angel

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The Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic that is translated as “angel” in English versions is translated in many ways:

  • Pintupi-Luritja: ngaṉka ngurrara: “one who belongs in the sky” (source: Ken Hansen quoted in Steven 1984a, p. 116.)
  • Tetela, Kpelle, Balinese, and Mandarin Chinese: “heavenly messenger”
  • Shilluk / Igede: “spirit messenger”
  • Mashco Piro: “messenger of God”
  • Batak Toba: “envoy, messenger”
  • Navajo: “holy servant” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida 1961; Igede: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Central Mazahua: “God’s worker” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Saramaccan: basia u Masa Gaangadu köndë or “messenger from God’s country” (source: Jabini 2015, p. 86)
  • Mairasi: atatnyev nyaa or “sent-one” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “word bringer” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Apali: “God’s one with talk from the head” (“basically God’s messenger since head refers to any leader’s talk”) (source: Martha Wade)
  • Michoacán Nahuatl: “clean helper of God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Noongar: Hdjin-djin-kwabba or “spirit good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Wè Northern (Wɛɛ): Kea ‘a “sooa or “the Lord’s soldier” (also: “God’s soldier” or “his soldier”) (source: Drew Maust)
  • Iwaidja: “a man sent with a message” (Sam Freney explains the genesis of this term [in this article): “For example, in Darwin last year, as we were working on a new translation of Luke 2:6–12 in Iwaidja, a Northern Territory language, the translators had written ‘angel’ as ‘a man with eagle wings’. Even before getting to the question of whether this was an accurate term (or one that imported some other information in), the word for ‘eagle’ started getting discussed. One of the translators had her teenage granddaughter with her, and this word didn’t mean anything to her at all. She’d never heard of it, as it was an archaic term that younger people didn’t use anymore. They ended up changing the translation of ‘angel’ to something like ‘a man sent with a message’, which is both more accurate and clear.”)

See also angel (Acts 12:15) and this devotion on YouVersion .

Translation commentary on Exod 23:23

When my angel goes before you, literally “For my messenger will go to your [singular] face,” uses the word ki, which can mean “For,” “If,” “When,” or “Indeed.” Many translations omit it entirely. This repeats part of verse 20, but here the pronoun my is clearly in the text.

And brings you to the Amorites is literally “and he will cause you to enter unto the Amorite.” What is intended, of course, is “will lead you into the land of the Amorites” (Contemporary English Version). (Good News Translation has “take you” instead of “lead you.”) New Jerusalem Bible has “the home of the Amorites.” As indicated in 3.8, this was the “place,” “the good and broad land,” where these six different ethnic groups lived. Concerning Amorites … Jebusites, see the discussion at 13.5. Note the different order in listing them.

And I blot them out is literally “and I will cause him to be hidden,” or “I will make him disappear.” The singular “him” should be understood as “them” (Good News Translation). The idea is that Yahweh will “destroy them” (Good News Translation), or “wipe them out” (Contemporary English Version, New International Version). Revised English Bible has “I will make an end to them.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “I will annihilate them,” and New Jerusalem Bible even uses the term “exterminate.” In some languages this will be rendered as “wipe them from the ground.” (Note that in Revised Standard Version the sentence continues into the next verse.)

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .