The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “widow” in English is translated in West Kewa as ona wasa or “woman shadow” (source: Karl J. Franklin in Notes on Translation 70/1978, pp. 13ff.) and in Newari as “husband already died ones” or “ones who have no husband” (source: Newari Back Translation).
The etymological meaning of the Hebrewalmanah (אַלְמָנָה) is likely “pain, ache,” the Greekchéra (χήρα) is likely “to leave behind,” “abandon,” and the Englishwidow (as well as related terms in languages such as Dutch, German, Sanskrit, Welsh, or Persian) is “to separate,” “divide” (source: Wiktionary).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 22:23:
Kupsabiny: “If you cause suffering to those children, and (they) cry to me God, I will hear their cry and help them.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “If you do so and they cry to me for my help; I will surely hear their cry.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “If you (plur.) do this, and they ask-for help from me, I will- surely -help them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Bariai: “If you (pl.) do like that, and they desperately cry to me to help them, I’m going to listen to their cry.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Opo: “If you will do them evil, if they will call me, I will hear weeping their,” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
English: “If you mistreat them and they cry out to me for help, I will hear them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
These verses add a penalty to the law in verse 22. If you do afflict them is literally “If [ʾim] humiliating you will humiliate him.” The same verb as in verse 22 is doubled here in the emphatic form, which New American Standard Bible renders as “If you afflict him at all.” Surprisingly the plural you is here changed to singular, and the singular “him” is used instead of them. In English it is more natural to say them, and translators should follow what is natural in their languages. Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version do not repeat the phrase afflict them. However, in many languages it will be helpful to follow Revised Standard Version.
And they cry out to me is literally “for if [ki ʾim] crying he will cry out to me,” using the emphatic form again and the singular “he.” The two words “for if” are probably used here to emphasize the ʾim in the first line, so Good News Translation has “when they cry out to me” (so also New Revised Standard Version). The translation should not suggest that God will not act if they do not cry out, for the idea is that they will cry out “for help” (Good News Translation). So “when” is better than “if” in this second instance. I will surely hear their cry, literally “hearing I will hear his cry,” again uses the double verb for emphasis. Good News Translation brings this out by changing hear to “answer.” However, Contemporary English Version‘s “I will come to their rescue” is also possible. Another possibility is “I will hear their cry and help them.”
And my wrath will burn is literally “and my nose will become hot,” which is an idiom for intense anger. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “My anger shall blaze forth,” and New American Bible has “My wrath will flare up.” (See the comment at 4.14.) And I will kill you with the sword uses a general word for kill (see 2.14), and you is plural. With the sword may be understood in an indirect way as in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh (“I will put you to the sword”), or in a figurative way as in Translator’s Old Testament (“I will cause you to die a violent death”). Good News Translation interprets this indirectly, “kill you in war.” Contemporary English Version is very emphatic, “In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men,” interpreting you to mean “men,” as the wives would be without husbands (widows) and the children would be fatherless (orphans).
And your wives shall become widows uses the plural form of your. Widows is the same word used in verse 22. And your children fatherless is literally “and your sons orphans,” using the same word as in verse 22. Here Good News Translation changes to “fatherless,” but New Revised Standard Version has changed Revised Standard Version to “orphans.” (See the comment at verse 22.) Translator’s Old Testament effectively adds “own” to “your own wives” and “your own children” (similarly Revised English Bible).
Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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