LORD God / Lord God

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated in English as “Lord God” or “Lord God” encountered an issue in Tok Pisin. Norm Mundhenk explains why (in The Bible Translator 1985, p. 442ff. ):

“I am not aware of any serious objections to either the word God [for “God”] or Bikpela [for YHWH] alone. However, when trying to translate the expression ‘the Lord God,’ the translators first tried to use Bikpela God. But Bikpela is also an adjective meaning ‘big’ and in the expression Bikpela God, it would usually be understood as “Big God,’ as though there were other smaller gods around also.

“In the Old Testament, as the recent articles have clearly pointed out, the English word ‘Lord‘ often stands for the Hebrew name of God, YHWH, which is usually spelled these days as Yahweh. With this in mind, the name Yawe was tried in Tok Pisin, but it was felt that most readers did not connect this strange name with God. Eventually, we decided to keep Bikpela, but to translate ‘Lord God’ as God, Bikpela, literally ‘God, the Lord.’

“The reason for this decision was really only that the words could be used naturally in this order, without the problem of giving a wrong meaning which we had when putting Bikpela first. It was not until some people asked if it was right to ‘turn around’ the name and the title in this way that we realized that there was really a deeper reason for doing what we did. In fact, for most speakers of Tok Pisin, God is the only God they know, and it seems likely that God is understood as the personal name of God, rather than as a class name. Bikpela, on the other hand, is a class name — there can be more than one Bikpela, though it is recognized that God is the greatest of them and there is no confusion when he is referred to simply as Bikpela. Thus, in Hebrew an expression like ‘YHWH, the God of Israel,’ has the personal name first, followed by the class name explaining who he is. And we have exactly the same situation in Tok Pisin when we say God, Bikpela bilong Isrel. I suspect that in many other languages which have borrowed the word ‘God,’ we might find that it has been borrowed basically as a personal name, rather than as a class name.”

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 21:24

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: This traditional formula draws the attention of the people of Jerusalem to the concluding part of this prophecy that applies God’s message directly to them. In this verse the second person pronouns rendered you and your are plural in Hebrew.

Because you have made your guilt to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear …: The message of this verse is that the sins of God’s people have been exposed. In fact, they have shown themselves to be sinners in everything they do. You have made your guilt to be remembered means their sins have come to the attention of everyone (Good News Translation) or more likely God (so Revised English Bible, Moffatt). In that your transgressions are uncovered means God has become aware of their wicked actions. So that in all your doings your sins appear means all their actions show they are sinners. Four different Hebrew words are used here for the people’s sinful actions: (1) guilt (see the previous verse), (2) transgressions, which renders a word that means turning aside from the straight way (see 14.11), (3) doings, which translates a word referring to sinful behavior (see 14.22), and (4) sins, which renders a word that means making mistakes or doing something wrong (see 3.20). The Hebrew verbs rendered uncovered and appear both mean “become visible” in this context of the sins being evident. There is a play on words in Hebrew here because the word for uncovered can also mean to remove clothing to leave one naked (see 16.36) or to go into exile (see 12.3), which are both very significant ideas in Ezekiel. Unfortunately, very few languages will be able to maintain the play on this word.

Because you have come to remembrance means the people and their sins have come to the attention of God. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “because you have brought yourselves to [My] mind.”

You shall be taken in them: Because of their sins God will punish the people by allowing Nebuchadnezzar to capture them. Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint here. The Hebrew reads “you will be seized with the hand” (New American Standard Bible; similarly King James Version), which probably means “you will fall into the enemies’ hand by force” (New English Bible).

Models for this verse are:

• This is what I, the Lord Yahweh, am saying: You people have shown yourselves to be sinners in everything you do. All your wicked actions have been uncovered so that everyone can see you [standing] in your evil. As a result, I have [or, everyone has] noticed you because of your sins and I will punish you for them.

• This is what I, the Lord Yahweh, am saying: You have shown yourselves to be sinners. People can now see your sins. They see how you have turned away from what is right in everything you do. I have noticed you because of your sins, and therefore your enemies will capture you by force.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .