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.

anger

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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”).

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • 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.)

See also God’s anger and angry.

translations with a Hebraic voice (Judges 6:36-40)

Some translations specifically reproduce the voice of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible.

English:
Gid’on said to God:
If you wish to deliver Israel by my hand, as you have spoken,
here: I am setting a clipping of wool on the threshing-floor;
if dew is on the clipping alone, but on all the ground [it is] dry, then I will know
that you will deliver Israel by my hand, as you have spoken.
And it was so.
He started-early on the morrow;
he wrung out the clipping
and drained the dew from the clipping —
a bowl full of water.
Then Gid’on said to God:
Do not let your anger flare up against me,
but let me speak just one [more] time:
pray let me make a test only one [more] time with the clipping;
pray let there be dryness on the clipping alone,
but on all the ground let there be dew.
And God did so on that night:
here was dryness on the clipping alone,
but on all the ground there was dew.

Source: Everett Fox 2014

German:
Gidon sprach zu Gott:
Willst du wirklich Befreier für Jissrael werden durch meine Hand, wie du geredet hast:
da breite ich die Wollschur in der Tenne —
wird Tau einzig auf der Schur sein und auf der Erde allumher Trockenheit,
dann werde ich wissen, daß du durch meine Hand Jissrael befreist, wie du geredet hast..
Es geschah, er war anderntags früh auf und rang die Schur aus:
er preßte Tau aus der Schur, eine Schale voll Wassers.
Gidon sprach zu Gott:
Entflamme doch nimmer deinen Zorn wider mich, daß ich nur diesmal noch rede:
ich möchts bloß diesmal noch mit der Schur erproben,
es sei doch Trockenheit einzig an der Schur, und auf der Erde allumher sei Tau!
Gott tat so in jener Nacht,
einzig an der Schur war Trockenheit, und auf der Erde allumher war Tau.

Source: Buber / Rosenzweig 1976

French:
Guid‘ôn dit à l’Elohîms:
« Si tu vas sauver Israël par ma main, comme tu l’as parlé,
eh bien, j’expose moi-même la toison de laine dans l’aire:
si la rosée se trouve sur la toison seule, toute la terre étant sèche,
je saurai que tu sauveras par ma main Israël, comme tu l’as parlé. »
Et c’est ainsi. Il se lève le lendemain de grand matin.
Il presse la toison et exprime la rosée de la toison, un plein bol d’eau.
Guid‘ôn dit à l’Elohîms: « Que ta narine ne brûle pas contre moi !
Je parlerai une seule fois, j’éprouverai donc cette seule fois
avec la toison que le sec soit sur la toison seule,
et que sur toute la terre il y ait de la rosée. »
Elohîms fait ainsi cette nuit-là.
Le sec est sur la toison seule.
Sur toute la terre, c’était la rosée.

Source: Chouraqui 1985

For other verses or sections translated with a Hebraic voice, see here.

complete verse (Judges 6:39)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 6:39:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, Gideon said to God, ‘I am asking you, God, not to become angry with me. I shall still ask one thing. Let now this hair be dry and the dew touch the place that is near to the hair.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then Gideon said to God — "Do not be angry with me but let me speak once more. [I] have a request, please allow this wool to be tested once again. This time, however, let the wool remain dry, and let dew water fall on the floor."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then Gideon said to God, ‘[You (sing.)] do- not just -be-angry with me; I have only one (thing/favor) to ask from you (sing.). Allow that I can-prove-it again through the wool. I would want also that this wool of the sheep to-be-dry and the ground around it to-be-wet with dew.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not be angry with me, but let me ask you to do one more thing. Tonight I will put the fleece out again. This time, let the fleece remain dry, while the ground is wet with the dew.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Japanese benefactives (-sete)

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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 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 or み) can be used, as in mi-kao (御顔) or “face (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

Japanese benefactives (-naide)

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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, -naide (ないで) or “do not (for their sake)” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”

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

Japanese benefactives (yō ni shite)

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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, yō ni shite (ようにして) or “do so (so that) / make it like” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”

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