rainbow / bow

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “bow” or “rainbow” is translated in Yagaria with a term — fugigina — that is also used as a term for “glory.” (Source: Renck, p. 94)

In Maltese it is translated with qawsalla, literally “bow of God” and in Southern Samo as “snake up above” (source: Lynell Zogbo).

throne

The Greek that is translated into English versions as “throne” is translated into Naro as ntcõó-q’oo: “he will rule.” The figure of the “throne” cannot be translated in the egalitarian Naro culture, so the idea had to be expressed more explicitly. (Source: Gerrit van Steenbergen)

In other languages it is translated as “stool/seat of the king” (Marathi), “seat of commanding/chieftainship” (Highland Totonac, Kituba), “seat of the Supreme one (lit. of-him-who-has-the umbrella)” (Toraja-Sa’dan — the umbrella being a well-known symbol of power in various parts of South and South-East Asia), “glorious place to sit” (Ekari) (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel), “where God sits and rules” (Estado de México Otomi), “where God reigns” (Central Mazahua) (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation, March 1965, p. 2ff.), or “bed of kingship” (Kafa) (source: Loren Bliese).

In Elhomwe it is translated as “seat of the king,” unless it refers to the throne of God (such as in Matthew 19:28. Then the translation is the “seat of God.”) (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Revelation 4:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 4:3:

  • Uma: “His/Its appearance sparkled like the gem [lit., eye of a ring] called yaspis stone and sardis stone. There was a rainbow around that Seat, like a zamrud stone its appearance.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “His face shone like the valuable precious-stone called jasper and a red precious-stone. Surrounding that throne there was a rainbow, its appearance was like a green precious-stone.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “and there was someone sitting there. His appearance flashed, and it was like the expensive stones jasper and carnelian. And around that seat there was a green rainbow which was very bright because it was like the precious stone emerald.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The appearance of the seated-one, it was dazzling like the valuable stones called haspe and karnelia. There was also a rainbow whose color was green like the stone called esmeralda arched-over the throne.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That one sitting really glowed like the glowing of far-from-ordinary mined stones called haspe and kornalina. All around that seat, there was a rainbow which glowed brightly like the glowing of what is called esmeralda.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The one I saw sitting there, I saw that he shone like the brilliant stone of jasper shines, accompanied with the color of red of carnelian. There where he sat, there was a light in a circle, it was all green.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

throne (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-za (御座), mi-kura (みくら) (Psalm 7:7), or mi-kurai (御位) (Psalm 113:5) in the referenced verses, all relating to the “throne (or: high seat) (of God)”.

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

See also throne (of God).

3rd person pronoun with high register (Japanese)

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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 choice of a third person singular and plural pronoun (“he,” “she,” “it” and their various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. While it’s not uncommon to avoid pronouns altogether in Japanese, there are is a range of third person pronouns that can be used.

In these verses a number of them are used that pay particularly much respect to the referred person (or, in fact, God, as in Exodus 15:2), including kono kata (この方), sono kata (その方), and ano kata (あの方), meaning “this person,” “that person,” and “that person over there.” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also third person pronoun with exalted register.

Translation commentary on Revelation 4:3

This verse continues without a stop from verse 2. The portrayal of the invisible God is in terms of similarity with light and colors, without any attempt at a physical description.

He who sat there appeared like jasper and carnelian: the important thing about the semiprecious stones jasper and carnelian is their color, not their consistency, shape, or size. Beckwith comments: “the language is meant to express merely the splendor of the light in which the prophet beholds God manifested and encircled.” The Greek “had the appearance of jasper and carnelian” means “(he who sat there) shone with a light the color of jasper and carnelian.” So New American Bible, Revised “whose appearance sparkled like”; Phillips “His appearance blazed like”; Bible en français courant “he had the resplendent brilliance of.” Good News Translation “His face (gleamed)” is too specific and should not be imitated by translators, since in biblical literature no mortal sees the face of God.

There is no complete certainty about all the stones that appear in Revelation. The semiprecious jasper may be yellow, brown, red, or green; it is actually somewhat dull and opaque. Some commentators suggest that the writer had in mind an opal; others, a diamond. The same holds true for the carnelian, which is usually red. New Jerusalem Bible translates “a diamond and a ruby.” If the specific names for the stones are not available, a translation can say “a green and red light, like the colors of some precious stones.” But in areas where semiprecious stones are unknown, one may simply say “He shone (or, glowed) with a beautiful green and red light” or “His appearance shone (or, glowed)….”

And round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald: the language seems to indicate that the rainbow formed a complete horizontal circle around the throne, something like a halo (which An American Translation and Phillips say). Less probable is the possibility that the rainbow formed an arch over the throne. The important thing in the comparison with the emerald, a green-colored precious stone, is not the color (a green rainbow would be a strange sight indeed, even in a vision) but its brilliance. So a translation will do well to translate “that shone like an emerald” (Bible en français courant, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), “gleaming like an emerald” (Barclay), or “bright as an emerald” (Revised English Bible). Again, as in the case of jaspers and carnelians above, if precious stones are unknown, a translator may say, for example, “there was a rainbow that gleamed brightly.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 4:3

4:3a

The One seated there looked like jasper and carnelian: These verses do not say how God looked like jasper and carnelian. It probably indicates that God shone colorfully and brightly, shining like those stones do. Other ways to translate this clause are:

The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
The one who was sitting there sparkled like precious stones of jasper and carnelian. (Contemporary English Version)

jasper: This name in Greek is spelled iaspis. This word refers to a spotted or veined stone of a variety of colors. It is often a reddish color, but can also be deep green, brown, or deep yellow. It shines brightly in the sun when polished. Light reflects off its surface. Light does not shine through this stone as it does through glass.

People of some languages are not familiar with jasper. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Use the name for a kind of stone similar to how jasper is described above. The important thing is that it should be considered bright and beautiful.

Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

a shiny, spotted/veined stone ⌊named jasper⌋

• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Jasper is a spotted or veined stone that is deep red, green, or yellow. It shines brightly.

carnelian: This word refers to a blood-red stone that shines brightly in the sun when polished. Light reflects off the surface of this stone also.

In some languages people are not familiar with carnelian. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

a shiny, reddish stone ⌊named carnelian⌋

• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Carnelian is a blood-red stone that shines brightly.

4:3b

and a rainbow that gleamed like an emerald encircled the throne: These verses do not say how the rainbow resembled an emerald. It probably refers to a ring of green light that circled around the throne. Other ways to translate this clause are:

round the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
all around the throne there was a rainbow the color of an emerald (Good News Translation)

emerald: This word refers to a bright green precious stone that shines brightly in the sun. Light shines through this stone as it does through glass.

In some languages people are not familiar with an emerald. If that is true in your language, you may want to:

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

a clear green stone/gem ⌊named emerald⌋

• Use the major language word. If people are not familiar with this word, explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

An emerald is a bright green precious stone that light can shine through.

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