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 4:5 - 4:6

Then the angel who talked with me answered me: See the comments on verse 1. Instead of repeating the words the angel who talked with me, translators may use a third person pronoun here (as in New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, New International Version, Contemporary English Version). Answered me may be translated as “asked me” (Good News Translation; similarly New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) since what follows is a question.

Do you not know what these are?: This is a negative rhetorical question, which may cause difficulties in some languages. The purpose of the question seems to be to express the idea that the prophet ought to have known. We could therefore express the meaning as a positive question, such as “Surely you know what these things mean?” or as a statement, such as “You must know what these things mean.” These of course refers to the lampstand and the olive trees, as in the previous verse. Are is better expressed as “mean” (Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “represent” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). In some languages it may not be necessary to repeat the content of the question. Good News Translation, New Living Translation, and Contemporary English Version have just “Don’t you know?” (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Don’t you understand?”). This question is repeated in almost identical Hebrew terms in verse 13.

I said, “No, my lord”: Good News Translation here in the quotation repeats the auxiliary verb, “No, I don’t sir.” This adds the flavor of natural conversation, something that other translators should bear in mind when handling dialogue. The use of “I replied” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation, Contemporary English Version) rather than I said has the same effect. This answer to the question is repeated identically in verse 13.

Then he said to me: He is of course the interpreting angel. Good News Translation has its equivalent to these words both in verse 6a (“The angel told me”) and in verse 10b (“The angel said to me”). This is unavoidable if verses 6b-10a are moved.

As noted in the introductory remarks for this chapter, verses 6b-10a are best placed after verse 14 or before verse 1.

This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: This is an introductory formula that does not occur anywhere else in Haggai or Zechariah. In terms of discourse structure, it is on the same level as the more familiar formula “the word of the LORD came to me saying” in verse 8. In Revised Standard Version this formula is a quotation that introduces another quotation. In order to avoid second degree quotations, Good News Translation has expressed these words in indirect speech: “… to give Zerubbabel this message from the LORD.” Contemporary English Version also uses indirect speech: “So the angel explained that it was the following message of the LORD to Zerubbabel.” Since second degree quotations are awkward in various languages, it will be convenient for many translators to follow the example of Good News Translation. For Zerubbabel see the notes on Hag 1.1.

Not by might, nor by power: The Hebrew is very brief and does not use any verbs. This form of expression would be hard to understand in many languages, and Good News Translation has therefore stated the missing subject and verb (“You will succeed”). In some languages it will be necessary to give the goal of “succeed”; for example, “You will accomplish all your aims.” Might carries the sense of armed force, and Good News Translation expresses this by saying “not by military might.” Translators may also express this as “not by the strength of soldiers.” Power refers more to physical strength, and so Good News Translation says “or by your own strength.” Compare New English Bible “Neither by force of arms nor by brute strength.” Another possibility is “As for your own strength and might, these will not enable you to do my work.” Some commentators have seen in these words a warning to Zerubbabel not to try to revolt against the rule of the Persian Empire.

But by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts: Revised Standard Version spells Spirit with a capital “S” (as do New International Version, New American Standard Bible [New American Standard Bible], Beck, New King James Version [New King James Version ], New Living Translation, and Contemporary English Version; similarly Bible en français courant, Biblen: Det Gamle og Det Nye Testamente). In English this tends to give the impression that the prophet is speaking about the Holy Spirit. However, translators should not give the impression that Zechariah held views about the Holy Spirit which are found in their fullness only in the New Testament. For this reason, it is probably better in English to spell “spirit” with a small “s” (as do Moffatt, Jerusalem Bible/New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New English Bible/ Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh and New Revised Standard Version; see also the comments on Hag 2.5). A footnote in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh interprets “spirit” as “spiritual gifts conferred upon him by the LORD,” and this interpretation may be helpful to some translators. Translators should of course consider carefully the conventions of their own languages with the regard to the use of capital letters. In some languages such as German, all nouns have an initial capital, whereas in many non-Roman scripts, there is no distinction between capitals and small letters.

The final words of the verse in Revised Standard Version, says the LORD of hosts, mark the climax of the message to Zerubbabel in verses 6-8. They have no equivalent in Good News Translation. This is because in terms of information they repeat what was said earlier in the verse by the words “this message from the LORD.” However, it would be perfectly possible to add another sentence such as “I, the LORD Almighty, declare this” (so Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Translators must decide whether to do something like this according to the stylistic requirements of their own language. Bible en français courant and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente do not have anything equivalent to says the LORD of hosts in verse 6, but begin verse 7 with “Then he added….” This is not really a good example to follow, because it breaks up the single unit formed by verses 6-7 in Hebrew.

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 .