God's anger, wrath of God

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. )

See also anger and the coming wrath.

complete verse (Job 20:28)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 20:28:

  • Kupsabiny: “Everything they have will be swept away
    on that day when God punishes the sins.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “His house will be washed away by a flood.
    In the day of God’s anger he will be carried off by water.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “A flood will-sweep-away his house on the day that God will-have- him -experience his anger.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When God punishes people,
    all the possessions in the wicked people’s houses will be carried away by a flood.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Job 20:28

The possessions of his house will be carried away: possessions translates a noun which elsewhere always means “produce of the earth” or “fruit of the soil.” In Hebrew “the fruits of his house” may refer to “his wealth,” as in Good News Translation, or to his possessions generally, as in Revised Standard Version. Another interpretation is arrived at by changing possessions to “flood.” This is based on equating the word translated possessions here with a similar word in Isaiah 30.25 translated “brooks running with water” (Revised Standard Version) and “streams of water” (Good News Translation). “Flood” gives a sense that is more suitable in the context, so that the line will say “A flood will carry away his house.” Carried away translates a verb meaning “go into exile.” Some interpreters change the vowels of this verb to get the word “roll,” and so New English Bible and others “A flood will sweep away his house.” If the translator follows the change to “flood,” this line may be rendered, for example, “A flood will carry off his goods” or “A flood will wash away his house.”

Dragged off in the day of God’s wrath: some scholars derive this verb from a root meaning “drag away,” but others base it on a root meaning “pour out.” Therefore Dhorme translates “waters which flow,” and Pope “torrents.” God’s wrath is “his wrath” in the Hebrew, but, as in verse 23b, nearly all agree that God is the agent of the action. The expression God’s wrath refers to divine retribution, that is, God punishing someone. Therefore wrath, meaning anger, fury, portrays God as furiously punishing someone as he judges them. Day of God’s wrath refers to the time when God judges, and so the line may be rendered “when God in his anger judges sinners.” We may also translate verse 28 “A flood will wash away his house on the day when God angrily judges sinners.”

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 .