prophesy

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The Hebrew and the Greek that are translated in English versions as “prophesy” are translated into Anuak as “sing a song” (source: Loren Bliese), into Balanta-Kentohe as “passing on message of God” (source: Rob Koops), and into Ixcatlán Mazatec with a term that does not only refer to the future, but is “speak on behalf of God” (source: Robert Bascom).

Other translations include: “God making someone to show something in advance” (Ojitlán Chinantec), “God causing someone to think and then say it” (Aguaruna), “speaking God’s thoughts” (Shipibo-Conibo), “God made someone say something” “Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac) (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125), “proclaim God’s message” (Teutila Cuicatec), “speak for God” (Chichimeca-Jonaz), “preach the Word of God” (Lalana Chinantec), “speak God’s words” (Tepeuxila Cuicatec), “that which God’s Spirit will cause one to say one will say” (Mayo) (source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), and “say what God wants people to hear” (tell people God wod dat e gii oona fa say) (Gullah) (source: Robert Bascom).

In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:

  • For Acts 3:18, 3:21, 3:25: nurwowohora — “mouth says words that don’t come from one’s own mind.” (“This term refers to an individual’s speaking words that are not his because either a good or bad spirit is at work through him. The speaker is not in control of himself.”)
  • For Acts 19:6, Acts 21:9: nakotnohora — “talk about.” (“The focus of this term is on telling God’s message for the present as opposed to the future.”)
  • For Acts 21:11: rora — “foretell” (“The focus of this term is giving God’s message concerning the future. The person who speaks is aware of what he is doing and he is using his own mind, yet it is with God’s power that he foretells the future.”)

Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.

See also prophet and prophesy / prophetic frenzy.

complete verse (Revelation 10:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 10:11:

  • Uma: “After that he said to me: ‘You must also speak/utter words from God, speaking-about people from many countries, many descent-groups and many kinds of languages, and speaking-about kings also.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then someone spoke to me, he said, ‘You have to tell again the message of God about what he will soon send to the people from the different countries/places, and tribes and languages and up to/including to the kings.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then there was someone speaking to me, He said, ‘It is necessary for you to tell again what God causes you to speak of the activity of many kings and people in every kingdom and in every language.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “After-that someone told me, ‘You (sing.) must again prophesy what will happen to many nations and groups of people whose languages are mutually-different and to their kings.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And then he said to me next, ‘More will be shown you which you must write, what will happen to all nations including their kings, people of all different languages and places where they live.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Then I was told: ‘Now, concerning the word of what must be passed through by all the people, those who speak all the different languages, along with their rulers, you must speak about what these people will pass through.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Revelation 10:11

I was told: this translates the impersonal third plural active, “They say to me.” This probably refers to an angel, but it can refer to God.

Must: see 1.1.

Again prophesy: this is in addition to what John has already revealed in the earlier part of the book. To prophesy is to proclaim God’s message (see 1.3; 10.7).

About: most translations give the Greek preposition this meaning (see similar construction in John 12.16, “written of [about] him”). New Jerusalem Bible translates “against,” but no other translation consulted does this. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch provides a good model: “You must now proclaim again what God has planned for….”

Peoples and nations and tongues: see 5.9; here kings is added, for emphasis. Tongues: it will not be natural in many languages to say “proclaim God’s message about many … languages.” Rather, those translators will render this something like the following: “people speaking all sorts of languages.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Then they ordered me, “You must now proclaim (or, announce) again what God has planned for the people of many nations and races, who speak all sorts of languages, and with all the kings (or, high chiefs).”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 10:11

Paragraph 10:11

10:11a

they told me:
The Greek clause is literally “they said to me.” It is not clear who the pronoun they refers to. It probably refers generally to angels who told John God’s message. For example:

they said to me (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
some voices said (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

⌊Others⌋ told me

Some English versions translate this clause as a passive because it is not clear to whom the pronoun “they” refers.

You must prophesy: The Greek clause is literally “It is necessary for you to prophesy.” God required John to write more prophecies for him.

prophesy: The word prophesy refers to speaking to people a message that God gives to him. These messages are called “prophecies” and reveal things that God wants people to know at that time. Other ways to translate this word are:

speak God’s message
-or-
proclaim God’s revelation

10:11b

about: There are several ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as about. The main interpretations are:

(1) It means concerning. The word refers to talking about the many peoples and nations. For example:

about (Revised Standard Version)

(2) It means against. The prophecy is about the bad things that the many peoples and nations are doing. For example:

against (New Jerusalem Bible)

(3) It means before. The prophecy is for the many peoples and nations to hear. For example:

in front of (God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

peoples and nations: See how you translated these words in 5:9 or 7:9.

kings: This word refers to the highest ruler of a country. He usually has authority to make all decisions concerning the country. In some languages people are not familiar with kings. If that is true in your language, you may want to use a word or phrase that means leaders of countries. For example:

leaders of nations

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