justice

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “justice” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that describes the quality or principle of fairness, righteousness, and impartiality in treating other people. A literal back-translation of the signs are “FOLLOW(God is implied) ACTIONS, DECISIONS JUST-RIGHT”. A more idiomatic back-translation would be: “actions and decisions are right/fitting/just in accordance to God’s will.” The movement in the signs itself helps to indicate that this is a noun, not a verb. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Justice” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

complete verse (Isaiah 28:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 28:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “(He) shall lead the councilors/judges to do what is right/true
    and give the guards of the city strength.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “To those who are sitting to do justice
    he [will give] knowledge of justice for the judge and to the gate guards
    who stand at the main gate [he] will give courage to defend the city.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He will-give the judges a desire to make- the justice -last. And he will-give courage to the soldiers who guard the city against the enemies.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("become")

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, na-rare-ru (なられる) or “become” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Isaiah 28:6

And a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment: The drunken leaders of Israel were not judging impartially, so Yahweh will intervene to restore justice. The Hebrew phrase rendered a spirit of justice is translated “a spirit of judgment” in 4.4. Here it refers to a gift of fair judgment (so New Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation says “a sense of justice.” Him who sits in judgment refers to the leaders, charged with administering justice in Israel (see verse 7). The masculine reference here is appropriate since the people dispensing justice were male. A plural expression may be used here by saying “the people who judge” or “the judges.”

And strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. Yahweh will also give Israel’s soldiers the courage and strength to repel enemy attacks. The battle implies an enemy attack. The gate refers to the city gate (see 3.26). It is a poetic way of referring to any city in the land, so it may be rendered “the cities” (similarly Contemporary English Version “their cities”). However, most versions mention the gates.

For the translation of this verse we suggest the following examples:

• … and a sense of justice to the judges,
and courage to those who repel the enemy at the city gates.

• … and a sense of fairness to those who are judges,
and strength to those who defend the cities from enemy attacks.

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 .