Following is a Russian Orthodox icon of Isaiah from the 18th century (found in the Transfiguration Church, Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia). The text in the scrollis from Isaiah 2:2: “In the last days […] shall be established.”
Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 12:17:
Uma: “So, the Word of God that was foretold by the prophet Yesaya long ago was fulfilled/happened. Like this its sound:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Because of this the word of God written by Nabi Isaya was fulfilled, it says,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason he said this was because that which Isaiah prophesied long ago is being fulfilled, he said,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He did that so that what God caused-to-be-said by Isaias would be fulfilled that says,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He said like that so that what was said in the past by the prophet Isaias would be fulfilled, which was the word of God saying,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Concerning all that Jesus did, thus it brought to happen the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah in which God said:” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
The quotation in verses 18-21 is taken from Isaiah 42.1-4. In verses 18-20 Matthew uses a text that agrees with neither the Hebrew Old Testament nor the Septuagint. In verse 21, however, he follows precisely the text of the Septuagint. This is the most lengthy selection that Matthew quotes from the Old Testament, and it is quite likely that the form of the text which he uses reflects a translation already familiar to his readers. The text is significant, not only because of its length but because of what it says about Jesus. He is addressed in terms similar to the words used at his baptism, but here is also included much more about the nature of his ministry.
This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: see comments on 1.22. This has been rendered by Good News Translation as “He did this.” “He told them this” is also possible.
For the rest of the verse, see comments on 1.22 and 2.17. “He said this to make come true what God had said through the prophet Isaiah” is a possible rendering.
As with other citations, the translation must make it clear that it is God’s word that is being given. This can be done either by beginning verse 18 with “God says” or by stating in verse 17 “what God said through the prophet Isaiah,” as in the example above.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
This was: The word This refers to Jesus’ activities in 12:15–16. These activities were that he withdrew from the area where the Pharisees were. He also commanded people not to tell others about him.
Here are some other ways to begin this verse:
He did these things (New Century Version)
-or-
He did this (Good News Translation)
to fulfill: The word fulfill means “to make come true” or “to make happen as it was foretold/prophesied.”
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
to make come true (Good News Translation)
-or-
to bring about (New Century Version)
what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as through the prophet Isaiah indicates that the following words did not come from Isaiah himself. They came from God through Isaiah. God spoke the following words to Isaiah, and Isaiah then spoke them to the people. Isaiah also wrote them down.
This is a passive clause. Here are some other ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah (New International Version)
• Use an active verb. For example:
what God had said through the prophet Isaiah (Good News Translation)
-or-
what ⌊God⌋ spoke ⌊to the people⌋ through the prophet Isaiah
This same phrase occurs in 8:17a. You should translate it here as you did there.
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