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 63:6:
Kupsabiny: “I stepped on people in my fierceness and destroyed them in my anger. I shed their blood to go into the ground.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “I trampled the nations in my anger. By my anger I made them drunk, and I poured out their life blood on the ground."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “In my anger, I trampled-down the nations, and I caused- them -to-stagger like a drunk. I caused- their blood -to-flow on the ground.’” (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.
I trod down the peoples in my anger repeats the theme of verse 3 in summary form, using all its keywords. The peoples (literally “peoples”) may refer to the Edomites or to all the nations. We prefer the wider understanding and view this line as a statement about God’s judgment on all evildoers.
I made them drunk in my wrath: Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch emend the Hebrew verb in Masoretic Text rendered made drunk to read “shattered,” and so does New Revised Standard Version with “crushed.” Although this may seem an attractive alternative and is essentially parallel to the verb trod, translators should retain Masoretic Text, which Dead Sea Scrolls and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project support. The sense of the verb made … drunk is fully consistent with the theme of treading out the grapes in the wine press. The wine that was produced in the wine press can be seen as a figure for God’s anger; the implied sense is that this wine made the nations drunk, meaning, they became senseless and lost (compare 51.17). For this line Bible en français courant translates “I made them drunk on my fury.” For translators who prefer a nonfigurative rendering, de~Waard recommends the following rendering in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982): “I made them feel all my anger.”
And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth describes further the LORD’s punishment of the nations. He exterminated them. I poured out is literally “I caused to flow down.” For lifeblood see the comments on Isa 63.3. On the earth means simply “on the ground.”
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• In my fury I trampled down the peoples,
making them drunk in my rage,
and pouring their blood onto the ground.”
• I was so angry that I trampled on the nations;
I was so furious I made them drunk,
pouring their blood out on the ground.”
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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