The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 66:13:
Kupsabiny: “I shall comfort you in Jerusalem like when a woman comforts her child.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “I will console you like a mother consoles her child. And by reason of Jerusalem your will get to be consoled."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “I will-cause- you (plur.) -to-be-happy in Jerusalem like a mother who makes- her child -happy.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “I will comfort you people in Jerusalem like mothers comfort their children.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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).
The theme of comfort dominates this verse (compare 40.1; 49.13-15; 51.3). The mother figure changes from Jerusalem to Yahweh, who comforts his people.
As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you: Just as a mother comforts her child, so Yahweh will bring comfort to his people in Jerusalem. He will fulfill the earlier promises of comfort made in this book. The Hebrew word for one is ʾish, which usually refers to an adult male. However, here it refers to any person. What is important in this comparison is the relationship between a mother and her child, no matter what the age or sex of the child is. I will comfort you is literally “I, I will comfort you.” The first Hebrew pronoun for “I” is emphatic. An equivalent in English for this clause is “I am the one who will comfort you” or “It is I, I am the one who….”
You shall be comforted in Jerusalem repeats the promise in the previous line, adding that it will come to the residents of Jerusalem. Here the city probably represents the whole nation of Judah.
Translation examples for this verse are:
• Just as a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you will find comfort in Jerusalem.
• Like a mother comforting her children,
so I will comfort you;
you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
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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