complete verse (Psalm 87:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 87:4:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “‘I will say of Rahab and Babylon
    amidst those who know me.
    The land of Philistia also, Tyre together with Cush,
    and I will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.’ ’” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “On the list of lands that obey my commands
    will also be the names of Egypt and Babylon.
    The people of Philistia, Tyre and Cush
    will also be counted together with the people of Jerusalem.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “He says, ‘If I will-make-a-list of the nations that acknowledge me,
    I will-include Egipto and Babilonia,
    including also Filistia, Tyre, and Etiopia.
    I will-consider their people native-born of Zion.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “I God will write down Rahab and Babylon,
    among the people who accept me,
    and Philistine and Tyre also together with Cush,
    and they will say that, ‘ This person was born in Zion’’” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “‘Natangaza habari za watu wa katika Misri na katika Babeli,
    nao wa katika nchi ya katika Filisti, ya katika Tiro na ya katika Kushi,
    kuwa wao watakuwemo katika ambao wananijua mimi,
    na kwamba wao watahesabiwa kuwa wenyeji wa katika Sayuni.’” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Some of those who know about God are the people of Egypt and Babylonia,
    and also the people of Philistia and Tyre and Ethiopia;
    some day they all will say,
    ‘Although I was not born in Jerusalem, because I belong to Yahweh, it is as though I
    was born there.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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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.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Psalm 87:4

The Hebrew text says quite simply that the various nations mentioned acknowledge, or will acknowledge, Yahweh, and they are counted as belonging to the people of God. This may have been the intention of the author (see 86.9); or else the text means that Yahweh includes all Jews who live in those countries, the Jews of the Diaspora (Dispersion); or else it means that the people in those countries who have converted to Judaism (proselytes) are included among God’s people. Whatever interpretation, the translator should give either the names of the countries, or else their inhabitants, with no further restrictive description.

Translations vary on the time references of the verbs in verse 4: Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, and Dahood have the future; Revised Standard Version, Bible de Jérusalem, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible, and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy have the present. Translators should follow the best tense or mode that fits the local language.

Revised Standard Version shows the form of the Hebrew text. The meaning of the first two lines is fairly clear; those who know me designates people who worship, obey, serve Yahweh (New English Bible “my friends”; New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible “those who acknowledge me”).

“Egypt” translates Rahab, a poetic name for the country (see Isa 30.7). The use of this name recalls Egypt as the monster that devoured Israel (see 89.10). For Ethiopia see comments at 68.31.

The third line of the verse is obscure; the Hebrew text says simply This one was born there, without any indication of who This one is or where there is; nor does the Hebrew have they say of Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation takes the text to mean that the people born in those countries are listed as having been born in Jerusalem, so that they are full-fledged citizens, belonging to the people of God. One possible version is “will be reckoned as citizens of Zion”; Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “all of them were born in you” (that is, Jerusalem).

It is possible, as some do, to take this verse to mean that the people of those countries were all born in those countries (so Bible en français courant); but of all it will be said “They were born in Zion” (verse 5). In either case the meaning is the same. The Septuagint has in verse 5 “Everyone will say, ‘Zion is our mother.’ ” It is possible that Paul had this passage in mind when writing Galatians 4.26.

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 .