mercy

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin terms that are typically translated as “mercy” (or “compassion” or “kindness”) in English are translated in various ways. Bratcher / Nida classify them in (1) those based on the quality of heart, or other psychological center, (2) those which introduce the concept of weeping or extreme sorrow, (3) those which involve willingness to look upon and recognize the condition of others, or (4) those which involve a variety of intense feelings.

While the English mercy originates from the Latin merces, originally “price paid,” Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Corsican, Catalan, Friulian) and other Germanic languages (German, Swedish, Danish — Barmherzigkeit, barmhärtighet and barmhjertighed, respectively) tend to follow the Latin misericordia, lit. “misery-heart.”

Here are some other (back-) translations:

See also steadfast love.

righteous, righteousness

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The Greek, Hebrew, and Latin terms that are translated in English mostly as “righteous” as an adjective or personified noun or “righteousness” (also as “upright(ness)” and “just(ice)”) are most commonly expressed with concept of “straightness,” though this may be expressed in a number of ways. (Click or tap here to see the details)

Following is a list of (back-) translations of various languages:

  • Bambara, Southern Bobo Madaré, Chokwe (ululi), Amganad Ifugao, Chol, Eastern Maninkakan, Toraja-Sa’dan, Pamona, Batak Toba, Bilua, Tiv: “be straight”
  • Laka: “follow the straight way” or “to straight-straight” (a reduplicated form for emphasis)
  • Sayula Popoluca: “walk straight”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl, Kekchí, Muna: “have a straight heart”
  • Kipsigis: “do the truth”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “do according to the truth”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “have truth”
  • Yine: “fulfill what one should do”
  • Indonesian: “be true”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “do just so”
  • Anuak: “do as it should be”
  • Mossi: “have a white stomach” (see also happiness / joy)
  • Paasaal: “white heart” (source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • (San Mateo del Mar Huave: “completely good” (the translation does not imply sinless perfection)
  • Nuer: “way of right” (“there is a complex concept of “right” vs. ‘left’ in Nuer where ‘right’ indicates that which is masculine, strong, good, and moral, and ‘left’ denotes what is feminine, weak, and sinful (a strictly masculine viewpoint!) The ‘way of right’ is therefore righteousness, but of course women may also attain this way, for the opposition is more classificatory than descriptive.”) (This and all above from Bratcher / Nida except for Bilua: Carl Gross; Tiv: Rob Koops; Muna: René van den Berg)
  • Central Subanen: “wise-good” (source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “live well”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “goodness before the face of God” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl: “the result of heart-straightening” (source: Nida 1947, p. 224)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “entirely good” (when referred to God), “do good” or “not be a debtor as God sees one” (when referred to people)
  • Carib: “level”
  • Tzotzil: “straight-hearted”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “right and straight”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “walk straight” (source for this and four previous: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Makonde: “doing what God wants” (in a context of us doing) and “be good in God’s eyes” (in the context of being made righteous by God) (note that justify / justification is translated as “to be made good in the eyes of God.” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Aari: The Pauline word for “righteous” is generally rendered by “makes one without sin” in the Aari, sometimes “before God” is added for clarity. (Source: Loren Bliese)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “having sin taken away” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 144)
  • Nyamwezi: wa lole: “just” or “someone who follows the law of God” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Venda: “nothing wrong, OK” (Source: J.A. van Roy in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 418ff. )
  • Ekari: maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (the same word that is also used for “truth“; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).
  • Guhu-Samane: pobi or “right” (also: “right (side),” “(legal) right,” “straightness,” “correction,” “south,” “possession,” “pertinence,” “kingdom,” “fame,” “information,” or “speech” — “According to [Guhu-Samane] thinking there is a common core of meaning among all these glosses. Even from an English point of view the first five can be seen to be closely related, simply because of their similarity in English. However, from that point the nuances of meaning are not so apparent. They relate in some such a fashion as this: As one faces the morning sun, south lies to the right hand (as north lies to the left); then at one’s right hand are his possessions and whatever pertains to him; thus, a rich man’s many possessions and scope of power and influence is his kingdom; so, the rich and other important people encounter fame; and all of this spreads as information and forms most of the framework of the people’s speech.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in Notes on Translation 1964, p. 11ff.)
  • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Gerechtheit, a neologism to differentiate it from the commonly-used Gerechtigkeit which can mean “righteousness” but is more often used in modern German as “fairness” (Berger / Nord especially use Gerechtheit in Letter to the Romans) or Gerechtestun, also a neologism, meaning “righteous deeds” (especially in Letter to the Ephesians)
  • “did what he should” (Eastern Highland Otomi)
  • “a clear man, good [man]” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004)

