angel

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The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Aramaic that is translated as “angel” in English versions is translated in many ways:

  • Pintupi-Luritja: ngaṉka ngurrara: “one who belongs in the sky” (source: Ken Hansen quoted in Steven 1984a, p. 116.)
  • Tetela, Kpelle, Balinese, and Mandarin Chinese: “heavenly messenger”
  • Shilluk / Igede: “spirit messenger”
  • Mashco Piro: “messenger of God”
  • Batak Toba: “envoy, messenger”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “holy servant” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida 1961; Igede: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Central Mazahua: “God’s worker” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Saramaccan: basia u Masa Gaangadu köndë or “messenger from God’s country” (source: Jabini 2015, p. 86)
  • Mairasi: atatnyev nyaa or “sent-one” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “word bringer” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Apali: “God’s one with talk from the head” (“basically God’s messenger since head refers to any leader’s talk”) (source: Martha Wade)
  • Michoacán Nahuatl: “clean helper of God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Noongar: Hdjin-djin-kwabba or “spirit good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Wè Northern (Wɛɛ): Kea ‘a “sooa or “the Lord’s soldier” (also: “God’s soldier” or “his soldier”) (source: Drew Maust)
  • Iwaidja: “a man sent with a message” (Sam Freney explains the genesis of this term [in this article ): “For example, in Darwin last year, as we were working on a new translation of Luke 2:6–12 in Iwaidja, a Northern Territory language, the translators had written ‘angel’ as ‘a man with eagle wings’. Even before getting to the question of whether this was an accurate term (or one that imported some other information in), the word for ‘eagle’ started getting discussed. One of the translators had her teenage granddaughter with her, and this word didn’t mean anything to her at all. She’d never heard of it, as it was an archaic term that younger people didn’t use anymore. They ended up changing the translation of ‘angel’ to something like ‘a man sent with a message’, which is both more accurate and clear.”)

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) is used as in mi-tsukai (御使い) or “messenger (of God).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also angel (Acts 12:15) and this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Zechariah 3:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 3:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “The clothes that Joshua was wearing were filthy as he stood there in front of the angel of God.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “At that time, Joshua was standing in front of the angel with dirty clothes.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Josue’s clothing (was) filthy/dirty while he (was) standing before/[lit. in front of] the angel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Joshua was wearing filthy clothes while he was standing in front of the angel.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Zechariah 3:3

Now Joshua was standing before the angel: This repeats the setting of verse 1. Now is a logical connector here, not a temporal one. It marks the introduction of some explanatory details. Again standing has legal overtones. Good News Translation omits before the angel and has simply “was standing there.”

Clothed with filthy garments: The filthy garments stand for the sins of Joshua (see verse 4), and by implication, for the sins of the people he represents. To be wearing dirty clothes was a sign of sorrow, and so in effect an admission of guilt. The word translated filthy probably means stained with human excrement. The word for garments is a general term and does not refer to any particular article of clothing.

Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation both reverse the order of the Hebrew clauses. This change makes the account less repetitive, but it does reduce the focus on the filthy garments. Other versions maintain the focus of the Hebrew more closely by rendering, “Now Joshua was wearing filthy clothes as he stood before the angel” (New English Bible; similarly Revised English Bible). Some translators will find this a more helpful translation base. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1. Edition and Contemporary English Version omit was standing before the angel. This is also a valid possibility in languages where such repetition would seem unduly awkward.

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 .