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 .

Translation commentary on Zechariah 4:4

And I said: Since the prophet’s words are a question, it may be helpful to indicate this in the introductory words, and say, “I asked” (as in Moffatt, New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

For comments on the angel who talked with me, see verse 1.

What are these, my lord?: These may refer to the olive trees (Baldwin, Petersen), the lamps (Driver), or, more probably, both (Mitchell, Merrill). Several translations convey the sense that it refers to both by saying “these things” (Good News Translation) or “those things” (Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The question is about meaning rather than identity. Good News Translation makes this clear by saying, “What do these things stand for, sir?” and Contemporary English Version has “But, sir, what do these mean?” Translators could also say, “Sir, what does all this mean?” as do Bible en français courant and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente.

The Hebrew word for lord is not the personal name of God here. It is simply a polite form of address, and is adequately translated into English as “sir” (Moffatt, New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. & Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Zechariah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2002. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .