complete verse (Judges 6:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 6:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “I chased away all the people of this land whom you did not agree with and gave you their land.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I snatched you from the power of the Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove your enemies out and gave you their country.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I rescued/saved you (plur.) from the Egiptohanon and from all who oppress you (plur.). I caused- you (plur.) -to-drive-out your (plur.) enemies and I gave their lands to you (plur.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But I rescued them from the leaders of Egypt and from all the others who oppressed them. I expelled their enemies from this land, and gave it to your ancestors.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 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).

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

Translation commentary on Judges 6:9

This verse repeats what has just been said and adds greater emphasis to the notion of the LORD’s deliverance. Once again, there are parallel clauses in Hebrew:

and I delivered you from the hand of Egypt,
and [I delivered you] from the hand of all those oppressing you,
and I drove them from your faces,
and I gave to you their land.

And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians: The Hebrew waw conjunction rendered throughout these lines as and can be interpreted in various ways. The first two seem to simply introduce repeated information and so can be omitted, especially in this poetic context. The last two seem to introduce new material and so can be rendered by a conjunction that adds information, such as and or even “Then.” However in many languages poetry has fewer conjunctions than prose, so in fact, any of these conjunctions can be omitted, according to poetic style in the target language.

This is the first time the Hebrew verb rendered delivered is used in this book, which in some forms means “tear” or “snatch away from.” Here it may be translated “rescued,” “saved,” or “set free.” In Hebrew it is not the same verb as appears so frequently in reference to the deliverers in Israel (see, for example, verse 3.9), but the same verb can be used if necessary. You renders an emphatic Hebrew pronoun. For the keyword hand, which occurs twice in this verse, see verse 1.2. The Egyptians is literally “Egypt.” New International Version gives a good model: “I snatched you from the power of Egypt.”

And from the hand of all who oppressed you: In this clause there is an ellipsis, since the verb phrase I delivered you in the previous clause is understood here. Translators can make this explicit or imitate the style in Hebrew, as permitted in their language. The Hebrew expression rendered who oppressed you has a present participle, which many versions translate as “your oppressors” (New International Version, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) with no time reference. Another rendering might be “those who oppress you.” For comments on this verb, see verse 2.18, where it is translated “afflicted.” Egypt and all who oppressed you do not refer to the same people. Egypt was Israel’s first oppressor, while all who oppressed you refers to other numerous enemies who afflicted Israel over a wide time range. In this context the Canaanites are certainly in focus, since God promised to drive these people out so that the Israelites could live freely in the Promised Land (see verse 4.3).

And drove them out before you: As noted above, the Hebrew waw conjunction rendered and could be seen as a temporal link, with the Israelites being delivered and then God driving out their enemies. But this is poetic language, and the conjunction can easily be omitted here. In Hebrew the first person subject is indicated on the verb and so is understood, but many languages will reinsert a pronoun: “and I drove them out….” For drove … out, see the comments on verse 2.3. The pronoun them probably refers to the Canaanites, but it is possible that it refers to Israel’s enemies in general. Before you is literally “from your faces,” which Good News Translation renders as “as you advanced.”

And gave you their land means the LORD gave the Israelites land that once belonged to the Canaanites. In Hebrew the first person is again marked on the verb here, which many languages will have to make explicit: “and I gave you their land.” For gave … land, see the comments on verse 1.2. This line is the last in a series of parallel structures beginning at the end of 6.8, and may be marked for emphasis, as a kind of climax.

A translation model for this verse is:

• I rescued you from Egypt where you were slaves,
I saved you from all the enemies who oppressed you.
I drove them all out,
and, yes, I gave you their land!

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .