listen / pay attention

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “listen” or “pay attention” or something similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with the idiom tcherani khutu, literally “you set ear.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

complete verse (Isaiah 28:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 28:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “Please, listen
    and hear the words that I am saying” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Listen, give attention to my matter,
    here carefully to what I have to say.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Listen carefully to what I say.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Listen to what I say;
    pay attention carefully.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on Isaiah 28:23

Give ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech: These two lines are parallel and synonymous. For Give ear and hear together, see 1.2. Four times the prophet tells his audience to listen since what he is about to say is very important. Such an opening call is typical of Wisdom literature (see, for example, Job 33.1; 34.2; Pro 4.1; 7.24 also renders it twice, but using “constantly” in the first part, and the verb “keep” in the second part. Revised English Bible renders it only once by saying “spend his whole time” near the beginning of the verse.

He who plows and plow render the same Hebrew verb, which refers to the initial cutting of the hard soil in preparation for sowing the seed. He who plows may be rendered “the farmer” in many languages. It has a collective sense, so Good News Translation says “Farmers” and uses plural pronouns to refer to them afterwards.

Open and harrow his ground is parallel to plow in the first line. It refers to first breaking open the hard soil by plowing, and then breaking up the large clods of soil by harrowing. This was done so that there was smooth, level ground for sowing the seed (see the next verse).

The verbs plow and harrow seem to imply the use of two kinds of farm implements, maybe drawn by an animal. However, the particular method of farming is not important to the meaning of this parable. Therefore in cultures where plowing and harrowing are not done, translators can use more general terms, such as “till,” “dig,” and “hoe.”

Both parts of this rhetorical questions assume a negative answer, so translators may use negative statements if required, as in Good News Translation and the third example below.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Does the farmer constantly plow [his ground] for sowing?
Does he constantly dig and break up the soil?

• Does the plowman plow all the time [to prepare] for sowing?
Does he dig all the time to break up the soil?

• The farmer doesn’t spend all his time plowing for the sowing!
He doesn’t spend all his time digging and breaking up the ground!

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 .