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
The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “listen” or “pay attention” or something similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with the idiom tcherani khutu, literally “you set ear.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 51:4:
Kupsabiny: “Please, my people, listen to my words. Hear the words that I am saying to this community. I shall give my teachings to the nations and my will/commands shall make people receive light.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “O my people, hear my words! O my people, pay attention to my words! Instructions will come out from me, and my justice will be a light for the nations. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “‘[You (plur.)] listen to me, O my people. You (plur.) take-notice of me, O my nation. I will-give my law and this will-give-light to the nations.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
In Yucateco the phrase that is used for “law” is “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198) and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
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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.
Listen to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation: There is a chiasmus in these synonymous parallel lines, which are literally “Listen > to me > my people > < and my nation < to me < give ear.” Listen to me, my people repeats the call to the exiles to listen to the LORD, given in verse 1. He calls them my people to express the close relationship he has with them (see the comments on 1.3). Since the message here is about his readiness to rescue them, calling them my people (and my nation in the next line) shows his concern for them. To give ear is a poetic way of calling people to listen closely. The Hebrew verb here occurs often in parallel to a verb for “listen/hear” (see, for example, 1.2, 10). Translators could follow Good News Translation and repeat the verb “listen,” or combine both lines but mark the necessary poetic emphasis by adding an adverb or an ideophone; for example, a model that uses an adverb is “My people, listen carefully to what I say.”
For a law will go forth from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples: The connector for introduces the reason why the people are to listen (see the introductory comments on this section [51.1-8]). A law will go forth from me means Yahweh himself will ensure that his teachings extend to all people. This line echoes the wording in 2.3, although here it is not Jerusalem but the LORD himself who is the source of the law. And my justice for a light to the peoples is parallel to the previous line, emphasizing it. Yahweh’s justice will be like a lamp guiding the nations. The two terms law and justice are central to much of Old Testament thought; they reflect the nature of God as well as the people’s mission as God defines it. For law (torah in Hebrew), see the comments on 2.3; for justice see 1.17. Law may be rendered “teachings/instruction,” and justice as “just rule/order.” For some languages it will be difficult to have God’s law and justice as the subjects of the verb go forth, since they are inanimate objects. Normally such an action is used with living things. The basic sense is that God will “make known” his teachings and the need for justice. Revised English Bible provides an alternative for the verb go forth by rendering these two lines as “for instruction will shine forth from me and my judgment will be a light to peoples.” Bible en français courant says “It is I who proclaim the law; the justice that I put into words will be the light of the peoples.” For a light to the peoples, see the comments on 42.6.
Many versions believe the verb go forth is implied in the last line of this verse. However, in Masoretic Text the last line is literally “and my justice for a light to the peoples I will do instantly.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible follows Masoretic Text by saying “and my judgment, the light of peoples, I will activate it!” If translators wish to pursue this reading, other possible verbs are “put into motion” and “initiate.”
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• “Listen to me, you my people,
attend to me, you my nation;
because instruction will proceed from me,
my just rule will be a light/lamp to [guide] the nations.
• “My people, listen to me,
my nation, pay attention to what I say;
indeed, I will send forth my teachings,
my justice will be [or, I will activate my justice as] a light to the peoples.
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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