Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

sin

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is typically translated as “sin” in English has a wide variety of translations.

The Greek ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) carries the original verbatim meaning of “miss the mark” and likewise, many translations contain the “connotation of moral responsibility.”

  • Loma: “leaving the road” (which “implies a definite standard, the transgression of which is sin”)
  • Navajo (Dinė): “that which is off to the side” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: kasalan, originally meaning “transgression of a religious or moral rule” and in the context of the Bible “transgression of God’s commandments” (source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21ff. )
  • Kaingang: “break God’s word”
  • Bariai: “bad behavior” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Sandawe: “miss the mark” (like the original meaning of the Greek term) (source for this and above: Ursula Wiesemann in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 36ff., 43)
  • Nias: horö, originally a term primarily used for sexual sin. (Source: Hummel / Telaumbanua 2007, p. 256)
  • Mauwake: “heavy” (compare forgiveness as “take away one’s heaviness”) (source: Kwan Poh San in this article )

In Shipibo-Conibo the term is hocha. Nida (1952, p. 149) tells the story of its choosing: “In some instances a native expression for sin includes many connotations, and its full meaning must be completely understood before one ever attempts to use it. This was true, for example, of the term hocha first proposed by Shipibo-Conibo natives as an equivalent for ‘sin.’ The term seemed quite all right until one day the translator heard a girl say after having broken a little pottery jar that she was guilty of ‘hocha.’ Breaking such a little jar scarcely seemed to be sin. However, the Shipibos insisted that hocha was really sin, and they explained more fully the meaning of the word. It could be used of breaking a jar, but only if the jar belonged to someone else. Hocha was nothing more nor less than destroying the possessions of another, but the meaning did not stop with purely material possessions. In their belief God owns the world and all that is in it. Anyone who destroys the work and plan of God is guilty of hocha. Hence the murderer is of all men most guilty of hocha, for he has destroyed God’s most important possession in the world, namely, man. Any destructive and malevolent spirit is hocha, for it is antagonistic and harmful to God’s creation. Rather than being a feeble word for some accidental event, this word for sin turned out to be exceedingly rich in meaning and laid a foundation for the full presentation of the redemptive act of God.”

In Warao it is translated as “bad obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ). See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the Danish Bibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “We would explain terms, such that e.g. sin often became ‘doing what God does not want’ or ‘breaking God’s law’, ‘letting God down’, ‘disrespecting God’, ‘doing evil’, ‘acting stupidly’, ‘becoming guilty’. Now why couldn’t we just use the word sin? Well, sin in contemporary Danish, outside of the church, is mostly used about things such as delicious but unhealthy foods. Exquisite cakes and chocolates are what a sin is today.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

See also sinner.

complete verse (Micah 1:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Micah 1:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “All these things shall happen on account of the sins of Israel
    and the rebellion of the descendants of Jacob.
    But where are the sins of Israel seen?
    Is it not the city of Samaria?
    Where are idols worshipped in Judah?
    Is it not in the city of Jerusalem?” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “All this happened because of the transgression of Jacob
    and the sins of the house of Israel.
    What is Jacob’s transgression?
    is it not Samaria?
    Where are Judah’s pagan shrines?
    Is it not Jerusalem?” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “All of this will-happen because the people of Israel and of Juda have-sinned. The ones from-Samaria are the ones (who) are-pushing the other residents of Israel to-commit-sin. The ones (who) come-from-Jerusalem are the ones (who) are-pushing the other residents of Juda to-worship little-gods/idols/diminutive-gods.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Micah 1:5

The second paragraph in this section consists of verses 5-7. Verse 5 consists of four elements, the second parallel to the first, and the fourth parallel to the third. In the first pair the meanings of the two elements are synonymous and repetitive, as the Revised Standard Version text shows. Good News Translation has therefore dropped the parallel form and repetition of meaning, and expressed the total meaning in a single sentence with the two verbs sinned and rebelled. The double mention of “Jacob” and “the house of Israel” is combined into a single term the people of Israel. As the second half of the verse shows by mentioning both Samaria and Jerusalem, the prophet has both northern and southern kingdoms in mind.

