forget

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “forget” in English is translated in Noongar as dwangka-anbangbat, lit. “ear-lose.” (Source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).

See also remember and forget (Japanese honorifics).

Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

complete verse (Hosea 8:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 8:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “The people of Israel have forgotten their God
    and built big houses for themselves.
    Judah built many big cities.
    But I shall send fire to those cities of theirs,
    and destroy the guarded/protected places.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The people of Israel, forgetting their Creator God, who made them,
    have built great houses. The people of Judah have built fortified cities.
    But I will set their cities on fire,
    and it will reduce its fortresses to ashes."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They who come-from-Israel have-forgotten the one-who-created them. They and those (who) come-from-Juda built-up palaces and many towns which are-surrounded by stone-wall. But I will-burn their towns and the strong/sturdy portions of it.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The people of Israel have abandoned/forgotten me, the one who created their nation;
    they have built palaces,
    and the people of Judah have built walls around many towns.
    But I will send a fire
    that will destroy all their cities and their fortresses.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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 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.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Hosea 8:14

We suggest that this verse be written as a separate paragraph, as in Good News Translation, Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Bible de Jérusalem, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. It has a unique structure, although placed in continuity with the preceding verses of this chapter. Up to this point in the chapter the prophet has addressed Israel/Ephraim only. The last reference to Judah is in 6.11. In this verse Israel and Judah are parallel to each other, and the condemnation here applies to them both.

For renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, but Good News Translation and most other versions leave it untranslated, which we recommend in this context.

Israel has forgotten his Maker, and built palaces: The condemnation of Israel for forgetting God is also found in 2.13 and 13.6. It was no sin that Israel built palaces, but that it had forgotten his Maker at the same time made it wrong. The fact that these two things are positioned next to each other seems to suggest that Israel was more interested in self-glorification through building palaces, than in God his Maker. God is also called the Maker of Israel in Isa 45.11; 51.13. His Maker means God formed the nation of Israel. The Hebrew word for palaces can also mean “temple,” especially the innermost part of a temple. However, in the dialect of northern Israel it seems to refer primarily to palaces, that is, the dwellings of the king and the other leaders, which were the best buildings. The “great houses” Amos speaks of in 3.15 and 6.11 are not called palaces but would function in a similar manner.

And Judah has multiplied fortified cities: The Hebrew root for multiplied occurred earlier in 8.11-12, thus tying this central statement to the rest of chapter 8. The building of fortified cities in Judah may refer to building done by King Uzziah (781–740 B.C.), mentioned in 2 Chr 26.6, 9-10. Fortified cities had high walls built around them to defend them and to protect the inhabitants from attack. The Hebrew term for fortified means “cut off, inaccessible,” so no army could penetrate the cities’ defenses.

But I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour his strongholds: This judgment of burning the cities and the strongholds probably refers to both Judah and Israel. The pronoun I refers to the LORD. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes this clear by saying “I, the LORD.” It may not be possible to say I will send a fire upon his cities in many languages. If so, translators may say “I will put their cities on fire” (Bible en français courant) or “I will make their cities go up in flames” (De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling). In the parallel line it shall devour his strongholds, a figure of speech may be used if it exists in the receptor language, for example, “flames will eat their fortresses.”

The Hebrew term for strongholds is similar in meaning to the word for palaces, and here it seems to be used synonymously. This term emphasizes the fortified state of the palaces that were just mentioned.

A translation model for this verse is:

• Israel has forgotten its Maker,
while building palaces for itself.
Judah has built many reinforced cities.
But I will put their cities on fire,
their fortified palaces will be eaten by flames.

Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hosea 8:14

8:14

Some versions, such as the Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version, make this verse a separate paragraph. The notes will follow most versions and make 8:14 the last verse of 8:11–14. You may do whatever is more natural in your language.

8:14a–b

These lines describe another sin that the LORD will judge. The people trusted in palaces and fortified towns instead of trusting in the LORD who made them. Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

14a
Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces;

14b
Judah has multiplied its fortified cities.

The parallelism implies that the people in both Israel and Judah have “forgotten” their “Maker.” It also implies that both groups of people “built palaces” and “multiplied its fortified cities.”

Maker: This word implies here that the LORD made the people into a nation. In some languages, it may be helpful to make this information explicit. For example:

the one who made it/them ⌊into a nation ⌋

and built palaces: The word palaces refers here to the residences of the kings. Palaces were also fortified.

Judah has multiplied its fortified cities: The phrase multiplied its fortified cities means that the people built thick stone walls around the towns to protect them from enemy attacks.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Judah has built many strong, walled cities. (New Century Version)
-or-
Judah has many cities with sturdy walls around them

8:14c–d

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

14c But I will send fire upon their cities,

14d and it will consume their citadels.

These lines describe the way that the LORD will judge the people. He will “send fire” to destroy the strong walls and palaces that the people depended on to protect them.

But: Verse 14c begins with a conjunction that contrasts the people’s efforts to protect their cities (14a–b) with the fact that the LORD will destroy those cities. Introduce this verse part in a way that indicates this contrast in your language.

I will send fire upon their cities, and it will consume their citadels: These parallel clauses mean that the LORD will send enemy armies to set fire to the cities. The fire will destroy them, including the citadels (fortified palaces).

General Comment on 8:14a–d

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine the parallel parts. For example:

14a Israel, I created you, but you forgot me. 14a–b You and Judah built palaces and many strong cities. 14c–d Now I will send fire to destroy your towns and fortresses. (Contemporary English Version)

See also 8:14a–b, 8:14c–d, and 8:14a–d (combined/reordered) in the Display.

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