The Greek that is typically translated as “eternity,” “forever,” or “forever and ever” in English are translated in Mairasi as “mashed out infinitely.” Lloyd Peckham explains: “Bark cloth required pounding. It got longer and wider as it got pounded. Similarly, life gets pounded or mashed to lengthen it into infinity. Tubers also get mashed into the standard way of serving the staple food, like the fufu of Uganda, or like poi of Hawaii. It spreads out into infinity.” (Source: Lloyd Peckham)
In Lisu the phrase “forever and ever” is translated as ꓕꓲꓽ ꓞꓲꓼ ꓕꓲ ꓑ — thi tsi thi pa, verbatim translated as “one – lifetime – one – world.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 57f.)
In Makonde it is often translated as navyaka or “years and years.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 4:9:
Uma: “Those living things said thank you, honored and made-big the name of him who Sits on the Seat of the King and who Lives forever. And when those living things said their praise,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Those four angels sing, praising God who lives forever. He is honored by them and they thank him. Each time they sing,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And these four creatures, when they praise and respect and give thanks to the eternal God sitting there on the seat of ruling,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “These four living creatures, they acknowledge the greatness of the one seated on the throne who lives forever, and they praise/worship/honor and thank him. And when they are doing that,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “They were praising, giving their honor/respect and thanks to that one sitting there on the king’s seat, that one who is alive without ending. Well, while they were praising,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Thus is the word with which they praised God, very much did they thank him. And each time they did so” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-za (御座), mi-kura (みくら) (Psalm 7:7), or mi-kurai (御位) (Psalm 113:5) in the referenced verses, all relating to the “throne (or: high seat) (of God)”.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, ikite-rare-ru (生きておられる) or “living” is used.
And whenever the living creatures: this is how the Greek text begins the sentence that runs through verse 11. The word whenever seems to contradict the preceding statement that they never stop their praise. Verses 9-10 show that their praise is done repeatedly, but not continuously. Each time the living creatures sing praise to God, the twenty-four elders prostrate themselves and worship him.
Give glory and honor and thanks: in ritual language individual words do not retain their precise distinctive meanings but mingle with other words for the total effect. What matters is the impact of the statement as a whole, not the separate meaning of each individual word or phrase.
To give glory to God means to proclaim that God is “glorious,” that is, majestic and wonderful. To give … honor to God is to proclaim that God is great, famous, worthy of praise. To give … thanks is to thank, to declare one’s gratitude for benefits received. For glory see 1.6; the word translated honor appears also in 4.11; 5.12, 13; 7.12; 21.26, always associated with glory. The noun translated thanks appears elsewhere in Revelation only at 7.12.
To him who is seated on the throne: it may be necessary to introduce the name “God”: “to God, who sits on his throne” (see 4.2).
Who lives for ever and ever: this is an expression used of God (see Dan 4.34; 6.26; 12.7). It may be necessary to say “who never dies” or “whose life will never end.” The word “immortality” is used in 1 Tim 6.16.
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• The four living creatures sing songs to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever. They sing, saying that he is powerful, with great honor, and they thank him for what he has done for them.
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 .
And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks: This clause refers to what the creatures were saying in 4:8. By saying these words of praise, they were giving glory, honor, and thanks to God.
give glory, honor, and thanks: This phrase indicates that the creatures acknowledge God’s glory, that they honor him and thank him. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
glorify and honor and thank -or-
praising, honoring, and thanking (Contemporary English Version)
give glory: This phrase refers to agreeing that God has glory. The living creatures do that by praising God. They say that he is great, and that he has all power and majesty. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
acknowledge his majesty -or-
praise him that he is awesome
give…honor: This phrase refers to showing respect and reverence to someone. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
revere -or-
show respect -or-
lift up the name
4:9b
to the One seated on the throne who lives forever and ever: The two phrases to the One seated on the throne and (him) who lives forever and ever both refer to God.
Other ways to translate this phrase are:
to him who sits on the throne, that is, the one who lives for ever and ever -or-
the one who sits on the throne, who lives for ever and ever (Contemporary English Version) -or-
to the forever existing one who sits on the throne
who lives forever and ever: The Greek words are literally “to the one living into the ages of the ages.” The word “age” refers to a very long time, so the phrase “the ages of the ages” refers to eternity. For example:
who lives for evermore -or-
who lives for all ages to come
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