San Mateo del Mar Huave: “honor (Father God)” (source for this and three above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In Dan a figurative expression for praising God is used: “push God’s horse.” “In the distant past people closely followed the horses ridden by chiefs, so ‘pushing’ them.” (Source: Don Slager)
The Greek that is typically translated as “eternity,” “forever,” or “forever and ever” in English are translated in Mairasi as “mashed out infinitely.” Lloyd Peckham explains: “Bark cloth required pounding. It got longer and wider as it got pounded. Similarly, life gets pounded or mashed to lengthen it into infinity. Tubers also get mashed into the standard way of serving the staple food, like the fufu of Uganda, or like poi of Hawaii. It spreads out into infinity.” (Source: Lloyd Peckham)
In Lisu the phrase “forever and ever” is translated as ꓕꓲꓽ ꓞꓲꓼ ꓕꓲ ꓑ — thi tsi thi pa, verbatim translated as “one – lifetime – one – world.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 57f.)
The Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Aramaic that is translated into English as “(to) bless” or “blessed” is translated into a wide variety of possibilities.
The Hebrew term barak (and the Aramaic term berak) also (and originally) means “kneel” (a meaning which the word has retained — see Gen. 24:11) and can be used for God blessing people (or things), people blessing each other, or people blessing God. While English Bible translators have not seen a stumbling block in always using the same term (“bless” in its various forms), other languages need to make distinctions (see below).
In Bari, spoken in South Sudan, the connection between blessing and knees/legs is still apparent. For Genesis 30:30 (in English: “the Lord has blessed you wherever I turned”), Bari uses a common expression that says (much like the Hebrew), ‘… blessed you to my feet.'” (Source: P. Guillebaud in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 189ff. .)
Other examples for the translation of “bless” when God is the one who blesses include (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight):
“sprinkle with a propitious (lit. cool) face” (a poetic expression occurring in the priests’ language) (Toraja Sa’dan) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
“give good things” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004)
“ask good” (Yakan) (source: Yakan Back Translation)
“praise, say good things” (Central Yupik) (source: Robert Bascom)
“showing a good heart” (Kutu) (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
“good luck — have — good fortune — have” (verbatim) ꓶꓼ ꓙꓳ ꓫꓱꓹ ꓙꓳ — ɯa dzho shes zho (Lisu). This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 58)
In Tagbanwa a phrase is used for both the blessing done by people and God that back-translates to “caused to be pierced by words causing grace/favor” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).
Ixcatlán Mazatec had to select a separate term when relating “to people ‘blessing’ God” (or things of God): “praise(d)” or “give thanks for” (in 1 Cor. 10:16) (“as it is humans doing the ‘blessing’ and people do not bless the things of God or God himself the way God blesses people” — source: Robert Bascom). Eastern Bru and Kui also use “praise” for this a God-directed blessing (source: Bru back translation and Helen Evans in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) and Uma uses “appropriate/worthy to be worshipped” (source: Uma back translation).
When related to someone who is blessing someone else, it is translated into Tsou as “speak good hopes for.” In Waiwai it is translated as “may God be good and kind to you now.” (Sources: Peng Kuo-Wei for Tsou and Robert Hawkins in The Bible Translator 1962, pp. 164ff. for Waiwai.)
Some languages associate an expression that originally means “spitting” or “saliva” with blessing. The Bantu language Koonzime, for instance, uses that expression for “blessing” in their translation coming from either God or man. Traditionally, the term was used in an application of blessing by an aged superior upon a younger inferior, often in relation to a desire for fertility, or in a ritualistic, but not actually performed spitting past the back of the hand. The spitting of saliva has the effect of giving that person “tenderness of face,” which can be translated as “blessedness.” (Source: Keith Beavon)
Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the DanishBibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “As for ‘blessing’, in the end we in most instances actually kept the word, after initially preferring the expression ‘giving life strength’. The backlash against dropping the word blessing was too hard. But we would often add a few words to help the reader understand what the word means in a given context — people often understand it to refer more to a spiritual connection with God, but in the Hebrew texts, it usually has to do with material things or good health or many children. So when e.g. in Isaiah 19:25 the Hebrew text says ‘God bless them’, we say ‘God bless them’ and we add: ‘and give them strength’. ‘And give them strength’ is not found in the overt Hebrew text, but we are again making explicit what we believe is the meaning so as to avoid misunderstanding.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )
The Hebrew text of Psalms 9/10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145 uses acrostics, a literary form in which each verse is started with one of the successive 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. According to Brenda Boerger (in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. ) there are three different reasons for acrostics in the Hebrew text: “for ease of memorization,” the representation “of the full breadth and depth of a topic, all the way from aleph to taw (tav),” and the perception of “the acrostic form as aesthetically attractive.” (p. 191)
While most translations mention the existence of an acrostic in a note or a comment, few implement it in their translation. The Natügu translation is one such exception. Boerger (see above) cites a strong tradition in singing the psalms and the fact that Natügu, like Hebrew, also has 22 possible initial letters as motivating factors to maintain the acrostics in that language.