All this refers to the terrible events described in verses 2-4. Whether the translator says will happen or “is happening” depends on whether “come down” in verse 3 (as well as the rest of verses 3 and 4) was translated as a future event, or as a present event that the people could actually see happening.

The rest of the sentence in Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version gives the reason why God is doing (or, will do) these things. It is because the people of Israel have sinned and rebelled. “To sin” is “to do bad things” or “to do things God does not like.” “To rebel” is “to refuse to obey God.” However, these two words are saying almost the same thing in this verse, so it is not necessary for a translator to use two terms. The word translated “rebel” is sometimes translated “to commit a crime.”

The meanings of the second pair of elements in verse 5 are not synonymous, and they are therefore kept as separate units in Good News Translation. In Hebrew each element consists of a rhetorical question, followed by a second question that is in fact the answer to the first. These second questions are translated as statements in Good News Translation in order to make clear that they do indeed serve as answers and are not really further questions. The first question asks Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? and thus takes up the verb rebelled from the first part of the verse. The answer, that Samaria is responsible, would have been unexpected and unwelcome to its inhabitants because, as Good News Translation makes explicit, it was the capital city of the northern kingdom. Samaria had become a center for the worship of the fertility gods Baal and Asherah after Jezebel, the pagan wife of King Ahab (874-853 B.C.), started this worship there. See 1 Kgs 16.29-33. Samaria thus became a major source of religious corruption for the whole of Israel, and in due course for Judah also, as is implied in verse 9. Samaria here stands for its inhabitants, and this may need to be made clear in some languages.

The literal meaning in the first question is simply “What is the transgression (or rebellion, or crime) of the northern kingdom?” We might expect a particular evil act to be mentioned as an answer. But the answer is given as Samaria itself. The people of Samaria are not a sin, however, but the cause of sins, or the ones who do sins. Good News Translation has tried to give this idea by asking the question as Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion?

Who is to blame…? may be translated as “Who is the cause of…?” or “Who is it that has led the people of Israel to rebel?”

The answer is literally a rhetorical question, “Is it not Samaria?” (Revised Standard Version). If a language has a way of putting a question so that the answer is obviously “Yes,” then this can be used here. If there is any danger that a question used as an answer will sound like a real question, it is better to make the answer a statement, as in Good News Translation. The full form of the answer may be stated as “The people of Samaria, the capital city of Israel, are to blame.” But in many languages it will be better to leave out part of this, as it will sound more natural and will still be understood.

The second question in the verse is parallel to the first one. It asks who is responsible for idolatry in Judah, and the second answer is also parallel—it is Jerusalem. It may be necessary in some translations to state again that this is the capital city and that the city stands for its inhabitants. In the second question, Revised Standard Version with its “What is the sin of the house of Judah?” is not translating the Hebrew text but is following the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament begun in the third century B.C. The Hebrew literally asks “What are the high places of Judah?” (King James Version [King James Version]). “High places” is a common Old Testament name for the sites where idolatrous worship was practiced. The meaning of the question is thus “Who is to blame for the high places where the people of Judah go to worship idols?” or “Who is it in Judah who is guilty of going to high places to worship idols?” The main point is of course the idolatry and not the place where it was practiced, and Good News Translation has preferred not to mention the high places themselves. Many translators will prefer to follow the example of Good News Translation, but if the “high places” are mentioned, they can be translated as “hilltops.” However, this should not imply that they are the peaks of high mountains.

“Idols” are “false gods” or “statues.” Idolatry means the worship of idols.

The full form of the answer to this question may be stated as “It is the people of Jerusalem, the capital city of Judah, who worship idols” or “… who are to blame for the idolatry of Judah.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on Micah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Micah 1:5

1:5a–f

This verse has six poetic lines. The first two lines give the reason for the coming judgment of the LORD that is described in 1:4a–d. In 1:5a–b, 1:5b restates the meaning of 1:5a. In 1:5c–d, the question in 1:5c repeats the person named in 1:5a, and the answer in 1:5d corresponds to the capital of the nation that bears his name. The question in 1:5e unexpectedly includes Judah as the southern part of the nation of Israel as a whole, and the answer in 1:5f corresponds to the capital of that southern part:

5a All this is for the transgression of Jacob

5b and the sins of the house of Israel.

