angry

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “(was or became) angry” in English is translated in Kwere as “saw anger.” In Kwere, emotions are always paired with sensory verbs (seeing or smelling or hearing). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In Bariai it is “to have grumbling interiors” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

See also anger and feel (terror, pain, suffering, anxiety).

family / clan / house

The Hebrew terms that are translated as “family” or “clan” or “house” or similar in English are all translated in Kwere as ng’holo or “clan.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

In the English translation by Goldingay (2018) it is translated as “kin-group.”

See also tribe.

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

complete verse (Nehemiah 4:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 4:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the work was continuing and the gaps/cracks in the wall were being repaired, they became very angry.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But when they Sanbalat, Tobia, and the Arabo, Ammonhon and (those) who-come-from-Ashdod heard that the building of the stone-wall of Jerusalem was going-on and its holes are now covered/closed, they became very angry.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Extreme was the anger of Sanballat, Tobia, and the Arabo, Ammonita and those-from-Asdod upon their hearing that the fence at Jerusalem was being-continued to-be-built and that what was ruined in the fence was almost finished.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the men from Arabia, the people from the Ammon people-group and from Ashdod city heard that the work on the wall was continuing and that we were filling in the gaps in the wall, they became very angry.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 4:7

But translates the Hebrew construction with the connective conjunction and the verb “to be.” This construction introduces a new episode (see the comments on verse 1 above), which is also signaled by the punctuation of the Hebrew text. The dramatic level of the narrative is raised as the opponents of the Jews react to the progress that is being made with the rebuilding of the wall. The narrative continues, but the new development needs to be marked on the level of discourse. “Now it happened” brings in the new event in New King James Version .

Opposition came from all four directions: Sanballat representing Samaria north of Judah; the Arabs south of Judah (see the comments on Neh 2.19); the Ammonites, including Tobiah, east of Judah (see the comments on Ezra 9.1); and the Ashdodites west of Judah. Ashdod was a Philistine city. This also became the name of the Assyrian province that included all of Philistia except the cities of Gaza and Ashkelon. The opposition of all these people was stirred up by the news that the work was progressing very quickly.

The repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward: The work of rebuilding the wall was advancing.

The breaches were beginning to be closed: Breaches were the “gaps in the wall” (Good News Translation). These were the sections of the wall that had been broken down or that had been damaged and that needed to be rebuilt. As the wall was being repaired and rebuilt, the gaps needed to be filled in or closed, and this was beginning to happen. The work was not yet complete, but the Jews were making progress toward finishing the rebuilding of the wall.

They were very angry: Here angry is a simple verb of becoming angry modified by the adverb very (compare verse 1 above). For comments on angry, see Ezra 9.14, where a different verb is used in Hebrew.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .