inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Isa 17:14)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the inclusive pronoun, including everyone.

complete verse (Isaiah 17:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 17:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “There shall be terror/great fear in the evening.
    and when it dawns (it) is no longer there.
    These are the words/things that the people shall meet
    those that attack/raid us.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “In the evening time, fear will come suddenly.
    Before it becomes morning, they will no longer exist.
    This will also be the destiny of those who plunder our land.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “In the evening they bring fear, but in the morning they are-destroy. That is what will-happen to those who attack us (incl.) and take-away our (incl.) things/properties.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “And, even though you people of Israel will be terrified,
    in the morning your enemies will all be gone/dead.
    That is what will happen to those who invade our land and then steal our possessions.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 17:14

At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more!: The speed at which Yahweh achieves his purpose is highlighted here by the phrases At evening and Before morning. God blows away the enemy nations overnight. Behold calls for the prophet’s audience to take special note (see the comments on 3.1). Terror may refer to the fear of these nations as Yahweh turns against them, or it may refer to the fear they cause when they attack others. This second view is made explicit in Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version, which renders the first line as “In the evening their attack is fierce.” Like Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible and Revised English Bible allow for both interpretations by saying “At evening all is terror.” They are no more is literally “it is no more.” This clause could refer to the enemy nations or the terror. Revised English Bible says “it [the terror] is gone,” and New Jerusalem Bible has “all [the nations] have disappeared.”

The form of the first two lines in Hebrew helps to convey the meaning. There are no verbs in these lines, only brief noun phrases. This form highlights the speed of God’s action. Translators could try to copy this structure, if the same impact can be achieved (see the first example below).

This is the portion of those who despoil us refers to the fate of the nations that attack Judah. This points back to the scattering of the enemy nations mentioned in verses 13-14a. The portion is their fate, the things that will happen to them. Those who despoil us is the enemy that invades and raids Judah. The pronoun us refers to the people of Judah.

And the lot of those who plunder us is entirely parallel to the previous line, so Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version combine these two lines. Lot is synonymous with portion, and plunder with despoil. These parallel statements highlight the summary at the end of this subsection. Translators may combine them, but the emphasis should be kept (see the last example below).

For the translation of this verse we can say:

• Evening terror, morning silence.
Such is the lot of any who attack us,
the fate of all who plunder us.

• In the evening there is terror, by morning it has gone!
This is the fate of any who steal everything from us;
it is what happens to any who rob us.

• At night all is terror, by morning all has gone!
This is what happens to anyone who attacks and plunders us!

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 .