complete verse (Job 33:30)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 33:30:

  • Kupsabiny: “He saves the life of a person,
    so that that person can live in happiness.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “His life will be brought back from the pit, so that the light of life might shine upon him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He saves the man from death so-that he will-live.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “and if God hides his face with the result that he does not see that ruler or punish him,
    no one will be able to prevent that ruler from doing those things.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Honorary "are" construct denoting God (“light/illuminate”)

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, teras-are-ru (照らされる) or “light/illuminate” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Job 33:29 - 33:30

Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times means “repeatedly, over and over, again and again.” For discussion see 5.19; 33.14.

To bring back his soul from the Pit: this is the fifth time Elihu has said this, with small variations.

That he may see the light of life is literally “that he may be enlightened with the light of life.” Revised Standard Version makes a change following Syriac. But it is not necessary to change the Hebrew; Good News Translation “and gives him the joy of living” expresses the meaning suitably. This line may also be expressed “and make him happy to be alive.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .