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. )
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.)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 20:23:
Kupsabiny: “When (they) are satisfied. God will punish and destroy (them).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “After he fills his stomach God will pour out His anger upon him. At that time God will cause his anger to fall upon him like rain.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “When he now fills[normally meaning with food] himself, God will-have -him-experience his fierce anger, and he will-rain-upon him punishment.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When the wicked people are filling their stomachs, God will show that he is very angry with them and punish them; the punishment that he gives them will be like rain falling on them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Verse 23 has three lines, but Good News Translation has merged the second and third lines. The figure of eating continues in this verse.
To fill his belly to the full: this line is omitted by the Septuagint and also by New Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible. The meaning of the line is not very clear. Dhorme understands it to carry the same thought as the preceding verses; that is, in the moment when the wicked man is filling his belly (taking from the poor), God will strike him down. So Dhorme translates “When he is occupied in filling his belly.” Good News Translation “Let him eat all he wants” interprets belly to refer to literal eating, and this is what most translators understand here.
The second line, God will send his fierce anger into him, is literally “He will send….” Nearly all interpreters agree that “he” refers to God, and so Good News Translation “God will punish him in fury and anger” is a good rendering. This line may also be rendered “God will be angry and make him suffer” or “God will angrily punish him.”
The third line, and rain it upon him as his food, is more problematical. The Revised Standard Version footnote says “in his flesh,” which is the Hebrew text. The expression “in his flesh” as used here is found elsewhere only in Zephaniah 1.17, where Revised Standard Version translates “flesh” and Good News Translation “dead bodies.” Food is obtained by reading a closely similar Hebrew word meaning “bread.” Although many changes have been proposed, that of Revised Standard Version involves the slightest change in the Hebrew and gives a satisfactory sense in the context. Good News Translation considers line c as saying the same thing as line b and so does not translate it again. This line may also be expressed “and God will cause his anger to come down on him as the food he eats,” or “God’s anger will pour down on him and be his food,” or “he will have God’s anger for his food.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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