The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “glorify God” in English is rendered as “wake God up” in Guerrero Amuzgo.
Other translations are “say that God is very great” (Central Tarahumara), “say how good God is” (Tzotzil), “speak about God as good” (Tzeltal), “give God a great name” (Highland Puebla Nahuatl), “give God highness” (Kipsigis), “take God out high” (in the sense of “to exalt”) (Huautla Mazatec), “make great / exalt” (Toraja-Sa’dan, Javanese), “lift up God’s brightness” (Kpelle), “show God to be great” (Central Pame), “make God shine” (Wayuu), “make God’s name big” (Huastec), “make God important” (Isthmus Zapotec) (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida), or “say to God: You are of good heart” (Huichol) (source: Nida 1964, p. 228).
In Waama this is translated as “make God’s name big.” (For the translation into Waama, five categories of verb doxazo and the noun doxa were found that were all translated differently, see glorify (reveal God’s or Jesus’ glory to people)).
In Shipibo-Conibo it is translated as “brag about God” (“This may strike some at first as being an unspiritual approach, but it surely is Pauline, for Paul used the word ‘to brag’ when he declared his confidence in Jesus Christ and in the salvation of the world which God wrought through His Son.”) (Source: Nida 1952, p. 162)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 50:15:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“And call me on your day of afflictions;
I will rescue you, and you will honor me.’” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“Pray to me in time of trouble!
I will save you
and you will praise me.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“[You (plur.)] call-upon me in times of trouble/difficulty,
for I will-save you (plur.),
and you (plur.) will-praise me.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Laarim:
“call me on a day in which you stay in trouble,
I will release you,
then you will respect me.’” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Uniite katika siku siku ya shida,
nitakuokoa, ndipo utanisifu.’” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“And pray to me when you have troubles.
If you do that, I will rescue you, and then you will praise me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
The kind of sacrifice that really counts with God is a sacrifice of thanksgiving (verse 14a; see also verse 23a). This line is not entirely free of difficulty; as Revised Standard Version text and Good News Translation footnote show, the meaning can be “offer to God a thanksgiving sacrifice” (also New English Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, An American Translation), which was one of the prescribed sacrifices. This actually fits better with the command in verse 14b. But it seems preferable to take it as the Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version footnotes have it (also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Dahood, Weiser), with an alternative translation in a footnote. The phrase a sacrifice of thanksgiving must in some languages be shifted to a clause; for example, “give God thanks, and this will be your sacrifice” or “your sacrifice should be by saying ‘Thank you, God.’ ”
Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation follow the Hebrew in verse 14 by speaking of God in the third person, changing from the first person in verses 12-13 and 15. This may be difficult to do in some languages, since God is the speaker; so verse 14 can be “… be your sacrifice to me, your God, and give me, the Almighty….”
Pay your vows means to keep all the promises you made to offer sacrifices to the Most High (see comment on this title in 7.17).
There is no need for elaborate sacrifices; let his people only call upon God when trouble comes and he will save them; for deliver see the use of the same verb translated “save” in 6.4a. Then they will “praise” him for his help (literally “honor”; Revised Standard Versionglorify).
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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