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Yna C1 C2 C3 C4

Yna 3 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V10

OET interlinear YNA (JNA) 3:9

◄ ← YNA (JNA) 3:9 ↓ → ► ║ ©

Hebrew word order

    1. Hebrew word
    2. Hebrew lemma
    3. OET-LV words
    4. OET-RV words
    5. Strongs
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. מִי
    2. 530927
    3. Who
    4. -
    5. 4310
    6. S-Ti
    7. who?
    8. S
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371166
    2. 530928
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-maqqef
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 371167
    1. יוֹדֵעַ
    2. 530929
    3. +is knowing
    4. -
    5. 3045
    6. V-Vqrmsa
    7. [is]_knowing
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371168
    1. יָשׁוּב
    2. 530930
    3. he will turn
    4. -
    5. 7725
    6. V-Vqi3ms
    7. he_will_turn
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371169
    1. וְ,נִחַם
    2. 530931,530932
    3. and he will relent
    4. -
    5. 5162
    6. SV-C,VNq3ms
    7. and,he_will_relent
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371170
    1. הָ,אֱלֹהִים
    2. 530933,530934
    3. the ʼElohīm
    4. God
    5. 430
    6. S-Td,Ncmpa
    7. the=ʼElohīm
    8. -
    9. Person=God; Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371171
    1. וְ,שָׁב
    2. 530935,530936
    3. and he will turn back
    4. -
    5. 7725
    6. SV-C,Vqq3ms
    7. and,he_will_turn_back
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371172
    1. מֵ,חֲרוֹן
    2. 530937,530938
    3. from the burning of
    4. fierce
    5. 2740
    6. S-R,Ncmsc
    7. from,the_burning_of
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371173
    1. אַפּ,וֹ
    2. 530939,530940
    3. his anger of his
    4. anger
    5. 639
    6. S-Ncmsc,Sp3ms
    7. his_anger_of,his
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371174
    1. וְ,לֹא
    2. 530941,530942
    3. and not
    4. won't
    5. 3808
    6. S-C,Tn
    7. and=not
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371175
    1. נֹאבֵד
    2. 530943
    3. we will perish
    4. -
    5. 6
    6. V-Vqi1cp
    7. we_will_perish
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371176
    2. 530944
    3. -
    4. -
    6. -x-sof-pasuq
    8. -
    9. -
    10. 371177

OET (OET-LV) Who is_knowing he_will_turn and_he_will_relent the_ʼElohīm and_he_will_turn_back from_the_burning_of his_anger_of_his and_not we_will_perish.

OET (OET-RV) And maybe God will turn and change his mind and stop his fierce anger, and maybe we won’t die.”

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–10: The LORD again told Jonah to go to Nineveh and this time he obeyed

This section records how Jonah finally obeyed the LORD and went to Nineveh to preach to the people there. Then the people of Nineveh repented of their sinful ways and the LORD did not destroy them. An alternative title for this section could be: “The people of Nineveh repent.”

3:9a

Who knows? God may turn and relent;

Now the purpose of the decree is given. The king and his nobles hoped that God would notice that they had repented and would not destroy them.

Who knows?: This is a Hebrew idiom (as it is in English) that means that no one knows whether a certain thing will happen. Here are some other ways to translate this:

perhaps (GNT)

maybe (REB)

God may turn and relent: There are two problems with this part of the verse.

First, in Hebrew this expression contains two verbs: šuḇ “to turn” and naḥam “to be sorry, have compassion, repent.” There are two ways of understanding this double verb structure:

  1. The two verbs should be translated as one single action. The second verb naḥam “to be sorry, have compassion, repent” is the main verb. The other verb šuḇ, literally “to turn,” is often used in Hebrew as an auxiliary verb with the meaning of “do something again.” This can be expressed in a translation by the word “again” or even omitted when the main verb already contains the idea of repeated action. For example:

    change his mind (GNT)

    reconsider his plans (GW) (RSV, CEV, NCV, NET, NLT, REB)3.9 Sasson, p. 240 and Stuart, p. 494.

  2. The two verbs represent two separate actions. For example:

    relent and change his mind (NRSV)

    turn and relent (NJPS) (BSB, NIV, KJV, NJB)3.9 See also Baldwin, p. 578.

