complete verse (Psalm 83:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 83:11:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Do to their famous people what you did to Oreb and Zeeb
    do to the children of the kings what you did with Zebah and Zalmunna,” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Make them like Oreb and Zeeb, their courtiers.
    Make all of their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Destroy their leaders/[lit. heads] like what you (sing.) did to Oreb and to Zeeb, and to Zeba and to Zalmuna.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “You give their leaders to die like Oreb and Zeeb,
    you let theirs officials to die like when you killed king Zebah and king Zalmunna,” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Uwatendee viongozi wao,
    kama ambavyo uliwatendea wa Orebu na Zeebu,
    na viongozi wao wote, kama vile Zeba na Zalmuna,” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Do to them things like you did to Kings Oreb and Zeeb;
    defeat their leaders like you defeated Zebah and Zalmunna,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Japanese benefactives (yō ni shite)

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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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, yō ni shite (ようにして) or “do so (so that) / make it like” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”

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

Translation commentary on Psalm 83:9 - 83:12

In verses 9-18 the psalmist calls down on Israel’s present enemies the same defeats suffered by their enemies in the past. “The Midianites” (verse 9) were defeated by Gideon (Judges 6–8); Oreb and Zeeb were two Midianite princes killed by the Ephraimites (Judges 7.24-25); Zebah and Zalmunna were two Midianite kings whom Gideon killed personally (Judges 8.21).

Sisera was the commander of the army of Jabin, king of Hazor; Jabin’s army was defeated by Barak and Deborah at the river Kishon, while Sisera was killed by Jael, as he hid in Jael’s tent (Judges 4.1-24). En-dor is not mentioned in the account of the defeat of the Midianites in the book of Judges; it was a town near Mount Tabor, where the Israelites gathered before the battle against Sisera (Judges 4.12), and this may be the reason why it is mentioned here. Some emend the text to “En-Harod,” the place where Gideon camped with his army (Briggs, New English Bible; see Judges 7.1). It is better to stay with the Hebrew text as it is.

In verse 10b who became dung for the ground is a vivid way of expressing the fact that the corpses were not buried but left to rot where they fell (see similar expressions at 79.2-3).

If the one sentence of verses 11-12 is too long for a given language, a full stop can be placed at the end of verse 11, and verse 12 can begin “They said….” Verse 13 can then begin “Therefore” or “And so.”

The phrase pastures of God in verse 12b for the land of Israel recalls the idea of Israel as the flock of God, grazing in his pastures. An American Translation and Dahood take ʾelohim here as a superlative: “the very finest meadows.”

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 .