ובאה וְהִכָּ֖ה אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֧ר לַמָּ֣וֶת לַמָּ֗וֶת וַאֲשֶׁ֤ר לַשְּׁבִי֙ לַשֶּׁ֔בִי וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר לַחֶ֖רֶב לֶחָֽרֶב׃
11He shall come and ravage the land of Egypt, giving
those who are destined for pestilence, to pestilence,
and those who are destined for captivity, to captivity,
and those who are destined for the sword, to the sword.
the Hebrew and Greek that is translated with “sword” in English is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “machete that is sharp on two sides,” in Lalana Chinantec as “machete” and in San Mateo del Mar Huave as “knife.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
See also two-edged sword.
Smite translates a verb that is used numerous times with a variety of meanings in the Old Testament. “Defeat” is the meaning suggested in this context by Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible; New International Version has “attack,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “invade,” and Revised English Bible “vanquish.”
Pestilence … captivity … sword: See 15.2.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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