seek God, seek the LORD

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated “seek God” or “seek the Lord” is translated in most Polish Bible translations as szukaɫ Boga or szukaɫ Pana.

These phrases are also being used in modern Polish as metaphors meaning “‘to look for some manifestations of the existence and activity of God in the reality which surrounds us, to seek evidence for God’s existence in the world in which we live,’ less commonly: ‘to seek reliable, convincing information about God in philosophical doctrines.’ Therefore, this metaphor describes the intellectual efforts of man with religious needs man who was unfortunate enough to have been born in an age in which the belief in the existence of God diminishes, therefore in an attempt to solidify their own faith or to regain it, religious people seek, in the surrounding world, the signs that God exists and cares about the world and humankind. (…) [This] has a more profound, more subtle meaning, and what is more important — a meaning which corresponds more accurately to the spirit and the problems of our age than the original text or its semantically faithful translation. Our age faces a different problem than the one that was faced by people in Zephaniah’s times [see Zeph 1:6]. Today the problem is not that the faithful pray to other deities instead of the one God. Today the problem is that the people do not see the manifestations of the existence and the activity of God in the world that surrounds them and that they doubt in His existence. Therefore today a translation of the Bible which encourages looking for God in the present-day understanding of this metaphor is indeed of greater utility in terms of pastoral service than a translation which would encourage people to worship God or to pray to him instead of other deities. Obviously, the only translation which is philologically correct is a translation which renders the meaning of the metaphor which was ascribed to it by the authors of the original, i.e. in this case not ‘to look for God’ but ‘to offer penitential prayers to God.’ However, in a confessional translation, which reflects the religious needs and the theological gleanings of some religious community, there are numerous instances of departure from the principles of philology. In Catholic biblical exegesis theologians acknowledge that certain passages of the Old Testament announce the coming of Jesus Christ – therefore we admit that the Old Testament expresses certain senses which were not dreamed of by its authors at the time at which they wrote these fragments of the Old Testament.” (Source: Król / Piela 2021)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 51:1

Good News Translation begins with “The LORD says” to indicate that the message in this section is ultimately from Yahweh though delivered by the prophet. Good News Translation also changes the three references to “the LORD” in verses 1 and 3 to first person pronouns since the LORD himself is speaking.

Hearken to me, you who pursue deliverance, you who seek the LORD: For Hearken to me, see 46.3. The people the LORD is calling to listen are you who pursue deliverance, you who seek the LORD. The verb pursue in this context does not mean to chase after something, except in a figurative sense. It may be rendered “seek.” The Hebrew noun for deliverance is tsedeq (see the comments on 45.19). Bible en français courant renders it “salvation” (similarly Good News Translation). But to translate tsedeq as deliverance or “salvation” is only one possibility. Many commentators point out that since who pursue deliverance and who seek the LORD are parallel clauses, tsedeq is better rendered “righteousness” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version), “justice” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), or “the right” (Revised English Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Pursuing righteousness/justice matches better the desire to do God’s will than that of pursuing salvation. It applies to those described in 50.10. New Jerusalem Bible tries to include both meanings with “saving justice.”

For you who seek the LORD, see the comments on 9.13. The Hebrew verb for seek normally means to look for something that is lost, but in this religious context it refers to actively seeking God’s will and following his ways. Together with the previous clause, it describes those attempting to live in accordance with divine justice. For this clause Contemporary English Version has “and [you want to] obey the LORD,” and Bible en français courant says simply “you my faithful ones.”

Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were digged: The imperative verb look carries the sense of considering something (see the comments on 22.11). Instead of look to, a more natural equivalent in English is “consider” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). Good News Translation has “Think of.” Look to is the main imperative of this subsection; it is repeated in the next verse.

The rock and the quarry are parallel metaphors that are given a specific meaning in the following verse, where they refer to Israel’s ancestors. Earlier in this book God was referred to as the rock (see 17.10; 26.4; 30.29; 44.8), so this metaphor could apply to him as the one who brought Israel into existence (see Deut 32.4, 18). However, it is clear from verse 2 that it refers to Israel’s ancestors in this context. Contemporary English Version makes this explicit by rendering the last two lines as “follow Abraham’s example. He was the rock from which you were chipped.” There is probably no need to be as explicit as this.

The rock from which you were hewn means the rock from which you have been cut. This metaphor describes the formation or creation of the people of God. So the image of the rock here does not have the primary implication it has in other contexts, where it refers to something solid and secure (see the comments on 17.10). For this metaphor Good News Translation has “the rock from which you came,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “the rock from which you were cut.”

The parallel metaphor the quarry from which you were digged (New Revised Standard Version “the quarry from which you were dug”) uses the image of mining rocks. A quarry is a place where the underlying rock is broken up, and removed to be used for building or other purposes. This also is a metaphor for the origins of the people of Israel. They are like stones that should remember the quarry they come from, which means they should consider the ancestors from whom they are descended. Languages that do not have a technical term for quarry may render this clause as “the place from which rocks are cut.”

It is important for readers to recognize that rock and quarry are metaphors; they are not to be taken literally. It may help to change them into similes; for example, the last two lines of this verse may be rendered “You are like stones that are cut from the rock; you are like stones that have been dug from the place where stones are found. Now then, remember the rock; remember the place from where stones are found.” A more radical model would be “consider your ancestors from whom you come” or simply “remember your ancestors.”

For the translation of this verse consider the following examples:

• “Listen to me, those of you who seek justice,
you who follow the LORD’s ways.
Consider the rock from which you were cut,
the quarry from which you were taken.

• “Listen to me, you who aim for righteousness,
you who seek the LORD’s ways.
You are like stones cut from a rock.
Remember the rock from which you were cut,
the quarry from which you came.

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 .