There are no lions in Bawm country, so the Bawm Chin translation uses “a tiger with a mane” where the Greek term for “lion” is used and in Sranan Tongo the “roaring lion” in 1 Peter 5:8 is a krasi tigri, an “aggressive tiger.”
In the Kahua culture, lions are not known either so the Kahua translation used “fierce animal.”
In 1 Peter 5:8, the Uripiv translation uses “a hungry shark” instead of a roaring lion.
Sources: David Clark for Bawm Chin and Kahua, Japini 2015, p. 33, for Sranan Tongo, and Ross McKerras for Uripiv)
The Hebrew that is translated as “Lord of hosts” in English (or: “Yahweh of Armies” [translation by John Goldingay, 2018], “Hashem, Master of Legions” [ArtScroll Tanakh translation, 2011]) is translated in various ways: It’s translated as “God the Highest Ruler” in Kankanaey, as “Lord Almighty” in Newari, as Mndewa Imulungu or “Lord with all power” in Kutu (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext), as Wànjūnzhī Yēhéhuá (万军之耶和华) or “Jehovah of 10,000 [=all] armies” in Mandarin Chinese, as “Yawe God of the universe” in Mandinka, and in the German (Luther) Bible the second part of the name is transliterated: Herr Zebaoth or “Lord Zebaoth” (Swedish, Finnish and Latvian use the same translation strategy). The Russian Orthodox Synod translation uses a transliteration of the second part of the designation as well: Господь Саваоф / Gospod’ Savaof.
The traditional French translation of l’Eternel/Yahve/le Seigneur/Seigneur des armées (“Lord of the armies”) presents a problem when listened to, as Jean-Marc Babut explains (in The Bible Translator 1985, p. 411ff. ):
“For the hearer, the traditional translation l’Eternel/Yahve/le Seigneur des armées can easily be taken in a bad sense: there is nothing, in fact, to prevent the listener from hearing l’Eternel désarmé, ‘the Eternal One disarmed’ or ‘stripped of his power’! (…). Thus the Bible en français courant [publ. 1997] has decided to use the expression Seigneur/Dieu de l’univers, “Lord/God of the Universe”. This formula, which has an undeniably liturgical ring, seems to have been favorably received by users.”
Other, later French Bibles who have chosen a similar strategy, include Parole de Vie (publ. 2017) with Seigneur de l’univers or Bible Segond 21 (publ. 2007) with l’Eternel, le maître de l’univers.
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “shepherd” in English is translated in Kouya as Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ — ” tender of sheep.”
Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains:
“Then one day they tackled the thorny problem of ‘shepherd’. It was problematic because Kouyas don’t have herdsmen who stay with the sheep all the time. Sheep wander freely round the village and its outskirts, and often a young lad will be detailed to drive sheep to another feeding spot. So the usual Kouya expression meant a ‘driver of sheep’, which would miss the idea of a ‘nurturing’ shepherd. ‘A sheep nurturer’ was possible to say, but it was unnatural in most contexts. The group came up with Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ which meant ‘a tender of sheep’, that is one who keeps an eye on the sheep to make sure they are all right. All, including the translators, agreed that this was a most satisfactory solution.”
In Chuj, the translation is “carer” since there was no single word for “shepherd” (source: Ronald Ross), in Muna, it is dhagano dhumba: “sheep guard” since there was no immediate lexical equivalent (source: René van den Berg), in Mairasi it is translated with “people who took care of domesticated animals” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Noongar as kookendjeriyang-yakina or “sheep worker” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), and Kwakum as “those-who-monitor-the-livestock” (source: Stacey Hare in this post ).
Here Yahweh compares himself to a fearless lion that shepherds cannot scare away from its prey. In the same way he will fight against his enemies. This verse is one long complex sentence in Hebrew. Some languages may prefer to divide it into two sentences, as in Good News Translation and Bible en français courant (see the examples below).
For thus the LORD said to me: The Hebrew particle ki rendered For functions as an emphatic marker here, so it is better rendered “Now” or “Yes” (New Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation, New International Version, Revised English Bible, and New American Bible omit it, which is acceptable. Thus said the LORD is the standard prophetic formula to introduce a speech of Yahweh (see 7.7). The pronoun me refers to the prophet. Good News Translation places double quote marks around the LORD’s speech in verses 4-5, which other languages may find helpful.
As a lion or a young lion growls over his prey: The Hebrew words for lion and young lion both occur here since they are often used as parallel terms in poetic lines (see, for example, Job 4.10; Psa 17.12). According to ACGS, the word for lion refers to a “lioness” and the word for young lion refers to a “killer lion” (see the comments on 5.29). Good News Translation combines both terms into the single word “lion.” The lion growls over his prey as a warning to keep intruders away from its meal. It is determined to enjoy its meal. Good News Translation renders his prey as “an animal that it has killed,” which may be a good option for other languages. Another possibility is “its food.”
And when a band of shepherds is called forth against him pictures a group of shepherds sent to drive the lion away in order to protect their flocks.
Is not terrified by their shouting or daunted at their noise continues the description of the lion, not the shepherds. The shepherds’ attempt to drive the lion away from its prey is unsuccessful. The lion is not afraid of them nor is it bothered (daunted) by the noise they make.
So the LORD of hosts will come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon its hill: The connector so introduces the second half of the simile, the point of comparison. In the same way that a fearless lion focuses on its prey, so Yahweh will face his enemies. There is a play-on-words here since the Hebrew verb for fight comes from the same root as the word for hosts. For the LORD of hosts, see 1.9. Since the LORD is speaking here, some languages may prefer to say “I, the LORD of hosts” (similarly Good News Translation). Come down pictures the LORD descending from heaven. Its hill is parallel to Mount Zion, so they refer to the same place. Good News Translation and Bible en français courant omit and upon its hill. For Mount Zion, see the comments on 1.8.
Some versions say Yahweh attacks Zion here (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), but others say he defends it (so Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible). Their interpretation depends on the meaning given to the Hebrew preposition rendered upon. For the last line of this verse New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “to make war Against the mount and the hill of Zion,” while New Jerusalem Bible has “to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.” Some scholars argue for a positive interpretation since the next verse clearly speaks about Yahweh protecting Jerusalem. However, a message of judgment can be followed by a message of redemption in Isaiah (for example, 29.1-4 followed by 29.5-8, and 30.8-17|prj:GNTD.Isa 30.8 followed by 30.18|prj:GNTD.Isa 30.18). Since scholarly opinion is divided here, we recommend using a preposition that allows for a positive or negative interpretation, such as “upon” (RSV/NRSV, New American Bible) or “on” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant).
For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:
• Now, this is what Yahweh said to me:
“A lioness or a killer lion growls over the animal it has killed;
it is not concerned at the noise made
by a group of shepherds called out against it,
nor is it terrified by their shouting.
In the same way Yahweh of hosts will come down
to fight upon Mount Zion, upon its hill.
• This is what Yahweh has said to me:
“I, Yahweh of hosts, will come down to fight on Mount Zion
just like a lion that growls over its prey.
A group of shepherds come to drive the lion away,
but their shouting does not frighten it,
nor does their noise distract/bother it.
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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