complete verse (Isaiah 29:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 29:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “I shall lay siege to you, Jerusalem,
    like David surrounded you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I will make a camp all around you,
    and I will besiege you,
    and I will build siege towers against you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I will-besiege the city of Jerusalem. I will-build little-towers around her to attack her, and I will-gather soil on the side of the stone-wall so-that it can-be-climbed-up.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I will cause your enemies to come to your city;
    they will surround it by building towers
    and putting in place other things with which to attack you.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

David

The name that is transliterated as “David” in English means “beloved.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying king and a sling (referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 2 Samuel 5:4). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


“Elizabeth” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In German Sign Language it is only the sling. (See here ).


“David” in German Sign Language (source )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

The (Protestant) Mandarin Chinese transliteration of “David” is 大卫 (衛) / Dàwèi which carries an additional meaning of “Great Protector.”

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about David (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: David .

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 29:3

Here Yahweh says he himself will besiege Jerusalem, which means he is behind the enemy nation (probably Assyria) doing it. The three parallel lines of this verse are nearly synonymous, so they emphasize Yahweh’s action against the city.

And I will encamp against you round about describes Yahweh using enemies to surround Jerusalem. The Hebrew verb for encamp means “besiege” here (see the comments on Isa 29.1). Instead of round about, the Septuagint says “like David.” It emends the Hebrew text since it is obscure. New Revised Standard Version and New American Bible follow the Septuagint, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh puts its reading in a footnote. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, however, does not mention this textual problem. We recommend the traditional reading in Revised Standard Version. This line may be rendered “And I will besiege you on all sides.”

And will besiege you with towers is literally “and I will besiege against you a palisade/fence.” The phrase “against you” is used three times in this verse for emphasis. The Hebrew noun rendered towers comes from a root meaning “to stand upright,” so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh suggests “a mound.” This word can refer to an army or garrison, so Revised English Bible says “a ring of outposts.” However, it seems better to render it “siege towers” here since it is parallel with siegeworks. For “siege towers,” see 23.13. New International Version translates this line as “I will encircle you with towers.” Good News Translation simply says “surround it,” which is fine.

And I will raise siegeworks against you: Siegeworks refers to all the offensive instruments used to besiege a city, such as siege walls, siege mounds, and siege towers. A general term should be used to include all these instruments.

The following translation examples express the three parallel lines of this verse as closely synonymous:

• And I will set up a siege around you,
and erect siege towers against you,
and build ramparts against you.

• And I will set up camp around you,
and besiege you with an army,
erecting offensive works against you.

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 .