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 9:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 9:14:

  • Uma: “That speaker said to the sixth angel: ‘Release those four angels that are tied at the Efrat river.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The voice said to the sixth angel that had blown (the thing) like a tabuli’, ‘Untie now the four demons that have been tied there at the edge of the big river called Alpurati.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he said to the sixth angel, ‘Release the four angels who are shackled at the great river Euphrates!'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “That voice said to the sixth angel, ‘Go untie the four angels who are tied at the place of the large river Eufrates.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That one who voiced spoke to that sixth angel who had a horn, saying, ‘Untie those four tied-up angels now who are on the bank of that big river Eufrates.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He who spoke, called to the sixth angel who had the trumpet and said: ‘Let loose the four angels who are bound at the side of the big river Euphrates.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 9:14

“The voice said” (Good News Translation) may also be rendered as “The voice ordered (or, commanded).”

The sixth angel who had the trumpet: the Greek text is again somewhat redundant, and a translator may feel free to omit who had the trumpet, since in verse 13 he is identified as having a trumpet. If a translator wishes to keep this clause, one may also say “who was holding the trumpet.”

The four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates: like the four winds (7.1), these angels have been bound. In Old Testament times the Euphrates was the great river of the empires of Babylonia and Assyria, the enemies of Israel (see Isa 7.20; 8.7). At the time of Revelation it marked the eastern boundary of the Roman Empire. Beyond it lay the lands of the dreaded Parthians. The passive form are bound emphasizes anew that God is in charge. The four angels will be released only when God chooses to do so. The preposition at does not indicate where along the length of the river the angels were bound. The preposition at is also vague as to whether the angels were “in” the river or “beside” it. Translators should keep their translations equally vague. In languages that do not use the passive, one may render this sentence as “who suffer bound (or, tied up),” or introduce an agent and say “whom God had them bind” or “whom God had them tie up.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• The voice said to the sixth angel who was holding the trumpet, “Release the four angels whom God had them tie up at the great Euphrates River!”

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 .