complete verse (Isaiah 27:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 27:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “I am not angry with this field.
    But I shall fight against its enemies
    when/if they attack it like bush and thorns.
    I shall destroy all those enemies
    burning them up like bush and thorns.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I have no anger.
    If I were obstructed by the sprouting of nettles and thistles,
    I would be doing battle with them.
    I would be burning them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I am no-longer angry to this field/(plantation). But in the times that I could-see thorny bushes on it, I will-go-against it and burn (it).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I am no longer angry with my people;
    if any of your enemies try to injure you like briers and thorns injure people ,
    I will attack them in battles;
    I will get rid of them completely,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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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.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Isaiah 27:4

I have no wrath may be rendered “I am not angry.” The object of possible anger is the vineyard itself, and the reason for any anger is given in 5.1-7, especially verses 2 and 4. Since this is true, Good News Translation translates “I am no longer angry with the vineyard” (similarly Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). New Jerusalem Bible says “I do not have a wall,” but this reading does not have any support in the manuscripts, so Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends against it. New English Bible and Revised English Bible understand the Hebrew word for wrath to mean “fiery wine,” so they say “but I get no wine.” They do this to make the LORD’s words here consistent with the parable of 5.1-7, but this is not necessary.

The rest of the verse expresses Yahweh’s longing to combat potential weeds and thorns in the vineyard.

Would that I had thorns and briers to battle!: In Hebrew this sentence begins with an idiomatic expression that expresses a wish or longing. It is literally “Who will give me…?” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “If one offers Me thorns….” Many translations use a natural expression for a wish; for example, New American Bible has “but if I were to find…,” Good News Translation says “If there were…,” and New International Version suggests “If only there were…!” The meaning of this line is that the vineyard is free of weeds, but if the LORD were to find any, he would quickly deal with them. Bible en français courant has “but I warn the thorns and thistles that I might find there!” Then it says the LORD will attack and burn them.

The Hebrew words rendered thorns and briers are translated “briers and thorns” in 5.6. There they are a metaphor for Israel’s enemies who have taken over the vineyard, which represents Israel. The meaning may be the same here, so Yahweh wishes that some enemies were present so that he could defend his people against them. Translators should use the same terms here as in 5.6.

I would set out against them is a figure of speech meaning that Yahweh would march out against these weeds as though marching against an enemy. For set out against, Good News Translation says “fight against” and Bible en français courant has “attack.” The pronoun them is feminine singular in Hebrew, referring to the vineyard, as in verses 2-3. However, here it refers the vineyard overtaken by weeds. Since the attack would actually be against the weeds, the pronoun them is appropriate in this context.

I would burn them up together is the second thing Yahweh would do to these weeds.

Two translation examples for this verse are:

• I am not angry with the vineyard.
If only there were thorns and briers there,
I would march out against them in battle
and burn them all completely.

• I am not angry with the vineyard.
I wish there were some thorns and briers to fight against there,
then I would attack them
and set fire to them all.

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 .