The Hebrew and Greek that is translated into English as “the wrath of God” or “God’s anger” has to be referred to in Bengali as judgment, punishment or whatever fits the context. In Bengali culture, anger is by definition bad and can never be predicated of God. (Source: David Clark)
Translations in other languages:
Quetzaltepec Mixe: “translated with a term that not only expresses anger, but also punishment” (source: Robert Bascom)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “the coming punishment of God on mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “God’s fearful/terrible future punishing of people” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “the coming anger/hatred of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “the punishment which will come” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Bariai: “God’s action of anger comes forth in the open” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
Mairasi: “His anger keeps increasing (until it will definitely arrive)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
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) is used as in mi-ikari (御怒り) or “wrath (of God)” in the referenced verses. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).
Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).
In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 32:10:
Kupsabiny: “So, do not prevent/withhold me any more! The issues of these people have really pained me, so, I am going to destroy them completely! Although it is like that, I will slowly elevate/strengthen you and your family until you become a great nation.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Now don’t stop me because my anger is burning like a fire. I am going to burn them up. Then from you (emph.) I will make a great nation.’’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “So let me destroy them with my extreme anger. And only you (sing.) and your (sing.) descendants I will-make into a famous/prominent nation.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Bariai: “I am very angry. You (sing.) stay here first, and then I’ll kill them off. But I will make your children and descendants to become a very great tribe.’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Opo: “Therefore, do not me warn, in order that my heart it heat with them, in order that I shall go destroy them. And I will make you with seed your, you will be nation which will be many.»” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
English: “I am very angry with them, and so I am going to get rid of them. Do not try to stop me! Then I will cause you and your descendants to become a great nation.’” (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.
Now therefore let me alone is literally “and now you [singular] cause rest for me.” This is a command that means “let me be” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “do not interfere with me” (Durham), or “don’t try to stop me” (Good News Translation). In contrast, of course, it anticipates that Moses will try to stop Yahweh by praying for the people. The word now means “in this situation,” or “at this time.”
That my wrath may burn hot against them is literally “and my nose will become hot against them.” This expression is used in 4.14. (See the comment there.) Some translations try to retain the figure of speech, as in “that my wrath may blaze against them” (New American Bible). The idea of the nose burning is a frequent Hebraic way of describing anger. (See also verse 19.) And I may consume them is literally “and I will finish them off.” The Hebrew verb means to complete or finish something, so here it means to “destroy” (Good News Translation) or “exterminate them.” Both clauses begin with the conjunction waw, which in this case may mean “so that” (New Revised Standard Version), or it may simply introduce an announcement, “I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them” (Good News Translation). Contemporary English Version rearranges the clauses as follows: “and I’m angry enough to destroy them, so don’t try to stop me.”
But of you I will make a great nation is literally “and I will make you [singular] to a great nation.” The contrast between them (the Israelites) and you (Moses) must be emphasized. New Jerusalem Bible adds “I shall make a great nation out of you instead.” Good News Translation properly interprets this to mean “I will make you and your descendants into a great nation.”
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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