5c What is the transgression of Jacob ?

5d Is it not Samaria ?

5e And what is the high place of Judah ?

5f Is it not Jerusalem ?

1:5a–b

There are two main ways to interpret the underlined parts, transgression and sins, and the parts in bold print, Jacob and the house of Israel :

(1) The parallel parts in these two lines refer to the same thing. The words “transgression” and “sins” refer to the same crime or offense. The names “Jacob” and “the house of Israel” refer to the same people. For example:

All this will happen because the people of Israel have sinned and rebelled against God. (Good News Translation)

(2) The parallel parts in these two lines refer to different things. The words “transgression” and “sins” seem to refer to different crimes or offenses. The name “Jacob” refers to the people of the northern kingdom, and “the house of Israel” refers to the people of the southern kingdom. For example:

All this is because of Jacob’s rebellion and the sins of the nation of Israel. (NET Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Many commentaries follow this interpretation. Here are some other ways to translate 1:5a–b:

5a All this is because of the crime of Jacob, 5b the sin of the House of Israel. (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-

5a And why is this happening? Because of the rebellion of Israel—5b yes, the sins of the whole nation. (New Living Translation (2004))

1:5a

transgression: In Hebrew, this word means “disobedience of a law” or “rebellion against a king or other leader.” In this verse, it refers to the fact that the Jews had transgressed (disobeyed) God’s laws. They had rebelled against the LORD. In some languages, it may be better to translate this with a verb. For example:

All this has happened because Jacob’s descendants have rebelled ⌊against the LORD⌋.

Jacob: Jacob is the name of Abraham’s grandson whom God later renamed Israel (see Genesis 35:10). The name Jacob here represents all of Jacob’s descendants, the people of Israel. It does not refer to the man Jacob himself.

Here are some ways to translate the name Jacob :

Jacob’s descendants
-or-
Israel (Good News Translation)
-or-
the people/nation of Israel

1:5b

and the sins of the house of Israel: See the note above on 1:5a–b. The word sins is a general word. It restates the more specific meaning of “rebellion” in 1:5a. In some languages, it may be better to translate 1:5b as a separate sentence. For example:

⌊Yes,⌋ the people of Israel have sinned.

the house of Israel: The word house here means “nation” or “people.” Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the Israelites
-or-
the people of Israel
-or-
the nation of Israel (New Century Version)

General Comment on 1:5a–b

The Good News Translation (quoted above) gives an example where “Jacob” and “Israel” have been combined into one term. Here is an example where “transgressions” and “sins” have been combined into one term:

This will happen because of the terrible sins of Israel, the descendants of Jacob. (Contemporary English Version)

1:5c–f

These four lines are rhetorical questions that made the audience think about the nature and cause of the rebellion of the Israelites. For Micah’s original hearers and readers, these rhetorical questions were vivid and emphatic. The four questions occur in two pairs. In each pair of questions, the second question answers the first question by asking another question that expects the answer “Yes.”

1:5c–d

What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria?: There are at least three ways to interpret the meaning of the first question:

(1) It means “What (or who) is the cause of Jacob’s transgression?” or “Who is to blame for his crime?” For example:

Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? Samaria, the capital city itself! (Good News Translation)

(2) It means “What transgression did Jacob commit?” or “What did Jacob do to transgress God’s laws?” For example:

What is Jacob’s crime? Isn’t it Samaria? (God’s Word)

(3) It means “What (or where) is the place of Jacob’s transgression?” For example:

What is the place of Jacob’s sin? Isn’t it Samaria? (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It is the best way to understand the Hebrew text, and it is supported by a majority of commentaries.

Here are some other ways to translate interpretation (1):

Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? Samaria, its capital city! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Samaria has led Israel to sin (Contemporary English Version)

If you decide to follow interpretation (2), here are two possible ways to translate it:

How have Jacob’s descendants rebelled? Look at the people in Samaria!
-or-
In what way have Jacob’s descendants rebelled? The people in Samaria are an example!

1:5c

What is the transgression of Jacob?: The phrase transgression of Jacob is the same phrase that Micah used in 1:5a. If possible, translate this phrase in a similar way.

1:5d

Is it not Samaria?: There are at least two ways to answer this question. These ways may not follow the unrelated interpretation choices followed for 1:5c.

• Use another rhetorical question that expects a “yes” answer. For example:

It is the people in Samaria, isn’t it?

• Use a statement. For example:

Samaria epitomizes their rebellion! (NET Bible)
-or-
It is the people who live in the city of Samaria!

Samaria: Micah used the name of this city here to refer to the people (or rulers) who lived there. Samaria was the capital city of the northern kingdom. The northern kingdom was usually called Israel. Some English versions make this information explicit. For example:

Samaria, the capital city itself ! (Good News Translation)

1:5e–f

And what is the high place of Judah? Is it not Jerusalem?: Before we consider the textual issue, note that the Hebrew text here uses the plural “high places.” Most English versions use the singular high place, because the second question specifies Jerusalem.

There is a textual issue with the first question:

(1) The Masoretic Text (MT) uses the Hebrew word translated as “high places.” For example:

What is Judah’s high place? (New International Version)

(2) The LXX (Septuagint) uses the Greek word “sin.” For example:

And what is the sin of the house of Judah? (Revised Standard Version)

(New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow the first option along with most versions and commentaries.

1:5e

And what is the high place of Judah?: There are at least two ways to interpret this rhetorical question. They correspond to the first and third choices in 1:5c–d.

(1) It means “Who is responsible for the high places in Judah?” This question can be sub-divided into two related questions: “Who worships idols at the high places?” and “Who/What causes the people to worship idols at the high places?” For example:

Who is guilty of idolatry in Judah? (Good News Translation)
-or-
…pagan altars at Jerusalem have made Judah sin (Contemporary English Version)

(2) It means “Where…” or “In what place are the high places of Judah?”

What is Judah’s place of idol worship? (New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation. It is the best way to understand the Hebrew text. It also corresponds better with the recommended interpretation for 1:5c.

If you decide to follow interpretation (2), here are two possible ways to translate it:

And what are the shrines of Judah but Jerusalem? (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
What is Judah’s worship place? Isn’t it Jerusalem? (God’s Word)

high place: In 1:3b, Micah used the phrase “high places of the earth” to refer to the tops of hills and mountains. But here in 1:5e, Micah used high place to refer to a place where people worshiped idols. Here are some other ways to translate the Hebrew word for high place :

center of idolatry (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
pagan worship centers (NET Bible)

Judah: The name Judah refers to the southern kingdom. Here are some other ways to translate this name here:

the nation/people of Judah

1:5f

Is it not Jerusalem?: Jerusalem is the capital city of Judah. Here are some ways to translate this rhetorical question:

• Use a rhetorical question, as in the Berean Standard Bible. Supply other details, including the expected answer. For example:

Is it not the people of Jerusalem? Yes, it is!

• Use an exclamation. For example:

Jerusalem itself! (Good News Translation)

• Use a complete statement, with or without an exclamation mark. For example:

It is the people of Jerusalem, the capital city!

General Comment on 1:5c–f

In 1:5c–f, Micah used four rhetorical questions to convey his message vividly and forcefully. Here are some ways to translate these questions in your language:

• Translate all four questions as questions. Most literal English versions do this.

• Translate the first and third questions as questions, and the second and fourth questions as statements. For example:

5c Who is to blame for Israel’s rebellion? 5d Samaria, its capital city! 5e Where is the center of idolatry in Judah? 5f In Jerusalem, its capital! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

5c How have the people of Jacob rebelled against God, you ask? 5d Those in the city of Samaria are the worst rebels! 5e Where are Judah’s pagan worship centers, you ask? 5f Right in Jerusalem! (based on NET Bible)

• Translate all four questions as statements. For example:

5c–d Samaria has led Israel to sin, 5e–f and pagan altars at Jerusalem have made Judah sin. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

5c–d The people in the city of Samaria led the people of Israel to rebel ⌊against God⌋. 5e–f And the people of Judah worship idols/gods at altars in Jerusalem itself.

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