Alpha and Omega

The Greek that is translated as “the Alpha and the Omega” in English, referring to the first and the last letter of the Greek alphabet is translated in German as “das A und O.” Even though the German alphabet does not end with the letter O, “das A und O” has become an idiom, that — like the Greek — refers to the end and the beginning or the whole.

Languages that versions of “the Alpha and the Omega” have become an idiom with the same meaning include:

the Beginning and the End

The Greek that is translated as “the Beginning and the End” in English is translated in the Swabian 2007 translation by Rudolf Paul as Åfang ond Ziel or “beginning and destination (or: “goal”).”

feel (terror / pain / suffering / anxiety / thirst)

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “feel (terror, pain, suffering, anxiety, thirst)” or similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) in association with the verb kumva or “hear,” “as if the feeling is heard in the ear.”

In Psalm 115:7 the stand-alone “feel” is also translated as “hear.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also angry

drink

In Telugu different verbs for humans drinking (tāgu / తాగు) and animals drinking (cēḍu / చేడు) are required.

complete verse (Revelation 21:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:6:

  • Uma: “After that he also said to me: ‘It-is-finished. I am the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End. Whoever of you is thirsty, I give water from headwaters that give good life forever. That water I give freely to you, you don’t need to buy it.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And he said, ‘All is fulfilled. I am the first and I am the last, I am the beginning and I am the end. Whoever is thirsty I will give him drink free (without payment) from the spring of water that gives life without end.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And He said again, ‘All these things have come to pass. As for me, I am the Alpha and Omega, which is to say, the beginning and ending of everything. If anyone is thirsty I will let him drink at the spring which is the source of the water which gives eternal life, and I won’t make him pay.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then he said, ‘All these-things will be totally fulfilled. I am the one designated as Alfa and Omega, meaning to say, I am the beginning-place and ending-place of everything. I will give the thirsty person free water which comes-from the spring (redundant to say spring of water) that gives life that has no end.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And what he further said to me was, ‘Today all this has now been fulfilled. For I am the one who was first before all and I indeed am the one who will be at the very end. I am the one who created everything and under my authority is its conclusion/being-finished-with. Whoever is parched, it’s certain I will give him water which is without cost which comes from the spring which gives life.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Again he spoke: ‘Now had happened all which must have happened. I was living when all things began and I will continue to be living forever. It is like the first litter is A and the last letter is Z. And now, all who are thirsty, I will cause there where comes out the water of the new life, they will drink there without paying anything.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

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 Revelation 21:6

It is done!: see 16.17. In Greek the verb here is plural, “They are done,” as contrasted with the singular in 16.17. The antecedent is probably “these words,” and the translation can be “All these things are now done (or, accomplished),” “I have done all these things,” or “I have caused all these things to happen.”

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end: see 1.8; 1.17; 22.13. The two declarations mean the same: “I am the first and the last; I am the beginning and the end.” In this context perhaps “I begin all things and bring all things to an end” will be more natural in many languages.

To the thirsty I will give: it may be better to follow the normal order, “I will give to anyone who is thirsty” or “I will give to all who are thirsty,” or in certain languages, “I will give to anyone who craves water.”

From the fountain of the water of life: “I will give the water that comes from the fountain of life-giving water” or “I will give them water to drink from a place where water is flowing that gives life.” See similar language in 7.17; 22.17.

Without payment: it should be clear that it is the one who drinks the water who will not have to pay. “I will give them, free of charge, water” (see 7.17). The last sentence in this verse may be translated as follows: “I will give to all who are thirsty water to drink from the fountain of life-giving water, and they will not have to pay for it” or “I will give water to all who are thirsty. This water comes from a place where water is flowing that gives life. They do not have to give anything in return.”

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 .