The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “anger” or similar in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied”).
Chichewa: “have a burning heart” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) (see also anger burned in him)
Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)
In Akan, a number of metaphors are used, most importantly abufuo, lit. “weedy chest” (the chest is seen as a container that contains the heart but can also metaphorically be filled with other fluids etc.), but also abufuhyeε lit. “hot/burning weedy chest” and anibereε, lit. “reddened eyes.” (Source: Gladys Nyarko Ansah in Kövecses / Benczes / Szelid 2024, p. 21ff.)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated into English as “the wrath of God” or “God’s anger” has to be referred to in Bengali as judgment, punishment or whatever fits the context. In Bengali culture, anger is by definition bad and can never be predicated of God. (Source: David Clark)
Translations in other languages:
Quetzaltepec Mixe: “translated with a term that not only expresses anger, but also punishment” (source: Robert Bascom)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “the coming punishment of God on mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “God’s fearful/terrible future punishing of people” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “the coming anger/hatred of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “the punishment which will come” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Bariai: “God’s action of anger comes forth in the open” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
Mairasi: “His anger keeps increasing (until it will definitely arrive)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御) is used as in mi-ikari (御怒り) or “wrath (of God)” in the referenced verses. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 48:9:
Kupsabiny: “But I subdue my anger because, my name is honored. I stop my anger because of (my) honor so that I do not destroy you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “For the honor of my name I am delaying the pouring out of by anger. and for my glory I have restrained [myself] from destroying you [lit.: restrain [myself] in order not to deny you.]” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “For my honor, I will-hold my anger against you (plur.), so-that you (plur.) will- not -be-destroyed.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
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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.
The LORD speaks of doing three things in this verse: I defer my anger, I restrain it for you, and I may not cut you off. He does these things for two reasons: For my name’s sake and for the sake of my praise. Good News Translation combines the two reasons in one statement (its first line), and then lists the three actions one after the other.
For my name’s sake I defer my anger: For the sake of his reputation God delays his angry against Israel (compare Ezek 20.8-9). My name refers to his reputation. Other languages may be able to keep this idiom. But some modern versions avoid it; for example, Bible en français courant renders For my name’s sake as “because I am God,” and Contemporary English Version has “I, the LORD, am true to myself.” These may be useful models for languages where name is not an idiom for a person’s reputation. I defer my anger means Yahweh delays or puts off any action that demonstrates how angry he is with Israel. Good News Translation translates “I am holding my anger in check,” and Revised English Bible has “I was patient.” Most versions use present tense here. By using a past tense, Revised English Bible seems to suggest that God withheld his anger in the past by not destroying Israel utterly and by allowing it to be taken into exile. However, in this context for God to delay his anger probably means that he will end Israel’s exile (see the introductory comments on this subsection [48.9-11]). New Jerusalem Bible uses the future tense, saying “I shall defer my anger.” Present tense verb forms are perhaps best here.
For the sake of my praise I restrain it for you is parallel to the previous line. The pronoun it refers to my anger. However, this pronoun and the phrase for the sake of are not actually present in the Hebrew text of this line, which is literally “and my praise I restrain [myself] to you.” The pronoun it can be supplied naturally, and the conjunction “and” can be seen to introduce an ellipsis in which For the sake of in the previous line is understood here as well.
My praise refers to giving praise to God, not God’s praise of someone else. Those who would praise Yahweh could either be the people of Israel or, more likely, the other nations, those who watch what is happening. In languages where the use of praise needs to include mentioning those who offer it, translators can make “other nations” explicit. The reason for praising God is that he is faithful to the covenant relationship he has with his people; destroying them would mean the end of that relationship. I restrain it is parallel to I defer my anger in the previous line, meaning that God hold backs his anger. He does not act in anger now. For you means for Israel’s benefit. Good News Translation renders I restrain it for you as “I am keeping it [my anger] back.” For the whole line Bible en français courant has “It is out of consideration of my honor that I spare you.”
That I may not cut you off is a purpose clause noting that God refrains from acting in anger so that he will not destroy Israel. The Hebrew verb rendered cut off occurs often in the prophets to speak of total destruction (see, for example, 29.20; Ezek 14.13, 17, 19, 21; Amos 1.5, 8; 2.3; Micah 5.9). God holds back his anger, so that Israel is not completely destroyed. Good News Translation and Revised English Bible use the verb “destroy.” For this whole line Bible en français courant has “and abandon [the idea] of eliminating you.”
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• “For the sake of my reputation I hold my anger in check,
for the praise given me [by other nations] I restrain myself for your benefit,
in order not to cut you off.
• “For the sake of my reputation and my honor,
I hold my anger in check,
restraining myself so as not to destroy 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 .
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