angry

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “(was or became) angry” in English is translated in Kwere as “saw anger.” In Kwere, emotions are always paired with sensory verbs (seeing or smelling or hearing). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Bariai it is “to have grumbling interiors” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

See also anger and feel (terror, pain, suffering, anxiety).

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.

complete verse (Judges 9:30)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 9:30:

  • Kupsabiny: “When Zebul heard the words of Gaal, it pained him much.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Having heard what Gaal son of Ebed had said, the city district officer, Zebul, was very angry.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Zebul the leader/[lit. head] of the town heard what Gaal had-said, he was very angry.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When someone told Zebul what Gaal said, he was very angry.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Judges 9:30

When Zebul, Abimelech’s appointed official, hears Gaal’s challenge to Abimelech’s authority, he becomes angry.

When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed: This clause is independent in Hebrew, which is literally “And Zebul … heard the words…,” but many languages may wish to follow Revised Standard Version by rendering it as a temporal clause. Translators may introduce this clause with “But when” (New Living Translation) or any other appropriate conjunction. In verse 9.28 Zebul was introduced as an “officer” appointed by Abimelech. Here we learn his position is important, since he is identified as the ruler of the city of Shechem. For the Hebrew word rendered ruler (sar), see the comments on verse 4.2, where it is translated “commander.” Here it refers to a leader in control of a town. The Hebrew word for words is plural and certainly refers not only to the questions that Gaal used to stir up the people of Shechem, but also to the challenge that he made. Zebul may not have heard the words directly but could have been informed of what Gaal had said.

His anger was kindled: When Zebul hears Gaal’s mockery of the man who certainly gave him his high position, he gets angry. This clause is literally “and his nose burned.” For this Hebrew idiom see the comments on verse 2.14. In many languages anger may be expressed with images involving fire and heat, for example, “his heart heated up” or “he burned with anger.” If possible, translators can try to use similar expressions in their language.

Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version reverse the order of the two clauses in this verse, starting with Zebul’s anger. A model that keeps the original order is:

• But Zebul, the governor of Shechem, heard what Gaal had said, and he became furious.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Judges 9:30

9:30a When Zebul the governor of the city heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed,

Zebul the governor of the town heard the words of Gaal son of Ebed
-or-
Zebul the governor of Shechem town heard what Gaal son of Ebed had said.

9:30b he burned with anger.

and he was very angry.
-or-
He was very angry ⌊when he heard it⌋ .

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