LORD of hosts

The Hebrew that is translated as “Lord of hosts” in English (or: “Yahweh of Armies” [translation by John Goldingay, 2018], “Hashem, Master of Legions” [ArtScroll Tanach translation, 2011]) is translated in various ways: It’s translated as “God the Highest Ruler” in Kankanaey, as “Lord Almighty” in Newari, as Mndewa Imulungu or “Lord with all power” in Kutu (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext), as Wànjūnzhī Yēhéhuá (万军之耶和华) or “Jehovah of 10,000 [=all] armies” in Mandarin Chinese, as “Yawe God of the universe” in Mandinka, and in the German (Luther) Bible the second part of the name is transliterated: Herr Zebaoth or “Lord Zebaoth” (Swedish, Finnish and Latvian use the same translation strategy). The Russian Orthodox Synod translation uses a transliteration of the second part of the designation as well: Господь Саваоф / Gospod’ Savaof.

The traditional French translation of l’Eternel/Yahve/le Seigneur/Seigneur des armées (“Lord of the armies”) presents a problem when listened to, as Jean-Marc Babut explains (in The Bible Translator 1985, p. 411ff. ):

“For the hearer, the traditional translation l’Eternel/Yahvé/le Seigneur des armées can easily be taken in a bad sense: there is nothing, in fact, to prevent the listener from hearing l’Eternel désarmé, ‘the Eternal One disarmed’ or ‘stripped of his power’! (…). Thus the Bible en français courant [publ. 1997] has decided to use the expression Seigneur/Dieu de l’univers, “Lord/God of the Universe”. This formula, which has an undeniably liturgical ring, seems to have been favorably received by users.”

Other, later French Bibles who have chosen a similar strategy, include Parole de Vie (publ. 2017) with Seigneur de l’univers or Bible Segond 21 (publ. 2007) with l’Eternel, le maître de l’univers.

See also Lord of hosts, host / powers, Pantokrator, and Lord Almighty.

complete verse (Isaiah 9:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 9:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “This world/land will be destroyed because of the anger of God.
    People will become firewood that are burned in a fire.
    No one will have mercy on his/her brother.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The anger of the LORD Almighty of all,
    will reduce the land to ashes.
    Even people will be fuel for the fire.
    No one will spare even his own younger brother.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Because of the anger of the LORD Almighty, their land will-be-burned, and they will-become fuel which will-swallow-up by the fire.
    They will- not -pity even their fellow Israelinhon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “There will be very few trees left in those forests;
    even a child will be able to count them.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 9:19

Here the prophet continues to use the imagery of the fire and the destruction it brings, but now he applies it to Yahweh’s judgment on the people.

Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is burned: Since the phrase Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts occurs before the verb in Hebrew, there is emphasis on it. This phrase is introduced with a preposition that may be rendered “Through,” “By” (New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “Because of.” Wrath or anger describes Yahweh’s attitude to sin and wickedness. The idea that God’s anger “burns” and therefore destroys is a common biblical idiom. The Hebrew word for wrath (see 13.13) is perhaps stronger than the word for “anger” in 5.25, so New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh prefer the word “fury.” For the LORD of hosts, see the comments at 1.9.

The land is burned may mean that there was actually a fire, caused by enemies. However, the figurative use of the word burned is more likely, in which case it represents God’s judgment. Land refers to the country of Israel and perhaps the people, rather than the soil or ground. There are two issues here with the verb is burned. First, the Hebrew verb here does not occur elsewhere, so its specific meaning is uncertain. Note New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “The earth was shaken.” However, because of the context most translations consulted prefer to see it as a reference to fire. Second, in some languages the passive form of this verb will need to be made active. In such cases the first two lines may be rendered “Yahweh’s fury burned up the land.”

The people are like fuel for the fire: The phrase fuel for the fire was used in 9.5. The simile here is a vivid one in which people are compared to firewood. They are the objects of God’s burning anger; just as firewood burns in the fire, so the people are destroyed.

No man spares his brother: Revised English Bible places this line at the end of verse 20, because it does not follow logically from the rest of the verse that speaks about Yahweh’s burning anger. We do not recommend this rearrangement of the text since there is no textual evidence to support it. This final clause links to what follows; it is the first part of an inclusio, with the matching clause coming at the end of verse 20. Both clauses begin with the Hebrew word ʾish (“man”), and each one refers to the evil ways that people treated one another. Bible en français courant makes it explicit that the last clause of this verse links with the next verse through the use of a colon as follows: “18 … No one spares his neighbor: 19 a piece on the right is cut off….” Even though the Hebrew text uses the word ʾish (man), here it is a generic word for “people.” The context suggests that every person treated his or her sibling badly. As for the word brother, it is also an inclusive term for all members of the community in this context. For this line we may say “Nobody spared his neighbor.” Good News Translation uses an English idiom to convey the same meaning, but in a rather indirect way: “it is each of us for ourselves.” Spares means to have compassion on, or to be merciful toward, another person.

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• Yahweh of host’s anger burned the land,
the people were like fuel provided for the fire.
People had no compassion for their neighbors.

• The country is burned up because of the anger of Yahweh of hosts.
The people are the fuel burnt in the blaze.
People show they do not care for one another.

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 .