gentiles / nations

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).

Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).

In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also nations.

Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

complete verse (Zechariah 14:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 14:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “The people of Judah will fight in Jerusalem and shall plunder from their enemies a countless quantity of gold, silver and clothes.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The people of Judah will fight to save Jerusalem. They will capture the riches of all surrounding nations, much gold, silver and clothes.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Also like this plague will-come/arrive to all the animals of their camps including the horses, mules, camels and donkeys.
    On that day, the LORD will-cause- great -scare to these people. Each one of them will-attack his fellowmen, and (they) will-fight among themselves. The other cities of Juda too will-fight for Jerusalem. They will-collect the wealth of all the nations around them — the very-many of gold, silver and clothes.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The people who live in other places in Judah will fight to defend Jerusalem. They will collect the valuable things from the surrounding nations—a lot of gold and silver and clothes.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Zechariah 14:14

Even Judah will fight against Jerusalem: There is disagreement going back to ancient times about the meaning of the preposition that Revised Standard Version translates against. The Septuagint and Syriac versions translate it as “in,” and many modern versions and commentators prefer a sense of place, “in” or “at.” The Vulgate translates it as “against,” and the Targum also understands the preposition in a hostile sense. Modern versions and commentators following this interpretation include Revised Version, Moffatt, Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, G. A. Smith, Mitchell, Cashdan, and Mason. Advocates of the first view argue that the context does not suggest any likelihood of conflict between Judah and Jerusalem. Advocates of the second view point to the use of the same preposition with the same verb in the sense of “against” in verse 3, and to the mention of Judah opposing Jerusalem in 12.2-5 (see the notes on 12.2).

None of the available commentaries pay attention to the Hebrew particle gam at the beginning of the verse (Revised Standard Version even). Its presence here puts focus on the following noun Judah in a way that prepares the reader for a statement that is contrary to expectation. It seems therefore that the meaning against is more probable because it is surprising (though not unprecedented) for Judah to be involved in fighting against Jerusalem. However, if the text is punctuated as in Revised Standard Version, with this clause forming the concluding part of the sentence that began in verse 13, then the strife between Judah and Jerusalem can be seen as a result of the general panic and confusion. Contemporary English Version expresses this well with “until even the people of Judah turn against those in Jerusalem.” Compare Lacocque and New English Bible “Judah too shall join in the fray in Jerusalem.”

Since both translation options are fully valid, translators are advised to put one in their text and the other in a footnote. The preference of this Handbook is for against in the text and “in” or “at” in the footnote, as in Revised Version. Good News Translation “The men of Judah will fight to defend Jerusalem” does not seem to be justified.

The wealth of all the nations round about shall be collected: The picture here is that the LORD’s people, now victorious because of his intervention, will collect booty from their defeated enemies. This will include what was originally taken from them in verse 1, and will demonstrate that the situation described in verses 1-2 has been permanently reversed (compare Ezek 39.10). All the nations round about are the same people as those mentioned in verse 12. Their wealth is defined more fully in the following phrase as gold, silver, and garments in great abundance.

In some languages it will be helpful, or even necessary, to express the verb collected as an active form. Possible restructurings are “The people of Jerusalem will collect all the riches of the surrounding nations, vast amounts of gold, silver, and clothing” and “The victors will gather up all the wealth of the enemy nations around. This will include huge quantities of gold, silver, and clothes.”

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .