amazed / astonished / marvel

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The Greek that is translated as “astonished” or “amazed” or “marvel” in English is translated in Pwo Karen as “stand up very tall.” (In John 5:20, source: David Clark)

Elsewhere it is translated as “confusing the inside of the head” (Mende), “shiver in the liver” (Uduk, Laka), “to lose one’s heart” (Mískito, Tzotzil), “to shake” (Southern Bobo Madaré), “to be with mouth open” (Panao Huánuco Quechua) (source: Bratcher / Nida), “to stand with your mouth open” (Citak) (source: Stringer 2007, p. 120), “ceasing to think with the heart” (Bulu), “surprise in the heart” (Yamba) (source for this and one above: W. Reyburn in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 1ff. ), or “have one’s mouth full” (Maan (source: Don Slager).

In Mark 5:20 and elsewhere where the astonishment is a response to listening to Jesus, the translation is “listen quietly” in Central Tarahumara, “forget listening” (because they were so absorbed in what they heard that they forgot everything else) in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, “it was considered very strange by them” in Tzeltal (source: Bratcher / Nida), “in glad amazement” (to distinguish it from other kinds of amazement) (Quetzaltepec Mixe) (source: Robert Bascom), or “breath evaporated (or “escaped”)” (Mairasi) (source: Enngavoter 2004).

In Western Dani astonishment is emphasized with direct speech. In Mark 1:22, for instance, it says: “Wi!” yinuk, pi wareegwaarak — “They were all amazed, saying ‘Oh'” (source: Lourens De Vries in The Bible Translator 1992, p. 333ff. )

In Low German it is translated as grote Oken maken or “make big eyes” (sometime followed by: un kreegn dat Stillswiegen: “and became silent”) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).

In the Kölsch translation (Boch 2017) it is translated as brummte de Lück de Kopp or “the heads of the people buzzed,” Bauklötz jestaunt, lit. “marvel toy blocks,” and vür Staune de Muhl nit mieh zojekräch or “so full of marvel that they couldn’t close their mouths again.”

In the Pfälzisch translation by Walter Sauer (publ. 2012) it is often translated as baff vor staune or “speechless because of their marvel.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

See also amazed and astonished, astonished (Mark 6:51), and I’m astonished.

complete verse (Revelation 13:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 13:3:

  • Uma: “One of those seven heads looked like it was wounded severely [with a wound] that should have caused-its-death, but it became well. People all over the world, no kidding their surprise to see the healing of that evil animal, that is why they just thronged to follow him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “One of the heads of this creature had been wounded and this would have caused him to die, but that wound of his had healed. Therefore the people on earth were very amazed and they followed that creature.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One of the heads of the beast was wounded, and it seemed as if that head had died but its severe wound had healed and that head was alive again. All mankind were disciples of that beast because he really amazed them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “On one of his heads, there was a scar of a severe (lit. wide) wound which should have caused-his-death, but it healed OK (particle indicating reassurance of recovery), so the people on the earth were amazed and they followed him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As I looked, I saw the visible-evidence of a healed-scar on one of the heads, like a wound which would cause death but it had indeed healed. All people here under the heavens were amazed. They all submitted to that monster.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning this terrible animal, it was seen that one of its heads had been wounded and was on the verge of dying. But the wound healed. Upon seeing the wound heal, all the people all over the world feared and they went with it.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 13:3

One of its heads: it must be clear that this refers to the beast; the dragon also had seven heads.

Seemed to have a mortal wound: the meaning is, rather, “had a wound that seemed to be fatal (or, mortal).” The English adjective mortal translates the perfect passive participle of the verb “to kill” (see its use in TEV 5.6: “The Lamb appeared to have been killed”). Here it means that it appeared that one of the heads had been killed, but the text goes on to say that “his deadly wound had healed,” implying that there was a scar that showed how severe the wound had been. Whether or not the wound had been fatal depends on how verse 14 is understood.

The whole earth followed the beast with wonder: the Greek text says “The whole earth marveled after the beast.” The verb means “to wonder,” “to marvel,” “to be amazed.” For the whole earth it is better to say “everyone on earth” or “all the people of the world.”

Alternative translation models for the first part of this verse are:

• On one of the heads of the beast was a scar that seemed to have been the result of a fatal (or, mortal) wound. But the wound had healed.

Or:

• … the scar from a wound that should have killed it (or, caused it to die). But….

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 13:3

13:3a

appeared to be mortally wounded: The Greek phrase can be translated literally as “as having been killed to death.” It indicates that John saw that one head of the beast had a very bad wound. It was the kind of wound that kills. The Greek words are similar to the description of the Lamb in 5:6.

John saw the scar from the wound but also saw that the head was alive at this time. So he used “as.” 13:12 makes it clear that the wound was “of death,” that is, the head had died. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

as if it had been slain (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
as it were wounded to death (King James Version)
-or-
had a fatal/deadly wound

13:14 indicates that the head was killed with a sword.

mortally wound: This phrase refers to a wound that would cause the death of someone. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

wounded to death (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
deadly injury

This wound is explained in 13:14d as a sword wound. Some languages must say what kind of wound it is. If that is true in your language, refer to a sword wound or deep cut.

13:3b

But the mortal wound was healed: These verses do not say whether the wound healed on its own or whether someone healed it. Your translation should allow for either meaning. If possible, do not say that someone healed it. For example:

the fatal wound was healed
-or-
the wound had healed (Good News Translation)

13:3c

the whole world: The word world refers to people here. For example:

All the people of the world (God’s Word)

Believers did not follow the beast (13:8).

marveled: This word implies that people marveled because the beast still lived after receiving a fatal wound. In some languages people will think that the people marveled for another reason. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain the meaning in your translation. For example:

astonished ⌊because the beast/head was healed⌋

followed: Here the word followed refers to obeying or learning from the beast. The word does not refer to walking behind it. Other ways to translate this word are:

gave allegiance to (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
submitted to
-or-
became disciples of

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