gentiles / nations

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin that is often translated as “gentiles” (or “nations”) in English is often translated as a “local equivalent of ‘foreigners,'” such as “the people of other lands” (Guerrero Amuzgo), “people of other towns” (Tzeltal), “people of other languages” (San Miguel El Grande Mixtec), “strange peoples” (Navajo (Dinė)) (this and above, see Bratcher / Nida), “outsiders” (Ekari), “people of foreign lands” (Kannada), “non-Jews” (North Alaskan Inupiatun), “people being-in-darkness” (a figurative expression for people lacking cultural or religious insight) (Toraja-Sa’dan) (source for this and three above Reiling / Swellengrebel), “from different places all people” (Martu Wangka) (source: Carl Gross).

Tzeltal translates it as “people in all different towns,” Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “the people who live all over the world,” Highland Totonac as “all the outsider people,” Sayula Popoluca as “(people) in every land” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Chichimeca-Jonaz as “foreign people who are not Jews,” Sierra de Juárez Zapotec as “people of other nations” (source of this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), Highland Totonac as “outsider people” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), Uma as “people who are not the descendants of Israel” (source: Uma Back Translation), “other ethnic groups” (source: Newari Back Translation), and Yakan as “the other tribes” (source: Yakan Back Translation).

In Chichewa, it is translated with mitundu or “races.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also nations.

complete verse (Isaiah 33:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 33:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “When you thunder, the enemies flee
    and when you get/stand up,
    the enemy nations scatter.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Hearing your loud roaring voice, people run away.
    When you rise up, nations go scattering.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The people are-fleeing at the thunder of your (sing.) voice. When you (sing.) rise-up/[lit. stand-up] to punish the nations spread-out.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 33:3

This verse describes the fear of foreign nations when Yahweh acts.

At the thunderous noise peoples flee is literally “From the sound/voice of tumult/roaring flee peoples.” The Hebrew word for “tumult” often refers to the noise a large crowd makes (see the comments on 5.13, where it is rendered “multitude”; see also 13.4). The prophet does not identify who makes the noise here, but it is clear from the following parallel line that it is Yahweh. Some languages may need to make this clear by rendering “the sound of tumult” as “the sound of your loud voice.” Good News Translation has “the noise of battle,” but New International Version is better with “the thunder of your voice.” When Yahweh comes, the mighty sound that accompanies him makes his enemies flee. The noun peoples refers to foreign nations.

At the lifting up of thyself nations are scattered is literally “from your rising are scattered nations.” Since this line is parallel with the previous one, this may mean the nations scatter when Yahweh raises his voice (compare Deut 27.14, where the Hebrew word for “voice” is used with the root for “rising”). However, since the Hebrew word for “rising” comes from a root meaning “to be high/exalted/elevated,” the line more likely means the nations scatter when Yahweh displays his great power. New Revised Standard Version has “before your majesty, nations scattered” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), and New American Bible says “when you rise in your majesty, nations are scattered.” There is a small textual problem here since Dead Sea Scrolls uses a different Hebrew word than the one for “rising” in Masoretic Text. The word in Dead Sea Scrolls could mean “silence” or “roaring” (so Revised English Bible). Hebrew Old Testament Text Project rates the readings in Masoretic Text and Dead Sea Scrolls the same here. We accept the recommendation of de~Waard to stay with Masoretic Text.

For nations see the comments on 2.2. Here it is synonymous with peoples, referring to foreign nations. Are scattered is synonymous with flee. This passive verb may be rendered in an active form; see the examples below.

Suggested translation models for this verse are:

• People flee away when they hear your tumult,
nations scatter when you display your great power.

• At the sound of your loud voice people flee;
when you arise in your majestic power, nations scatter.

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 .