sell

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “sell” in English is translated in Noongar as wort-bangal or “away-barter.” Note that “buy” is translated as bangal-barranga or “get-barter.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)

See also buy and buying / selling.

Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

complete verse (Joel 3:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joel 3:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “I will sell your sons and daughters to Judah, and then they, too, will sell them to the people of Sheba, that far away community. I am God who has spoken!’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I will sell your sons and daughters into the hands of the people of Judah. They will sell them to Sabeans, to a people living far away," says the LORD.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I will-sell your (plur.) children to the people of Juda, and they will-sell them to the-(ones) from-Saba, who live in a far-away place.’ This will- surely -happen, for I, the LORD, (am) the-(one) saying this.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then I will cause some of your sons and your daughters to be sold to the people of Judah! And some of them will be sold to the Sabea people-group, who live far away. That will certainly happen because I, Yahweh, have said it.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

2nd person pronoun with low register (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 second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Joel 3:8

I will sell your sons and daughters into the hands of the sons of Judah: I will sell should be understood as causative, since Yahweh did not directly sell the people of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia but worked through others to do so. Therefore Good News Translation has “I will let your sons and daughters be sold….” Your sons and your daughters seems to refer to the next generation. The parents committed the evil against Judah, but their children will suffer the consequences. We may assume that the threat here applies to events within the next ten to twenty-five years.

Into the hand of is a literal rendering of the Hebrew. Hand is a metonym for “power.” Here the whole expression probably means “by means of.” Wolff suggests “by agency of.” The captives, of course, would be for a time “in the hands of” the people of Judah, that is, held captive by them. But they would soon be sold to the Sabeans. Translators should use an expression for into the hand of that will be suitable for the sequence of events. The sons of Judah is better rendered “the people of Judah” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation).

And they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a nation far off: The Sabeans were Arab traders who lived in southwest Arabia. Just as the Greeks lived at a great distance from Jerusalem, so the Sabeans were located in the opposite direction, far from Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia, which were to the north and west of Judah. Therefore to a nation far off appears in apposition to the Sabeans, meaning that the Sabeans were the far-off nation. Some scholars believe that the Sabeans were in turn to sell the slaves to another nation far off. This may have happened, but it is not clearly implied in the text. So Good News Translation renders this whole clause as “they will sell them to the far-off Sabeans,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) says “and they will sell them at a distance to the Sabeans,” and Bible en français courant has “They will sell them to the Sabeans, who live in a distant land.”

For the LORD has spoken: This clause gives assurance that this oracle will be carried out. It also serves to mark the end of the oracle, or of this portion of the oracle. Translators may render it as a quotation of Yahweh; for example, Good News Translation has “I, the LORD, have spoken,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (1982) says “I, the Lord, am causing that to happen.” Or they may have the prophet commenting on the message of Yahweh which he has just delivered by saying: “This is what the LORD has spoken [or, has told me to tell you].” The Hebrew particle rendered for is better translated “Indeed” (New American Bible) in this context of a strong assertion, or it may be omitted.

Quoted with permission from de Blois, Kees & Dorn, Louis. A Handbook on Joel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .