justice

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “justice” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that describes the quality or principle of fairness, righteousness, and impartiality in treating other people. A literal back-translation of the signs are “FOLLOW(God is implied) ACTIONS, DECISIONS JUST-RIGHT”. A more idiomatic back-translation would be: “actions and decisions are right/fitting/just in accordance to God’s will.” The movement in the signs itself helps to indicate that this is a noun, not a verb. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Justice” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

complete verse (Psalm 94:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 94:15:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Judgment will also be settled on righteousness,
    and all righteous hearted will follow it.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “There will again be justice in the courts,
    Righteous people will pursue it.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Surely (it) will-happen again that the judgments (will be) just/righteous,
    and this will-be-supported by all people who live rightly.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Righteousness will be found in courts again,
    and good people will follow it.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Hukumu inakuja kuwa ya unyofu,
    wanyofu wote watakuja kuufuata.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Some day judges will decide matters fairly for people,
    and all honest/ righteous people will be pleased about that.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Psalm 94:14 - 94:15

In verse 14 his people and his heritage mean the same as in verse 5; and the two verbs are also synonymous. They can be translated by the present tense (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant).

Verse 15 is difficult to understand. Dahood comments that it is “the thorniest line in the entire psalm, grammatically and lexically.” Line a seems to say “for judgment (mishpat; see 7.6) will turn back to righteousness (tsedeq; see 4.1).” Revised Standard Version emends tsedeq to tsadiq, the righteous, which parallels the upright in heart in line b. Perhaps the most natural way to understand the line is as Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has done: “Justice will once again be just”; see New Jerusalem Bible “Judgment shall again accord with justice” (so also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Good News Translation has expressed this meaning in a concrete form, “Justice will again be found in the courts” (see New American Bible footnote explanation: “The decisions of the judges will again be just”).14-15 Hebrew Old Testament Text Project says “judgment” here means “the practice or the exercise of justice,” and “righteousness” means “the rule or norm of justice.” It recommends: “for to righteousness the judgment comes back,” which makes very little sense in English. In languages in which it is not possible to speak of justice as an abstract noun but rather as an event, it may be possible to say, for example, “judges will decide matters in a fair manner” or “rulers will judge the people fairly.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “Soon the judges themselves will judge again according to what is right (or, just), and all honest people will be pleased.”

In verse 15b Good News Translation “will support it” translates the Hebrew “after it,” which seems to have the idea of acceptance, conformity, or approval (Revised Standard Version will follow it; see New Jerusalem Bible “shall rally to it”).

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 .