happiness / joy

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the Hausa Common Language Ajami Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.

Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions, rejoiced greatly / celebrated, the Mossi translation of “righteous”, and joy.

David

The name that is transliterated as “David” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign signifying king and a sling (referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 2 Samuel 5:4). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff.)


“Elizabeth” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In German Sign Language it is only the sling. (See here ).


“David” in German Sign Language (source )

The (Protestant) Mandarin Chinese transliteration of “David” is 大卫 (衛) / Dàwèi which carries an additional meaning of “Great Protector.”

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about David (source: Bible Lands 2012)

addressing God

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.

See also female second person singular pronoun in Psalms.

Translation commentary on Psalm 30:1 - 30:3

The opening verb I will extol means not only to praise but to speak highly of (see its use in 12.8b). So the translation can be “I will proclaim your greatness” (Bible en français courant); Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New English Bible, New International Version have “exalt.” Revised Standard Version uses the future tense, Good News Translation the present tense; either is possible, but the present tense seems to be more fitting. The expression for thou hast drawn me up (from Sheol, or the Pit, in verse 3) may be translated “because you have rescued, delivered, saved me.” It expresses the reason why I will extol thee. In some languages the reason will occur before the result clause.

In these words of thanksgiving (verses 1-3) the psalmist praises God for “drawing him up” (verse 1a), a verb used of drawing water out of a well (see Exo 2.16, 19); in this instance Yahweh drew the psalmist out of Sheol, the pit in the depths of the earth (verse 3; see 28.1). This is poetic language and must not be understood literally that Yahweh had pulled the psalmist bodily from Sheol; it means that Yahweh did not allow the psalmist to die (as seen in verses 2-3).

The gloating of enemies at the psalmist’s distress (Revised Standard Version rejoice over me) is a frequent theme in Psalms (see 25.2). The expression rejoice over me, with the meaning of gloating or ridiculing, is translated in some languages in idiomatic terms such as “to turn the nose up at someone,” “to wag the head at,” or in nonfigurative language, “to say that he is no one at all.”

In verse 2 the psalmist recounts the event which prompted this prayer: he was sick and prayed for Yahweh to heal him, and Yahweh did heal him.

In verse 3a the psalmist describes his escape from death: “you brought up my nefesh (see 3.2) from Sheol” (see comment at 6.5); the thought is repeated in verse 3b, “you kept me alive from going down to the Pit.” In the graphic description of his narrow escape from death, the psalmist says that he was already in the company of the dead on their way down to Sheol (see similar language in 28.1), but Yahweh restored his life. The language could be read as though it referred to resurrection; it is, however, a vivid expression about being kept alive, about not being allowed to die (see similar language in 16.10; 56.13).

A literal translation of Good News Translation “you kept me from the grave” could mean that the psalmist was prevented from approaching a grave. Brought up my soul from Sheol can be rendered “you kept me from dying,” or stated positively, “you caused me to go on living.” Restored me to life must sometimes be said “you caused me to see life” or “you put new life into me.” Those gone down to the Pit will require considerable adjustment in many languages; for example, “I was already nearly dead” or “I had already given up living.”

Revised Standard Version‘s footnote in verse 3 translates the same Hebrew text as the Good News Translation text. The Revised Standard Version text represents a different Hebrew text, but the difference between the two is only in the Hebrew vowels. It seems better to translate the text followed by Good News Translation.

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 .