Pharaoh

The term that is used for monarchs in ancient Egypt and is transliterated as “Pharaoh” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying the “fake metal beard (postiche)” that was word by Pharaohs during official functions. (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Pharaoh” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Pharaoh .

complete verse (Isaiah 30:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 30:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “Those people go to Egypt to go and beg to be helped
    and they do not ask me to save them.
    They go to Pharao for him to rescue them
    and they search for salvation from the land of Egypt.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “They will go to Egypt without taking my counsel.
    They will go to ask for help, for Pharaoh’s protection.
    They will go to take refuge in the land of Egypt.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They went to Egipto to ask for protection from the king, which they did- not even -ask me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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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 Isaiah 30:2

The specific charge against the people is given in more detail here. This verse begins with a Hebrew participle (rendered who set out) that links it back to the phrase rendered “the rebellious children” in the previous verse. If necessary, translators may repeat “Woe” at the beginning of this verse to make clear its relationship with the previous one (see the examples below).

Who set out to go down to Egypt is literally “who go to descend to Egypt.” “Descending” was the traditional way of speaking about going southwest from the highlands of Judah to the plains of Egypt. This line may be rendered simply “They go to Egypt.”

Without asking for my counsel is literally “and my mouth they have not asked.” The noun “mouth” refers to what Yahweh says. The people did not ask for Yahweh’s opinion before they went to Egypt.

To take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh, and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt: These two parallel lines are synonymous. They give the reason why the people go to Egypt. They hope that an alliance with Egypt will give them protection from Assyria. The genitive phrase the protection of Pharaoh means “the protection that Pharaoh may give them.” For Pharaoh see the comments on 19.11. Although the Hebrew word translated shadow can refer to a literal shadow, here it is used figuratively for the protection that the people expect to receive from Pharaoh. Translators may use their own idiom to express the idea of protection; for example, the last line may be rendered “to come under the shade of Egypt” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Bible en français courant). Good News Translation provides a nonfigurative model with “They want Egypt to protect them.”

Translation examples for this verse are:

• Woe to those who go down to Egypt,
without asking my advice,
to seek protection from the king of Egypt,
to seek shelter in Egypt’s shadow.

• Alas for those who go to Egypt without asking my advice,
to find refuge in Pharaoh’s protection,
to take cover in Egypt’s shadow.

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 .