror and traps have also been waiting for you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) people of the world, terror, pit, and trap are-waiting for you (plur.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 24:17

Verses 17-18a are almost the same as Jer 48.43-44a. There the addressees are the Moabites, but here they are the people worldwide. These words may be a common Hebrew idiom to describe calamity.

Terror, and the pit, and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!: This means calamity has struck the people on earth. The next verse explains the meaning of the words Terror, pit, and snare. The Hebrew word rendered Terror also occurs in 2.10, 19 and 21, where it refers to the fear caused by the LORD. Here it seems to refer to some terrifying event, something that is threatening. The pit refers to a hole that has been dug or a natural hole in the ground. Hunters often dug holes to catch large and fearsome animals. Translators do not need to imply a hunting situation, but the word for pit should refer to a hole in the ground that is at least big enough to hold one or more human beings (see the next verse). The Hebrew word for snare can refer to a trap for catching birds or smaller animals. Here a general word for “trap” may be used. See 8.14, where the same word is rendered “trap.” In Hebrew these three words at the beginning of the verse are pachad wapachath wapach. This sound repetition helps to highlight them.

O inhabitant of the earth refers to the people on earth (see verses 1, 5-6). The singular word inhabitant is a collective term, standing for all inhabitants. Translators may make it plural if that is more natural. Good News Translation translates this whole phrase freely and places it at the beginning of the verse, saying “Listen to me, everyone!”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Terror, the pit and snare have struck you,
you who live on the earth.

• Calamities—terror, pit and snare—strike you,
all you who inhabit the world.

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 .