Click or tap here for the complete psalm in Natügu
1 Awi-zvzbo bam mz nzglqpx-krnge nim,
Murde nim Gct rnge x mnclzbo bam.
2 Bilvzx nim mz nzawi-krbo bam.
X sa naglqpx-zvzx nim mz zbq kang kqlu.
3 Clveq nrlc mz zmatq ngrm kx trpnzngr kxrkrlz.
Yawe, myatxlz-esz’ngrn x takitrde nzrglqlzngr nim.
4 Doa nemqng sa nayapwxti-zvzbzlr mz doa nedrng,
Da kcng tqetuting tqmatq tqaletiqng.
5 Eu, x sa na-aoti-zvz-kzx drtwrnge nzwz-krmqng kxmrlzvxing,
X nzetu-esz’ngr-krm mz zmatq.
6 Gct, sa nayapwxtipx leplz da kxnzkctipxng kcng tqwz-ngrn.
X sa napipxx nzmyalz-esz’ngr-krm.
7-8 Ipq-aniq leplz murde yc mz drtwrm nidr.
Murde nivz lrm x nzaodu-krm tqyc tqyc.
Jzsiq leplz mz nztubqngr x sa na-angrlvzlr nim.
Sa nalepxlr nrpa ngr nzmrlz-esz’ngr-krm.
9 Kxetu, mrlztiq leplz amrlx,
X yc zlwz mz drtwrm doa amrlx kcng tqwz-ngrn.
10 Leplz nemqng amrlx sa na-awibzng bam,
X doa amrlx kcng tqwz-ngrn sa naglqlzlr nim.
11 Mz nrlc tulvzo, sa nayapwxtipxlr nzmyalz-esz’ngr-krm,
X nzetukr zmatq ngrm mz nzngini-krm king.
12 Nrpa ngr nzwz-krmqng etu, mz da kxmrlzting kcng tqwz-ngrn mz nzaclve-krm,
Sa nakrlz leplz amrlx.
13 Obqom mz nrlc mz nzaclve-krm kc tqyc tqyc,
X nzngini-krm king tqvzpe tqvzpe.
Pipx-zvzq natq kx na-angidatiq,
X aelwapx-zvzq nivz lrm mz da amrlx kcng tqaleq.
14 Rngiscm zmatq kx okatrle leplz kcng tzkxpung,
X axplrle nabz leplz kcng tqtalvzo.
15 Sa narkabzme dakxnzng mz kxnzlung amrlx,
Mz nzmnc-xgle-krdr nim mz da amrlx.
16 Tekqtrq nzbrtale-krdr mz nzakrlc-krbzme nelzdr,
X drtwrdr esatxpx zpwx.
17 Vz zvz nzale-krm da kx tubq-esz’ngr,
X aelwapx-zvzq nivz lrm mz da amrlx kcng tqaleq.
18 Wxbu-aepztrpzme mz krkcng tzkqlelr nim,
Mz nzbrti-zpwxkr drtwrdr nim.
19 Xlrq nzyrnikr leplz kcng tzamrluelr nim,
X ayzlubzme natqdr mz nzarlapx-krm nidr.
20 Yawe, tu-zvzbzme mz nibr leplz kx nzmrlztilr nim,
A’ odati-atwrnr-ngrn kxdrka’-ngrng.
21 Zbq kalvz sa naglqlzx nim.
X krkcng tzlung tqwz-ngrn, nzangio-krdr nim tqvzpe tqvzpe.
The DanishBibelen på Hverdagsdansk (publ. 1985, rev. 2015 et al.) also translated Psalm 145 into an acrostic. Due to the higher number of Danish letters, It skips C, Q, W, X, Z, and Ø.
Click or tap here for the complete psalm in Danish
1 Altid vil jeg prise dig, Herre,
du er min Konge og Gud for evigt.
2 Bestandig vil jeg synge til din ære,
takke dig hver eneste dag.
3 Der er ingen så mægtig som dig, Herre,
ingen kan fatte din storhed.
4 En generation skal fortælle det videre til den næste,
at dine underfulde gerninger er uden sidestykke.
5 Folk skal fortælle om din herlighed og magt,
og jeg vil altid mindes dine undere.
6 Gang på gang bliver dine gerninger berømmet,
jeg vil fortælle om din storhed igen og igen.
7 Hvor er din godhed dog stor,
din retfærdighed bliver husket med glæde.
8 Ingen er nådig og barmhjertig som dig,
du er tålmodig og utrolig trofast.
9 Jeg ved, at du er god mod alle,
barmhjertig mod alle dine skabninger.
10 Kan mennesker gøre andet end takke dig, Herre?
Dine tjenere vil altid lovprise dig.
11 Lad os altid tale om dit riges herlighed,
fortælle om din vældige magt.
12 Mennesker i hele verden skal høre om din magt,
om dit riges strålende herlighed.
13 Når alt andet forgår, vil dit rige bestå.
Du skal regere i evighed.
Ord fra dig kan man stole på,
dine handlinger viser din nåde imod os.
14 På livets vej kan vi synke i knæ,
men du rejser os op, når vi falder.
15 Retter vi vores blik mod dig i tro,
vil du altid give os det, vi har brug for.
16 Så snart et menneske erkender sit behov,
er du straks parat til at opfylde det.
17 Trofasthed og retfærdighed kendes du på,
dine handlinger er baseret på kærlighed.
18 Uden undtagelse hjælper du alle,
som beder til dig af et oprigtigt hjerte.
19 Vælger mennesker at følge dig,
vil du redde dem, når de råber om hjælp.
20 Ærligt troende oplever din beskyttelse,
men de onde går deres undergang i møde.
21 År efter år vil jeg prise dig, Herre,
måtte alt levende lovsynge dig for evigt.
The English Bible translation by Ronald Knox (publ. 1950) maintains almost every Hebrew acrostic (even though Knox’s translation itself is based on the Latin text of the Vulgate rather than the Hebrew). Due to the higher number of letters in the English alphabet, it skips the letter K, X, Y, and Z.
1 And shall I not extol thee, my God, my king; shall I not bless thy name for ever and for evermore?
2 Blessing shall be thine, day after day; for ever and for evermore praised be thy name.
3 Can any praise be worthy of the Lord’s majesty, any thought set limits to his greatness?
4 Down the ages the story of thy deeds is told, thy power is ever acclaimed;
5 each magnifies thy unapproachable glory, makes known thy wonders.
6 Fearful are the tales they tell of thy power, proclaiming thy magnificence;
7 grateful their memory of all thy goodness, as they boast of thy just dealings.
8 How gracious the Lord is, how merciful, how patient, how rich in pity!
9 Is he not a loving Lord to his whole creation; does not his mercy reach out to all that he has made?
10 Joining, then, Lord, in thy whole creation’s praise, let thy faithful servants bless thee;
11 let them publish the glory of thy kingdom, and discourse of thy power,
12 making that power known to the race of men, the glory, the splendour of that kingdom!
13 No age shall dawn but shall see thee reigning still; generations pass, and thy rule shall endure. O how true the Lord is to all his promises, how gracious in all his dealings!
14 Prostrate though men may fall, the Lord will lift them up, will revive their crushed spirits.
15 Quietly, Lord, thy creatures raise their eyes to thee, and thou grantest them, in due time, their nourishment,
16 Ready to open thy hand, and fill with thy blessing all that lives.
17 So faithful the Lord is in all he does, so gracious in all his dealings.
18 The Lord draws near to every man that calls upon him, will he but call upon him with a true heart.
19 Utter but the wish, you that fear the Lord, and he will grant it, will hear the cry, and bring aid.
20 Vigilantly the Lord watches over all that love him, marks down the wicked for destruction.
21 While these lips tell of the Lord’s praise, let all that lives bless his holy name, for ever, and for evermore. (Source )
Another English translation that keeps an acrostic for this psalm is the EasyEnglish Bible (publ. 2018), skipping Q, U, X, and Z.
