forget

The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “forget” in English is translated in Noongar as dwangka-anbangbat, lit. “ear-lose.” (Source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).

See also remember and forget (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (Psalm 50:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 50:22:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “‘Think of these, you who forgets God
    that I may tear you apart without anyone to save you:” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “"Listen! You all ignored me.
    I will tear you to pieces.,
    There will be no one to help you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “[You (plur.)] listen to this, you (plur.) who have-forgotten God,
    for if not, I will-destroy you (plur.) that/[linker] no-one can-save/deliver you (plur.):” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Listen to this matter, you who do not listen to me,
    or I will tear you to disappear, and no one will help you.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “‘Wewe unayemsahau Mungu, uyajue haya,
    nitakurarua, hatakuwako wa kukuokoa.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “So, all you who have ignored me, pay attention to this,
    because if you do not, I will tear you to pieces, and there will be no one to rescue you.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on Psalm 50:22 - 50:23

The final two verses bring God’s indictment of the wicked to a close, with a warning to them to listen to him or he will destroy them. Mark this, “Pay attention to this,” “Notice this.”

To forget God is to disregard him, ignore his commands (see comments on 9.17).

The verb translated rend is “to tear to pieces” like a lion; see its use with “lion” in 7.2; 17.12.

For deliver (Good News Translation “save”) see the use of the same verb in 7.1, and the same verb translated “rescue” in 7.2.

What God wants from his worshipers is a thankful heart (verse 23a; see verse 14a). In many languages it will be necessary to reorder the wording in Good News Translation “Giving thanks is the sacrifice that honors me.” This may often be done by saying, for example, “When you give thanks you are giving the sacrifice that honors me” or “By thanking me you give me the sacrifice that honors me.”

The phrase orders his way aright, while unusual, is readily understood as a metaphor for conduct, behavior; so New Jerusalem Bible “the upright,” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “who continues (walking) in my way,” Bible en français courant “the one who keeps watch over his behavior.”

The final I will show the salvation of God, it must be remembered, has God as speaker, and he refers to himself in the third person. The noun phrase the salvation of God means “God saves people”; and I will show means not merely to display or to present, but actually to put into effect. So Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “I save,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “and whoever obeys me will experience my help.”

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 .