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 (Micah 7:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Micah 7:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “Countries shall see these things and their stomachs break (be ashamed/devastated)
    over the weakness of their soldiers.
    They will be much surprised
    the mouths closed/held (tight)
    and ears becoming deaf.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “People from different nations will see this and be ashamed,
    and will cover their face with their hands.
    Not only that, their ears will become deaf.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “These will-be-seen by other nations and they will-be-disgraced in spite of their being-powerful. And they no-longer will-speak and will-listen to the mocking of us (excl.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Micah 7:16

When the Lord begins to work miracles for his people again, his activity will have a dramatic effect on the heathen nations around them, just as it did on the Egyptians at the time of the exodus. Many translators may need to refer to these nations as “other nations,” since the nation of Israel is not included. Or, to prepare for the references to mouths and ears later, it may even be best to say “the people of other nations.” They will see this and will be frustrated in spite of all their strength. This understanding seems to fit the context better than the “be ashamed of all their might” of Revised Standard Version, and it is also followed by Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible.

Frustrated may be a difficult word to translate. The idea is that when they see the mighty acts that God is doing, they will realize how weak they really are. In many languages “ashamed” (Revised Standard Version) may give the right meaning. It may also be necessary to restructure here and say “Even though they are so strong, the nations will be ashamed when they see these things that God is doing.” The other understanding of this line, “ashamed of all their might” (Revised Standard Version), is actually very similar in meaning. The nations, who thought they were so strong, will realize that their strength is nothing compared to God’s power, and they will be ashamed of their strength instead of being proud of it.

The nations are pictured as reacting to what they see with symbolic gestures. “They shall lay their hands on their mouths” (Revised Standard Version) because they are too amazed to speak. Also “their ears shall be deaf” (Revised Standard Version). Perhaps this is because of the thunder of the Lord’s voice, as Jerusalem Bible seems to imply with “their ears will be deafened by it.” However, Good News Translation appears to understand that the hands are placed over the ears as well as over the mouth, and translates they will close their mouths and cover their ears. The meaning of these gestures is conveyed in Good News Translation by the addition of the words in dismay, and many translators will also need to include something similar in order to explain the actions described. It is possible that translators who follow the Good News Translation understanding may meet with difficulty on the grounds that it would require three hands to cover both mouth and ears! In that case it is probably best to follow the meaning of Revised Standard Version. But it is also possible just to drop the reference to the actions and express the meaning in plainer language by saying “They will be so dismayed that they can neither speak nor hear.”

It is possible to understand verses 16 and 17 as a request rather than as a prediction, and this is the way that New English Bible and some other versions translate it. If this understanding is followed, the basic concepts are not changed, but the verbs will be. “The nations will see this” will become “May the nations see this” or “Let the nations see this,” and the same kind of change will apply to all the verbs in the two verses.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on Micah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Micah 7:16

7:16–17

In these verses, Micah was again the speaker. He prayed that the LORD would show these marvelous things both to the people of Israel and to the people of other nations. He also prayed that the people in those nations would respond by acknowledging the greatness of the LORD.

7:16a–c

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

16a The nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might.

16b They will put their hands over their mouths,

16c and their ears will become deaf.

In these lines, Micah prayed that the marvelous things, which the LORD would show the nations, would have strong impact on them.

Some versions translate these lines in a way that more clearly indicates a prayer. For example:

Let nations behold and be ashamed despite all their might; let them put hand to mouth; let their ears be deafened! (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)

7:16a

Nations will see and be ashamed, deprived of all their might: In this line, Micah prayed that the people of the nations would feel shame as a result of seeing the power of the LORD. The phrase be ashamed, deprived of all their might implies a comparison to the might of the LORD. The nations would feel shame because the power of the LORD showed how weak they really were.

Here are some other ways to translate this line:

When the nations see those miracles, they will no longer brag about their power. (New Century Version)
-or-
Nations will see this and be ashamed because of their helpless armies. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
The nations will see this and be frustrated in spite of all their strength. (Good News Translation)

Nations: This phrase refers to nations other than Israel. They were nations of people who did not follow the LORD. They included Israel’s enemies.

see: In Hebrew, this word means “see” or “realize.” In this context the word probably had both meanings. The word see had a literal meaning because they would see miracles of the LORD with their own eyes. The word also had a figurative meaning because they would realize how weak they were by comparison.

7:16b

They will put their hands over their mouths, and their ears will become deaf: In Hebrew, it is common to refer to attitudes and emotions by mentioning parts of the body (mouths, ears) that are associated with those attitudes and emotions.

The gesture of laying a hand over a mouth and the description of deaf ears are probably two ways of indicating the emotional effect that the power of the LORD had on the nations. This would include humiliation, shock, awe, and other emotions that the nations felt.

The gesture of a person covering their mouth probably describes a literal action with symbolic meaning. However, the description of their ears being deaf was probably not meant literally.

In some languages these references to parts of the body may not have the same meaning as they do in Hebrew. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate 7:16b–c:

• Make the meaning of the references to body parts more explicit. For example:

They will cover their mouths in silent awe, deaf to everything around them. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

In dismay they will close their mouths and cover their ears. (Good News Translation)

• Substitute different body part expressions that have the same meaning in your language. Make the meaning explicit if helpful. Include a footnote that describes the Hebrew gesture. For example:

May their livers fail and their kidneys be in dismay because of their great shame

footnote: In Hebrew: “they will lay their hands on their mouths, their ears will be deaf.”

• Translate the meaning directly. For example:

Let them be struck with shock and awe.

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