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.

Translation commentary on Job 20:28

The possessions of his house will be carried away: possessions translates a noun which elsewhere always means “produce of the earth” or “fruit of the soil.” In Hebrew “the fruits of his house” may refer to “his wealth,” as in Good News Translation, or to his possessions generally, as in Revised Standard Version. Another interpretation is arrived at by changing possessions to “flood.” This is based on equating the word translated possessions here with a similar word in Isaiah 30.25 translated “brooks running with water” (Revised Standard Version) and “streams of water” (Good News Translation). “Flood” gives a sense that is more suitable in the context, so that the line will say “A flood will carry away his house.” Carried away translates a verb meaning “go into exile.” Some interpreters change the vowels of this verb to get the word “roll,” and so New English Bible and others “A flood will sweep away his house.” If the translator follows the change to “flood,” this line may be rendered, for example, “A flood will carry off his goods” or “A flood will wash away his house.”

Dragged off in the day of God’s wrath: some scholars derive this verb from a root meaning “drag away,” but others base it on a root meaning “pour out.” Therefore Dhorme translates “waters which flow,” and Pope “torrents.” God’s wrath is “his wrath” in the Hebrew, but, as in verse 23b, nearly all agree that God is the agent of the action. The expression God’s wrath refers to divine retribution, that is, God punishing someone. Therefore wrath, meaning anger, fury, portrays God as furiously punishing someone as he judges them. Day of God’s wrath refers to the time when God judges, and so the line may be rendered “when God in his anger judges sinners.” We may also translate verse 28 “A flood will wash away his house on the day when God angrily judges sinners.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .