complete verse (Isaiah 57:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 57:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “Who are you mocking/joking?
    Who do you open your mouths
    (and) stick out your tongues?
    You are a disobedient/rebellious people
    and you liked/used to speak lies.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Who are you ridiculing?
    Against whom are you sticking out your tongue?
    Are not you those who act like rebellious people
    and those who act like speak lies?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) mock the righteous-ones; you (plur.) twisted-your-lips/mouths and put-out-your-tongue to them. You (plur.) are the descendants of rebels and liars.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 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 57:4

In verses 4-6 the prophet asks a series of rhetorical questions that make strong statements.

Of whom are you making sport? is the first question. Of whom is literally “Concerning whom.” The Hebrew verb rendered making sport can mean “to play games,” “to try to trick someone,” or “to make fun of someone.” Here the prophet is accusing the Israelites of making fun of Yahweh, mocking him by their false worship. New Revised Standard Version and New International Version translate “Whom are you mocking?” For languages that prefer to render this rhetorical question as a strong statement, see the second example below.

Against whom do you open your mouth wide and put out your tongue? is parallel to the previous question. Against whom renders the same Hebrew expression as Of whom. Open your mouth wide and put out your tongue are idiomatic expressions for showing contempt. Put out your tongue means to stick out your tongue to mock someone. If these idioms do not exist in a language, translators may be able to keep them by adding an adverb such as “rudely” as follows: “Against whom do you rudely open your mouth so wide and stick out your tongue?” If the idioms would be completely meaningless or convey the wrong meaning, translators may use a nonfigurative equivalent, for example, “Who are you mocking with your gestures?” This rhetorical question may also be rendered as a strong statement (see the second example below).

Are you not children of transgression, the offspring of deceit…?: This is the beginning of a third rhetorical question that ends with verse 5. Translators may prefer to break up this long question into several questions or strong statements (see the examples below). Are you not…? implies “Yes, you are…!” Children of transgression does not mean the people were born as the result of their parents’ sinful activity, but it is a figurative expression for their own sinfulness. The Hebrew word rendered transgression refers to deliberate or willful disobedience (see the comments on 43.25). For children of transgression, New American Bible has “rebellious children,” New International Version says “a brood of rebels,” and New Jerusalem Bible uses “the spawn of rebellion.” The offspring of deceit does not mean the people were born as result of their parents deceitful activity, but it is an idiom for their own deceptive lives. The Hebrew word rendered deceit refers to a “lie,” something that is not true. In this context the “lie” is the idolatry of the people. Translators may render the last two lines of this verse nonfiguratively by saying “Are you not rebels and deceivers?”

Good News Translation shortens this verse considerably, only using nonfigurative language. By doing this it loses some of the impact and meaning of the questions. Better translation models for this verse are:

• Who are you making fun of?
Who are you insulting with your mouths wide open
and your tongues sticking out?
Are you not people who are rebellious,
people who live a lie?

• You are treating me with contempt! [or, You are mocking me!]
You are insulting me with the rude gestures of your open mouths
and your tongues sticking out!
You are a rebellious lot,
people living a lie!

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 .