angel

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 5:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 5:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then the angel moved closer to me and said to me, ‘Hey, please look carefully at the thing that is coming.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Again the angel who spoke with me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what is coming."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The angel that was-talking with me appeared again and said, ‘Look/see what this that is-appearing/coming.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then the angel who had been talking to me came closer to me and said, ‘Look up and see what is appearing!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Zechariah 5:5

For the angel who talked with me, compare 1.9, 19; 2.3; 4.1; 6.4. Translators should try as far as possible to refer to this angel in the same way each time he appears, because this will help readers to recognize that the same person is referred to each time.

For came forward, compare 2.3. Good News Translation “appeared again” seems to depart unnecessarily from the Hebrew. The Contemporary English Version translation may be more helpful: “Now the angel who was there to explain the visions came over and said….”

Lift your eyes: Compare 1.18; 2.1; 5.1. Good News Translation renders it more naturally as “Look!”

See what this is that goes forth: This does not sound natural in English, but Good News Translation “Something else is coming” seems to depart unnecessarily from the Hebrew. Translators could say as a closer equivalent that is still natural, “Look at what is coming.” For the whole quotation Contemporary English Version has “Look up and tell me what you see coming,” and Revised English Bible “Look at this thing that is coming.”

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 .