It is recommended that you follow the first option (1) here. The verb šuḇ is often used as an adverb in Hebrew, and the adverbial sense of “doing something again” fits well with the range of meaning of the second verb naḥam.

The second problem about which scholars and versions differ is the meaning of naḥam in this context. The two main possibilities are:

  1. It should be translated “to change his mind, relent, repent”. (BSB, TEV, CEV, GW, KJV, NCV, NET, NJB, NJPS, NRSV, REB)3.9 Sasson, p. 240; Stuart, p.494

  2. It should be translated “to have compassion, to be moved with pity”. (NIV, NLT)3.9 Baldwin, p. 578

Both are possible meanings of naḥam and both make sense in the context. However, the first meaning, “change his mind,” goes best with the use of šuḇ as an auxiliary verb. Also these are the words of the pagan king of Nineveh, who had little knowledge of the compassionate God of Jonah. His interest was mainly in causing God to change his mind about destroying his city. For these reasons the first option is recommended (1).

3:9b

He may turn from His fierce anger,

3:9c

so that we will not perish.”

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

מִֽי־יוֹדֵ֣עַ

who? knows

The king used this rhetorical question to get the people to think about something that is possible but uncertain: that if they would stop sinning, God might not kill them. It could be translated as a statement: “We do not know.” Or it could be stated as an initial word and be part of the next sentence: “Perhaps”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

יָשׁ֔וּב וְ⁠נִחַ֖ם הָ⁠אֱלֹהִ֑ים

relent and,he_will_relent the=ʼElohīm

Here the author speaks of God changing his mind about bringing judgment as if God were turning around and walking in the opposite direction. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [This god may decide instead to have compassion] or [This god may do the opposite of what he said and be merciful]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

מֵ⁠חֲר֥וֹן אַפּ֖⁠וֹ

from,the_burning_of his_anger_of,his

Here the burning of his nose is an idiom meaning that the person is angry. If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use an idiom from your language that does have this meaning or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [from the fire of his belly] or [from his anger]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives

וְ⁠לֹ֥א נֹאבֵֽד

and=not perish

If it would be clearer in your language, you could use a positive expression to translate this double negative that consists of the negative particle not and the negative word perish. Alternate translation: [so that we will live] or [and spare our lives]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

    1. OET-LV words
    2. OET-RV words
    3. Strongs
    4. Hebrew word
    5. Hebrew lemma
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. Gloss
    8. CAPS codes
    9. OET tags
    10. OET word #
    1. Who
    2. -
    3. 4077
    5. 530927
    6. S-Ti
    8. S
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371166
    1. +is knowing
    2. -
    3. 3207
    5. 530929
    6. V-Vqrmsa
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371168
    1. he will turn
    2. -
    3. 7951
    5. 530930
    6. V-Vqi3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371169
    1. and he will relent
    2. -
    3. 1987,5154
    5. 530931,530932
    6. SV-C,VNq3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371170
    1. the ʼElohīm
    2. God
    3. 1893,38
    5. 530933,530934
    6. S-Td,Ncmpa
    8. -
    9. Person=God; Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371171
    1. and he will turn back
    2. -
    3. 1987,7951
    5. 530935,530936
    6. SV-C,Vqq3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371172
    1. from the burning of
    2. fierce
    3. 4129,2651
    5. 530937,530938
    6. S-R,Ncmsc
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371173
    1. his anger of his
    2. anger
    3. 545,1978
    5. 530939,530940
    6. S-Ncmsc,Sp3ms
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371174
    1. and not
    2. won't
    3. 1987,3835
    5. 530941,530942
    6. S-C,Tn
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371175
    1. we will perish
    2. -
    3. 623
    5. 530943
    6. V-Vqi1cp
    8. -
    9. Y-862; TProphecies_of_Jonah
    10. 371176

OET (OET-LV) Who is_knowing he_will_turn and_he_will_relent the_ʼElohīm and_he_will_turn_back from_the_burning_of his_anger_of_his and_not we_will_perish.

OET (OET-RV) And maybe God will turn and change his mind and stop his fierce anger, and maybe we won’t die.”

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The Hebrew text, lemmas, and morphology are all thanks to the OSHB and some of the glosses are from Macula Hebrew.OET logo mark

◄ ← YNA (JNA) 3:9 ↑ → ► ║ ©