wild animal

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated in English as “wild animal” or similar is translated in Newari as “animal that lives in the jungle.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)

complete verse (Isaiah 56:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 56:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “Come you animals of the bush!
    Come and crush (them).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “O come, all [you] beasts that live in the field!
    O come, all [you] beasts that stay in the wild,
    come to eat, gobbling people up!” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] come-near, you (plur.) of all nations who are like a fierce animals, and you (plur.) destroy the people of Israel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 56:9

The prophet begins this section by telling the enemies of Israel to come and destroy Israel, especially its leaders. Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch make it explicit that the LORD is speaking here, which is a valid model.

All you beasts of the field … all you beasts in the forest: These parallel phrases refer to all wild animals (so Good News Translation). The Hebrew term for beasts is literally “living things.” The wild animals are a metaphor for the surrounding nations that oppose Israel. Good News Translation changes the metaphor into a simile by beginning this verse with “The LORD has told the foreign nations to come like wild animals….” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is similar with “You peoples, come … like predator animals on their prey.”

The prophet invites Israel’s enemies to come to devour. The Hebrew verb for devour is used figuratively here to refer to destruction, as is often true in the Old Testament (see, for example, 1.7, 20; 5.24; 9.12). There is no object for this verb, but since the following verses are highly critical of Israel’s leaders, they are probably the prey. Good News Translation identifies God’s people as the prey by adding “his people” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), since the whole nation will suffer when God punishes its leaders. It is better not to provide an object for devour if it can be avoided. For languages that need an object, translators may use Good News Translation as model.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• All you animals of the field, come and eat,
all you animals of the forest.

• All you wild animals,
come and eat!

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 .