See also respectable, righteous, righteous (person), devout, and She is more in the right(eous) than I.

complete verse (Isaiah 57:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 57:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “Righteous people die
    and no one thinks about it.
    Those who devoted themselves to God are carried away
    and there is no one who understands (it).
    The righteous are taken to be removed from disaster” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Righteous people are being destroyed
    yet no one is concerned at heart [about] that.
    the devout people are taken away,
    but no one understands that righteous people are taken away
    in order to deliver [them] from evil.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When a righteous man dies, no one really asks why. No one really understands that God takes-away the godly people so-that they can-escape from the evil.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 57:1

The prophet laments for a righteous man who has died, but the dead person is now free from troubles.

The first two lines of this verse are parallel with the next two. The second and fourth lines both begin with the same Hebrew word rendered no one, which is followed by a participle each time. The last line leads into the thought of verse 2.

The righteous man perishes: The Hebrew word rendered The righteous man is singular and also occurs at the end of the verse to form an inclusio. It probably refers to a specific individual here rather than righteous people in general. However, many versions render it as a plural; for example, “The righteous” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible), “the faithful” (Bible en français courant), and “Good people” (Good News Translation). Translators may use singular or plural. A righteous person is someone who is just and keeps God’s laws (see the comments on 3.10). Perishes means he died. Many versions use present tense here since they make this line a general statement about the death of righteous people (so New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant). However, if a specific person is in view, the past tense is better (see the examples below).

And no one lays it to heart is literally “and there is no one who places [it] on heart.” The prophet laments that nobody seems concerned about the death of the righteous person. New Revised Standard Version provides a more natural rendering in English: “and no one takes it to heart.” New International Version has “and no one ponders it in his heart,” while Revised English Bible says simply “and no one is concerned.”

Devout men are taken away is parallel to the first line. The Hebrew expression rendered devout men (literally “men of loyalty”) is plural. Since it is parallel to The righteous man, this is the main reason why some scholars think the first line also refers to a group rather than to one specific person. The Hebrew word rendered devout (chesed) can refer to loyalty between people, loyalty to God, or even God’s loyalty to his people (see the comments on 16.5, where it is rendered “steadfast love”). In this context devout men probably refers to people who are loyal to God. Revised English Bible says “all who are loyal to their faith.” The Hebrew verb rendered are taken away is literally “are gathered.” It is a polite way of saying these people have died or have been killed (compare Gen 49.29; 2 Kgs 22.20). For languages that prefer to render this passive verb as active one, possible models are “passed away” or “died.”

While no one understands is parallel to the second line of this verse. It is literally “while there is no one who understands.” The prophet laments that nobody understands the significance of the deaths of these loyal people.

For the righteous man is taken away from calamity: When the righteous person died, he was free from troubles. The Hebrew particle ki rendered For is probably not a logical connector here, but an emphatic marker, so it is better translated “Indeed” or “Truly.” The Hebrew verb rendered is taken away is the same one as in the third line. Here it refers not only to the death of the righteous person, but also to removing him from further troubles. The calamity could refer specifically to what led to his death, or more generally to the problems associated with life in this world. There is an exegetical problem with the Hebrew phrase rendered from calamity (literally “from the face/presence of the calamity”). This phrase can mean “from calamity” or “because of calamity.” If it has the second sense, then the whole line means the righteous person died because of some disaster. Bible en français courant expresses this meaning with “Yes, the loyal ones perish, victims of the wicked,” and so does Revised English Bible with “The righteous are swept away by the onset of evil.” Like Revised Standard Version, New International Version follows the first meaning by saying “the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.” Translators may follow either meaning.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• The just person died,
and nobody thought about it;
the faithful ones were killed,
and nobody understood [what that meant];
Truly, the just person has been removed from all trouble.

• The righteous person died,
but nobody took any notice of it;
the loyal ones died,
but nobody understood it;
Indeed, the righteous person died because of some disaster.

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 .