1 Always I will praise you, my God and my king,
and I will say how great you are!
2 Because you are good, I will praise you every day.
Yes, I will always praise your name.
3 Clearly the Lord is great!
He is so great that we cannot understand it.
4 Down from father to son, people will praise you.
They will tell each other about the powerful things that you have done.
5 Everyone will speak about your glory and authority.
I also will think carefully about your great miracles.
6 Famous are the powerful things that you have done.
People will talk about them.
I also will speak about the great things that you do.
7 Good things are what everybody will remember about you.
They will sing about your justice.
8 How very kind the Lord is!
He is very patient and his faithful love continues.
9 It is the Lord who takes care of everybody.
He is kind to everything that he has made.
10 Join together to thank the Lord!
Everything that he has made will praise him.
Your own people will praise you, Lord!
11 King is who you are and your kingdom is great!
People will speak about your royal authority.
12 Let everyone agree that you do great things!
Let them say that you rule with great authority.
13 Many years your kingdom will remain, even for ever.
You will always rule your people and their descendants.
Nothing that the Lord promises is false.
He is kind in everything that he does.
14 Often people fall, but the Lord lifts them up.
He helps everyone who has trouble.
15 People look to you for help.
You give them food when they need it.
16 Ready to help, you open your hand.
You give to every living thing the good things that they want.
17 So the Lord is fair in all that he does.
He always shows how much he loves us.
18 The Lord is ready to help everyone who asks him.
He is near to everyone who prays honestly.
19 Very kindly he gives his own people the things that they need.
He saves them when they call to him for help.
20 Whoever loves the Lord, he keeps safe.
But he destroys wicked people.
21 Yes, I will praise the Lord!
Everyone who lives should praise his holy name for ever!
Translators of different languages have found different ways with what kind of formality God is addressed. The first example is from a language where God is always addressed distinctly formal whereas the second is one where the opposite choice was made.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight
Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.
As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.
In these verses, in which humans address God, the informal, familiar pronoun is used that communicates closeness.
Voinov notes that “in the Tuvan Bible, God is only addressed with the informal pronoun. No exceptions. An interesting thing about this is that I’ve heard new Tuvan believers praying with the formal form to God until they are corrected by other Christians who tell them that God is close to us so we should address him with the informal pronoun. As a result, the informal pronoun is the only one that is used in praying to God among the Tuvan church.”
In Gbaya, “a superior, whether father, uncle, or older brother, mother, aunt, or older sister, president, governor, or chief, is never addressed in the singular unless the speaker intends a deliberate insult. When addressing the superior face to face, the second person plural pronoun ɛ́nɛ́ or ‘you (pl.)’ is used, similar to the French usage of vous.
Accordingly, the translators of the current version of the Gbaya Bible chose to use the plural ɛ́nɛ́ to address God. There are a few exceptions. In Psalms 86:8, 97:9, and 138:1, God is addressed alongside other “gods,” and here the third person pronoun o is used to avoid confusion about who is being addressed. In several New Testament passages (Matthew 21:23, 26:68, 27:40, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2, 23:37, as well as in Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well) the less courteous form for Jesus is used to indicate ignorance of his position or mocking (source Philip Noss).
In Dutch and Western Frisian translations, however, God is always addressed with the formal pronoun.
The parallelism throughout Psalm 145 tends to be static, that is, without significant heightening from line a to line b. However, in spite of this there is, as Alter says, “a progression from the general praise of God to an affirmation of his compassion, his kingship, his daily providing for those who truly call unto him” (Alter, The Art of Biblical Poetry,* page 23).
In the first two verses the psalmist declares his readiness to praise God, to proclaim his greatness, and to thank him forever and ever. For extol see 30.1; “exalt” in 34.3b; for bless see 16.7. In verses 1b, 2b “you” translates thy name (see 5.11). Due to the double address form, my God and King, it may be necessary in some languages to adjust verse 1 to say, for example, “You are the God I worship and the king I serve; I will tell everyone how great you are.”
For verse 3a see similar statement in 48.1; 96.4; and in verse 3b the Hebrew “there is no searching his greatness” means that God’s greatness cannot be fully understood by a human being. Greatly to be praised must often be shifted to the active voice by translating “everyone should praise the LORD very much” or “everyone should say that the LORD is very great.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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