The Hebrew in Habakkuk 2:1 that is translated as “I will keep watch” or similar in English is translated in Vidunda as “I won’t sleep.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
prophet
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
- San Blas Kuna: “one who speaks the voice of God”
- Central Pame and Vai: “interpreter for God”
- Kaqchikel, Navajo (Dinė), Yaka: “one who speaks for God”
- Northern Grebo: “God’s town crier” (see more about this below)
- Sapo: “God’s sent-word person”
- Shipibo-Conibo, Ngäbere: “one who speaks God’s word”
- Copainalá Zoque: “one who speaks-opens” (a compound meaning “one who discloses or reveals”)
- Sierra Totonac: “one who causes them to know” (in the sense of “revealer”)
- Batak Toba: “foreteller” (this and all the above acc. to Nida 1961, p. 7)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “one who is inspired of God” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Alekano: “the true man who descended from heaven” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation June 1986, p. 36ff.)
- Aguaruna: “teller of God’s word” (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)
- Ekari: “person who speaks under divine impulse”
- Mandarin Chinese: 先知 xiānzhī — “one who foreknows” (or the 1946/1970 translation by Lü Zhenzhong: 神言人 shényánrén — “divine-word-man”)
- Uab Meto: “holy spokesman” (source for this and two above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- Kouya: Lagɔɔ gbʋgbanyɔ — “the one who seeks God’s affairs” (source: Saunders, p. 269)
- Kafa: “decide for God only” (source: Loren Bliese)
- Martu Wangka: “sit true to God’s talk” (source: Carl Gross)
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “word passer” (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
- Obolo: ebi nriran: “one with power of divine revelation” (source: Enene Enene)
- Mairasi: nonondoai nyan: “message proclaimer” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Highland Totonac: “speaker on God’s behalf”
- Central Tarahumara: “God’s preacher” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
- Coatlán Mixe: “God’s word-thrower”
- Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
- Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
- Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
- Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
- Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
- French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
About the translation into Northern Grebo:
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In American Sign Language it is a person who sees into the future:
“Prophet” in American Sign Language (source )
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
See also prophesy and prophesy / prophetic frenzy.
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: How to Recognize a Biblical Prophet .
See also seer.
complete verse (Habakkuk 2:1)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Habakkuk 2:1:
- Kupsabiny: “I shall go and stand where one can see far and I shall be waiting for what God will say to me. I shall listen to the words that he will answer about my complaints.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “I will stand at my watchtower,
standing myself on the wall.
I will look to see what He will say to me.
I am looking to see what answer he is giving to this complaint.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon: “Then Habakuk said, I will-go-up to the tower, in my look-out, and I will-wait what the LORD will-say to me and what is his answer to my complaint.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “I will go to the high place-where- the guards -stay so-that I will wait-for whatever God will say and his answer to my prayer.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“speak”)
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, kata-rare-ru (語られる) or “speak” is used.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Translation commentary on Habakkuk 2:1
The verse falls into two halves, each of which contains two statements which are parallel with each other. In the first half the two statements are I will take my stand to watch and station myself on the tower. Since the two parts are practically the same in meaning, Good News Translation combines them into one as “I will climb my watchtower.” Many translators will wish to follow this example. In saying “my watchtower” rather than the tower, Good News Translation is following the Dead Sea Scroll text (compare Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The picture given is of a watchman climbing a tower in order to see a long way (compare 2 Sam 18.24; 2 Kgs 9.17). The prophets are often compared with watchmen elsewhere in the Old Testament (compare Isa 21.6-12; Jer 6.17; Ezek 3.17; 33.7; Micah 7.4). “My watchtower” may also be rendered as “the tower which I watch from” or “my look-out point.” It is just possible that, in speaking of a watchtower, Habakkuk is speaking symbolically of waiting for a vision from God. However, it seems much more likely that he is speaking of a real watchtower (perhaps in a vineyard as in Isa 5.2; Mark 12.1), where he went to meditate.
In the second half of the verse, the parallelism is not quite as close in the Hebrew text. In the first statement Habakkuk says he will look forth to see what he (that is, the LORD) will say to me, but in the second statement he continues and what I (that is, the prophet himself) will answer concerning my complaint. My complaint refers to the questions raised by the prophet in 1.12-17. In the second statement the ancient Syriac translation has “what he [that is, the LORD] will answer.” The Syriac seems to be based on a Hebrew text which differs from the traditional text by only one letter. It gives a better parallelism and is followed by Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, as well as by Good News Translation, which has “what the LORD will tell me to say and what answer he will give to my complaint.” However, the traditional Hebrew text makes sense and is followed by New English Bible, New International Version, and Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. If the Hebrew text is followed, the idea is that the prophet will both wait for the LORD’s answer and try to think out the problem for himself. On the whole it seems unnecessary to depart from the Hebrew text. If translators decide to follow the Hebrew text here, but wish to structure the last sentence in a way similar to Good News Translation, they can say “… and what answer I will give to my complaint” or “… and how I will answer my criticism of the LORD.” If, however, translators follow Good News Translation‘s understanding of the text, one may say “… and how he will answer my criticism of him.”
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on the Book of Habakkuk. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1989. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

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