vanity

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “vanity,” “emptiness,” “breath,” or similar in English is translated in Mandarin Chinese as xūkōng (虚空) or “hollow,” “empty.” This is a term that is loaned from Buddhist terminology where it is used for Akasha (Sanskrit: आकाश). (Source: Zetzsche)

Honorary are / rare constructs denoting God (“do/reckon”)

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 show different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are 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, s-are-ru (される) or “do/reckon” is used. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Isaiah 40:23

This verse is the climax of the subsection in verses 21-24. As the Creator, Yahweh controls world events by causing the downfall of political leaders. For the exiled people of Judah, these words are comforting. No matter how powerful the leaders of Babylonia and Persia are, these world rulers are nothing in comparison with Yahweh, Judah’s God.

Who brings princes to nought is literally “the one who appoints/gives rulers for nothing,” which means God causes rulers to lose their power completely. The Hebrew noun rendered princes is not a common term but is found in poetry (see Jdg 5.3, where it is parallel to “kings”). A general term such as “rulers” may be used to express it. Good News Translation combines it with rulers in the next line, saying “powerful rulers,” which is acceptable. The Hebrew word rendered nought is the same one translated “nothing” in the first line of verse 17.

And makes the rulers of the earth as nothing: This line is parallel and synonymous in meaning with the previous one. The Hebrew word for rulers is the same one translated “judges” in the book of Judges, where it refers to local leaders who won victory over those who were oppressing parts of Israel (see the comments on 3.2). Here it may be rendered “leaders.” The Hebrew word for nothing is the same one translated “emptiness” in verse 17.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• He is the one who reduces rulers to nothing,
[and] he makes the leaders of the earth like something empty.

• He is the one who makes powerful rulers nothing at all,
he causes the leaders of the world to become powerless.

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 .