bear child / give birth

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “bear (a child)” or “give birth to” is translated in Mairasi as “go to the forest,” reflecting the traditional place of childbirth for Mairasi women. (Source: Enggavoter 2004)

In Spanish it is translated as dar a luz, literally “to give to light.” Likewise, in Portuguese (dar à luz) and Italian (dare alla luce). (Source: Mark Terwilliger)

See also in childbirth / travail and birth.

complete verse (Isaiah 33:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 33:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “What you Assyrians are planning is useless like husks,
    and the evil you are preparing for others shall return to you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “you will make chaff in the womb.
    From shriveled-up straw you will give birth to dry straw.
    Your breath is the fire that will destroy you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) who came-from-Assyria, what you (plur.) are-planning and doing have no value. Your (plur.) wrath which seems-like fire will-be- the -one-to-destroy you (plur.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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

Translation commentary on Isaiah 33:11

In contrast to Yahweh’s power, Judah’s enemies are like dry grass in a fire. “Fire” is an important image for destruction in this verse and the next one.

You conceive chaff, you bring forth stubble: The pronouns for you and your are plural in Hebrew, referring to Judah’s oppressors. The Hebrew verbs rendered conceive and bring forth normally refer to physical conception and birth, respectively. Here they are used in figures of speech describing the oppressors’ plans and actions as having little value. Their plans are like chaff and their actions are like stubble. For chaff and stubble, see the comments on 5.24, where they are rendered “dry grass” and “stubble.” These two nouns refer to what is left over after the harvest; only cattle can eat this part of the crop. Much of it is burned as useless, especially the stubble. Good News Translation provides a nonfigurative model for this line. Bible en français courant keeps the figurative language by saying “The plans you have conceived are nothing but hay, and when they are executed, it is only straw.”

Your breath is a fire that will consume you: The Old Testament sometimes says Yahweh’s breath is like a destructive fire (see 30.33). In this line, however, the breath belongs to the oppressors; their own breath will destroy them. Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh emend your breath to read “my breath/spirit,” referring to Yahweh’s breath. However, this change to the text is unnecessary. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends keeping Masoretic Text. Bible en français courant (1997) does this by rendering this line as “Like fire, your own breath will consume you” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). The Hebrew word for breath, which is sometimes rendered “spirit,” is used in a figurative way here. It stands for the actions of the oppressors in this context, so the whole line may be rendered “your actions are like a fire that will destroy you.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• You conceive dry grass and give birth to stubble;
your own breath will destroy you like fire destroys [dry grass].

• What you plan is mere chaff [or, hay],
and what you produce is mere stubble [or, straw];
like fire, your own breath will consume you.

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 .