angel

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The Greek, Hebrew 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 (1 Kings 19:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 19:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, Elijah lay down to sleep under the tree/plant. Then, an angel came and touched him and said, ‘Get/Wake up and eat.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He lay down under that tree and fell sound asleep.
    Suddenly an angel came to touch him, and spoke like this, "Get up and eat!"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then he lay-down under the tree and fell-asleep.
    Suddenly an angel touched him and said, ‘Rise-up and eat.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then he lay down under the broom tree and slept. But while he was sleeping, an angel touched him and woke him up and said to him, ‘Get up and eat some food!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 19:5

Under a broom tree is literally “under one broom tree.” By adding the definite article “the,” Good News Translation understands this to be the same tree as the one mentioned in verse 4 (also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible). But the Hebrew does not directly say that it was the same bush, and the rendering “under a broom bush” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) seems to be a better English translation of the Hebrew. Some languages may have to say “under another broom tree.” In Hebrew the adjective for “one” in verse 4 is feminine, but here in verse 5 the same adjective is masculine. The reason for this difference is not clear, but the change does not necessarily mean that two different trees are intended.

And behold, an angel touched him: The Hebrew word rendered behold often draws attention to what follows, but sometimes, as here, it introduces a new, unexpected event. It is translated as “Suddenly” in Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, while New Jerusalem Bible says “Then all of a sudden.” An angel is literally “this angel.” The Hebrew construction is more forceful than the Revised Standard Version rendering. The Hebrew noun for angel is the same as the one translated “messenger” in verse 2, and some translations say “messenger” here also (Nouvelle Bible Segond; see the comments at 1 Kgs 13.18). The verb translated touched is a participle in Hebrew, which gives vividness to the scene. The force of the Hebrew is something like “And behold, an angel is touching him.”

Arise and eat is literally “Arise eat.” Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation add the conjunction and as required by English usage. Since there is no conjunction, this is probably not a case of the use of the semantically empty verb “arise” together with another verb as in verse 3 and described elsewhere (see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.50). In this case the first verb literally means “get up” or “wake up.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .