complete verse (Isaiah 21:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 21:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “The guard answered,
    ‘It has dawned but it shall be evening.
    If you want to ask again, come back.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The sentinel who was standing guard answered,
    "Morning is about to come, and night is also about to come.
    If there is anything you need to ask, [then] ask,
    and come back again."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I replied, ‘In not a-long-time (it) will- now -be-morning, but then (it) will-be-night. If you (sing.) want to ask again, you (sing.) come-back and ask.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I, the watchman, replied,
    ‘It will soon be morning, but after that, it will soon be night again.
    If you want to inquire again about what will happen in our country,
    come back and inquire again.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 21:12

Here the watchman answers the question in the previous verse. His answer is just as unclear as the question.

The watchman says: The watchman is probably the prophet himself since the question was addressed to him, so Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version simply use the pronoun “I” for the person who replies.

Morning comes, and also the night: This reply probably means the watchman kept guard for a period of time, with morning following night, but without anything in particular to report. So there is a play on the name “Dumah” in the title, which can mean “silence” in Hebrew. An alternative rendering with this sense is “Morning is coming and then it will be night again” (similarly Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Contemporary English Version has “Morning will soon be here, but night will return.” A slightly different interpretation is found in Bible en français courant and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. For these versions the reply is “Morning is [definitely] on the way, but it is still night.” According to a footnote in Bible en français courant, the words Morning and night symbolize deliverance and oppression. If so, the reply would mean that people of Dumah are still oppressed, but that deliverance is coming. Translators can choose either interpretation here, but they should render it clearly.

If you will inquire, inquire; come back again: The conditional clause If you will inquire means “If you want to ask anything further.” The second time inquire occurs, it is an imperative, but in the sense of “go ahead and ask.” It gives permission to ask rather than ordering it. Come back again (literally “return come”) invites the person calling to come back at some other time to find out whether there is anything to report. In colloquial English we could say “check back with me later.” The implication is that if there is anything to report, the watchman will certainly report it. It could also imply that right now the future is unsure, so there is no news from Dumah.

Possible translation models for this verse are:

• The guard answered,
“Morning has come and then it will be night again.
By all means, ask what you will, but come back [and ask] again later.”

• The watchman says:
“Morning is coming but it is still night.
If you wish to ask [further], then ask;
do come back again.”

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 .