angel

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The Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic that is translated as “angel” in English versions is translated in many ways:

  • Pintupi-Luritja: ngaṉka ngurrara: “one who belongs in the sky” (source: Ken Hansen quoted in Steven 1984a, p. 116.)
  • Tetela, Kpelle, Balinese, and Mandarin Chinese: “heavenly messenger”
  • Shilluk / Igede: “spirit messenger”
  • Mashco Piro: “messenger of God”
  • Batak Toba: “envoy, messenger”
  • Navajo: “holy servant” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida 1961; Igede: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Central Mazahua: “God’s worker” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Saramaccan: basia u Masa Gaangadu köndë or “messenger from God’s country” (source: Jabini 2015, p. 86)
  • Mairasi: atatnyev nyaa or “sent-one” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “word bringer” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Apali: “God’s one with talk from the head” (“basically God’s messenger since head refers to any leader’s talk”) (source: Martha Wade)
  • Michoacán Nahuatl: “clean helper of God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Noongar: Hdjin-djin-kwabba or “spirit good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Wè Northern (Wɛɛ): Kea ‘a “sooa or “the Lord’s soldier” (also: “God’s soldier” or “his soldier”) (source: Drew Maust)
  • Iwaidja: “a man sent with a message” (Sam Freney explains the genesis of this term [in this article): “For example, in Darwin last year, as we were working on a new translation of Luke 2:6–12 in Iwaidja, a Northern Territory language, the translators had written ‘angel’ as ‘a man with eagle wings’. Even before getting to the question of whether this was an accurate term (or one that imported some other information in), the word for ‘eagle’ started getting discussed. One of the translators had her teenage granddaughter with her, and this word didn’t mean anything to her at all. She’d never heard of it, as it was an archaic term that younger people didn’t use anymore. They ended up changing the translation of ‘angel’ to something like ‘a man sent with a message’, which is both more accurate and clear.”)

See also angel (Acts 12:15) and this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Revelation 17:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 17:7:

  • Uma: “After that, the angel who took me said to me: ‘Why are you (sing.) so surprised? Apparently you (sing.) do not yet understand the meaning of that woman and the animal she rides. In that case, I will make clear to you (sing.) its meaning. That animal has seven heads and ten horns.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘Why are you wondering,’ said the angel. ‘I will tell you now what the meaning of that woman is and the meaning of the creature she is riding on, the one that has seven heads and ten horns.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, the angel said to me, ‘Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the secret meaning of that woman and of that beast with seven heads and ten horns that the woman rides on.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “but the angel said to me, ‘Why are you (sing.) amazed? I will tell you (sing.) the meaning of that woman and the fearsome animal upon-which-she-is-riding which has seven heads and ten horns.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But I was questioned by that angel, saying, ‘Why are you amazed? Now I will explain to you the meaning of that woman and that monster she is riding which has seven heads branching out and ten horns.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The angel said to me: ‘How come you are surprised? I will tell you the meaning of what you saw, in regard to the woman who sits on the terrible animal, this one who has seven heads and ten horns.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 17:7

Why marvel?: “Why are you surprised (or, astonished)?” The question implies that John should have understood what he was seeing. It prepares the way for the explanation that follows. Marvel is expressed idiomatically in many languages; for example, “shiver in the heart (or, liver),” “be with mouth open,” or “feel strange in the heart.”

I will tell you the mystery: for the first time in the book, an angel interpreter appears. “I will explain the mystery to you,” “I will reveal to you the secret meaning.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .