This verse opens in Hebrew with an introductory word meaning “furthermore,” “in addition,” or “also.” Neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation translates the term, since English style does not provide the same kind of term for introducing a paragraph in the manner of Hebrew. The term marks verses 4-8 as a separate paragraph. There is little or no poetic form in the Hebrew lines of this paragraph, and it differs from the rest of the book in language and content.
What are you to me…? renders a shortened Hebrew rhetorical question for introducing a legal complaint. In more complete form it would be “What have you done to me?” (see Jdg 8.1; Jer 2.5; Micah 6.3). Good News Translation renders it “What are you trying to do to me…?” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “do you want to take [legal] action against me?” Contemporary English Version has “why are you doing this?” and De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling translates “what do you think you are doing?” Translators should use expressions that will indicate that the LORD is now beginning to state his complaint.
O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia refers to three neighbors of Judah. Tyre and Sidon were cities on the Mediterranean Sea, northwest of Judah. Philistia was a country west of Judah on the Mediterranean Sea. Regions are areas or districts with fixed boundaries, especially political boundaries, such as those marking the area of the five major cities of the Philistines. The people of these coastal cities were seafaring traders. The vocative O is no longer common English style, so Good News Translation does not use it. In some receptor languages it may be natural in this context to begin here with the second person pronoun you, saying “you, people of Tyre and Sidon….”
Are you paying me back for something?: This is a rhetorical question that further describes the legal complaint. It implies that there is nothing Yahweh has done for which these enemies should try to take revenge. Paying me back has the sense of “taking revenge on me.” Jerusalem Bible says “Do you want to take revenge on me?” If the rhetorical question would not fit here, translators may say “You certainly have no reason for taking revenge on me.”
If you are paying me back introduces a threat in the form of a condition. English style permits Good News Translation to shorten this clause to “If you are,” avoiding repetition. Some have interpreted this clause as a second question; for example, An American Translation says “Or are you doing something to me?” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, k Die Bible: Einheitsübersetzung der Heiligen Schriftk* [Einheitsübersetzung], Septuagint). However, this interpretation is unlikely, especially since it produces two questions in Hebrew with almost the same wording.
I will requite your deed upon your own head is literally “I will return your revenge-payment upon your own head,” which is a threat to take revenge on anyone taking revenge. Upon your own head renders a Hebrew idiom relating to the way disgrace or harm to the head will bring shame or hurt to the whole person. For this whole clause New English Bible uses similar figurative language, saying “I will make your deeds recoil upon your own heads” (similarly Jerusalem Bible). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “I have much more reason to avenge myself on you!” Good News Translation says “I will … pay you back,” which expresses this clause well in normal English, but without the benefit of figurative language.
Swiftly and speedily is literally “all speed,” indicating a great deal of speed. Many languages may express it simply as “quickly” (Good News Translation), especially if a great degree of speed cannot be expressed easily. Bible en français courant expresses it negatively by beginning the whole clause with “I will not delay to….” Other languages will have suitable expressions, for example, “Quick as a flash” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “Right speedily” (An American Translation), and “In a turning-over of the hand” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).
Quoted with permission from de Blois, Kees & Dorn, Louis. A Handbook on Joel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .