God's anger, wrath of God

The Hebrew and Greek What is translated into English as “the wrath of God” (Good News Translation: “God’s anger”) has to be referred to in Bengali as judgment, punishment or whatever fits the context. In Bengali culture, anger is by definition bad and can never be predicated of God. (Source: David Clark)

In Kikuyu the whole phrase that is translated in English as “storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath” or similar is translated as “you are increasing for yourself God’s wrath.” (Source: Jan Sterk)

In Quetzaltepec Mixe it is translated with a term “that not only expresses anger, but also punishment” (source: Robert Bascom), in Western Bukidnon Manobo as “the coming punishment of God on mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation), in Kankanaey as “God’s fearful/terrible future punishing of people” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation), in Tagbanwa as “the coming anger/hatred of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation), and in Tenango Otomi as “the punishment which will come” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation).

See also anger.

addressing God

Translators of different languages have found different ways with what kind of formality God is addressed. The first example is from a language where God is always addressed distinctly formal whereas the second is one where the opposite choice was made.

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Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

In these verses, in which humans address God, the informal, familiar pronoun is used that communicates closeness.

Voinov notes that “in the Tuvan Bible, God is only addressed with the informal pronoun. No exceptions. An interesting thing about this is that I’ve heard new Tuvan believers praying with the formal form to God until they are corrected by other Christians who tell them that God is close to us so we should address him with the informal pronoun. As a result, the informal pronoun is the only one that is used in praying to God among the Tuvan church.”

In Gbaya, “a superior, whether father, uncle, or older brother, mother, aunt, or older sister, president, governor, or chief, is never addressed in the singular unless the speaker intends a deliberate insult. When addressing the superior face to face, the second person plural pronoun ɛ́nɛ́ or ‘you (pl.)’ is used, similar to the French usage of vous.

Accordingly, the translators of the current version of the Gbaya Bible chose to use the plural ɛ́nɛ́ to address God. There are a few exceptions. In Psalms 86:8, 97:9, and 138:1, God is addressed alongside other “gods,” and here the third person pronoun o is used to avoid confusion about who is being addressed. In several New Testament passages (Matthew 21:23, 26:68, 27:40, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2, 23:37, as well as in Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well) the less courteous form for Jesus is used to indicate ignorance of his position or mocking (source Philip Noss).

In Dutch and Western Frisian translations, however, God is always addressed with the formal pronoun.

See also female second person singular pronoun in Psalms.

Translation commentary on Exod 32:12

Why should the Egyptians say is literally “Why will the Egyptians say, saying.” This is a question addressed to Yahweh that introduces what the Egyptians might conclude if he should destroy the Israelites. It means “Why give the Egyptians an excuse to say” (Durham). As a rhetorical question it may be changed to a statement, “The Egyptians should not be able to say.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “Let not the Egyptians say,” and Contemporary English Version has “If you do, the Egyptians will say.” This may be expanded to “If you destroy them, the Egyptians will say.” In any case Moses appeals to Yahweh’s sensitivity about Yahweh’s reputation.

With evil intent did he bring them forth is literally “In evil he caused them to go out.” The he refers to Yahweh, and the word for evil carries the idea of “evil intention” (New Jerusalem Bible). This is an imagined statement the Egyptians may make, and it is embedded in the question that Moses addresses to Yahweh. (Note the single quotation marks.) Good News Translation uses the verb “planning” for evil intent and translates the first part of this verse as “Why should the Egyptians be able to say that you led your people out of Egypt, planning to kill them…?” To slay them in the mountains uses a general word for “kill” that does not indicate any method used. (See the comment on this word in 2.14.) And to consume them from the face of the earth is literally “and to finish them off from the face of the ground.” The same word for consume is used in verse 10. (See the comment there.)

Turn from thy fierce wrath is literally “You [singular] return from the glow [or, heat] of your nose.” This means “Give up your burning wrath” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “Stop being angry” (Good News Translation). Moses is still praying to Yahweh, as he began at verse 11. In some languages Moses’ words will need to be softened somewhat; for example, “Please stop being angry.” And repent is literally “and you [singular] regret [or, be sorry].” The word means to have a change of heart, so “change your mind” (Good News Translation) is better than repent (so also New Revised Standard Version). Of this evil against thy people is literally “over the evil [intent] toward your people.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “renounce the plan to punish your people.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• The Egyptians should not be able to say that when you led your people out of Egypt you were planning to kill them in the mountains and completely destroy them. Please stop being angry and renounce your plan to punish your people.

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 .