complete verse (Isaiah 10:34)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 10:34:

  • Kupsabiny: “God will cut down the enemies
    like when the cedars of Lebanon were cut down.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Just as he fells the trees of the forest by cutting with an axe,
    and Lebanon will fall before Mighty one.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He will-destroy them like the cutting-down of the trees in the forest with an ax. They who are like the trees in Lebanon, they will-be-destroyed by the powerful God.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 10:34

Here Isaiah continues to use the illustration of trees being cut down to describe what will happen to the Assyrians. This time he mentions the axe (see verse 15).

He will cut down the thickets of the forest with an axe: In 9.18 the thickets of the forest were destroyed by fire (see the comments there). Here they will be cut down with an axe. As in the previous verse, Good News Translation makes it explicit that Yahweh will do this to the Assyrians: “The LORD will cut them down….”

And Lebanon with its majestic trees will fall: This line seems to be added as a separate example of Yahweh’s punishing action. If so, it is out of context since there is no reference to Lebanon in this whole passage, which concerns the advance of Assyria. Perhaps this is why Good News Translation renders this line as a comparative clause, even though there is no textual evidence for that. It says “as even the finest trees of Lebanon fall,” comparing Assyria’s punishment to the felling of trees in Lebanon. Part of the problem here is the Hebrew text itself. The Hebrew text, recommended by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, reads literally “Lebanon with a majestic one will fall” (see the RSV footnote). For the whole verse Contemporary English Version has “With an ax, the glorious Lord will destroy every tree in the forests of Lebanon.” Contemporary English Version makes “a majestic one” refer to Yahweh. It even adds the following footnote: “One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 34.” However, Contemporary English Version‘s rendering seems too distant from the Hebrew text. Translators may render the line literally, while explaining in a footnote that the Hebrew text is unclear. They may also follow the model of Good News Translation by taking the reference to the trees of Lebanon figuratively. One possible model that does this is “the fall [of those trees] will be as important as when the tall trees of Lebanon fall.” For Lebanon see 2.13.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• He will chop down the trees of the forest with an axe,
just as the mighty trees of Lebanon are felled.

• With an axe he will cut down the bushes in the forest, and their fall will be like the fall of the tall trees of Lebanon.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .