complete verse (Isaiah 4:29)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 4:29:

  • English: “They will roar like very strong lions
    that growl and then pounce on the animals they want to kill
    and carry them off,
    and no one is able to rescue them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Isaiah 42:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 42:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “Listen, what I said long ago have come to pass
    and I am saying new things.
    I shall show you those things before they happen.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Look, the former matters have [already] happened,
    now I will tell you [about] new matters.
    Before it happens
    I will make you an announcement about it."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “What I had-prophesied had-been-fulfilled, and now I will-reveal the new (plur.) things before these will-happen.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

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”.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 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 42:9

In this verse God concludes by telling his people that he has accurately predicted past events and he will now predict new events (compare 41.21-29; 48.3-8). The word Behold calls the servant’s attention to this conclusion.

The former things have come to pass: The meaning here is not just that past events have happened, but that they have happened as God had predicted. One of these events is the Babylonian Exile. For the former things, see the comments on 41.22. In Hebrew the word rendered the former things occurs first in the clause to emphasize it. Good News Translation provides a helpful model for this whole clause, saying “The things I predicted have now come true.” Revised English Bible is similar with “The earlier prophecies have come to pass.” Another possible model is “What I said was going to happen has in fact happened.”

And new things I now declare: Now God announces future events accurately. One of these events is the return of the Israelites from exile. God will use his agent, Cyrus the Persian emperor, to make this happen. In Hebrew the word rendered new things occurs first in the clause to emphasize it in contrast to the former things. I now declare translates a Hebrew participle, so it refers to a present action. Declare may be rendered “announce” or “tell about.”

Before they spring forth I tell you of them is parallel and synonymous with the previous line. Before they spring forth is a figurative way of saying “before something will happen.” Good News Translation has “even before they begin to happen.” I tell you of them may be rendered “I am letting you hear/know about them.” The pronoun you is plural in Hebrew, referring to God’s people. Earlier in this subsection God addressed his servant since the pronoun “you” in verse 6 is singular, but here he speaks to his people. For this whole line Revised English Bible has “before they unfold, I announce them to you.”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Look, past events that I predicted have happened;
now I am announcing new things,
before they take place I am letting you know about them.”

• See, what I said would happen in the past has come true;
I am about to declare to you some new events,
I am telling you about them before they take place.”

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 .