anger

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The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated as “anger” or similar in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied”).

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • Chichewa: “have a burning heart” (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) (see also anger burned in him)
  • Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)

In Akan, a number of metaphors are used, most importantly abufuo, lit. “weedy chest” (the chest is seen as a container that contains the heart but can also metaphorically be filled with other fluids etc.), but also abufuhyeε lit. “hot/burning weedy chest” and anibereε, lit. “reddened eyes.” (Source: Gladys Nyarko Ansah in Kövecses / Benczes / Szelid 2024, p. 21ff.)

See also God’s anger and angry.

Translation commentary on Sirach 28:10

In proportion to the fuel for the fire, so will be the burning: This line is stated as a proverb, an observation of an obvious fact. Ben Sira will use it as a basis for comparisons in the rest of the verse. It simply states that fires need fuel, and the more fuel there is, the more fire there will be. Good News Translation says “The more fuel, the hotter the fire,” which is consistent with the imagery of this subsection.

And in proportion to the obstinacy of strife will be the burning: The Revised Standard Version footnote indicates a problem with the placement of this line. We may accept the line in its place here with no footnote. There is a more serious problem with the Greek word translated burning, however. Some Greek manuscripts read “increase” (so Ziegler’s text). For most translational purposes there is not much difference in meaning between the two texts. While Good News Translation is probably reading the same text as Revised Standard Version, it could be justified as a translation of the other text (New Revised Standard Version “in proportion to the obstinacy, so will strife increase”). This line is saying that once an argument exists, stubborn attitudes are only going to make it worse. So Contemporary English Version says “Stubbornness heats up an argument.” An alternative model for the first two lines of this verse is “If you are stubborn, the argument will become hotter, just as adding wood to a fire makes the fire hotter.”

In proportion to the strength of the man will be his anger, and in proportion to his wealth he will heighten his wrath: Here two closely parallel lines observe that people with strength or wealth can become angry and get away with it. They are in a position to intimidate their opponents. Strength here probably does not refer to physical strength, as Good News Translation seems to say. It would be true enough, but in the context we are probably thinking here of power or influence. Good News Translation would be better stated “The more power people have, or the richer they are, the angrier they can afford to become” or “The more rich or powerful you are, the angrier you can afford to become.” Or we may even say “If you are rich or powerful, you can afford to become very angry at people.”

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.