OET interlinear JOEL 2:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְֽ⁠אֶת־הַ⁠צְּפוֹנִ֞י

and=DOM the,northern

Yahweh is using the term northerner to refer to an invading army of some kind, by association with the direction from which invasions often came. It seems that this term is purposely vague so that it can refer to the current locust invasion as well as to a future military invasion on “the day of Yahweh” (verse 11). If possible, use a term that could refer to both. Alternate translation: [the invaders]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

אֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֣ה וּ⁠שְׁמָמָה֒

earth/land parched and,desolate

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of dryness and desolation, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: [a dry and desolate land]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet

אֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֣ה וּ⁠שְׁמָמָה֒

earth/land parched and,desolate

The terms dryness and desolation mean similar things. Yahweh is using the two terms together for emphasis. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could express the emphasis with a single phrase. Alternate translation: [a completely barren land]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

אֶל & אֶת־פָּנָ֗י⁠ו אֶל־הַ⁠יָּם֙ הַ⁠קַּדְמֹנִ֔י וְ⁠סֹפ֖⁠וֹ אֶל־הַ⁠יָּ֣ם הָ⁠אַֽחֲר֑וֹן

to/towards & DOM his/its=faces/face to/towards the=sea the,eastern and,rear_of,its to/towards the=sea the,western

Yahweh is speaking of the invading army or locust swarm as if it were a living thing that had a face and a back. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the invaders at the front of the group will fall into the eastern sea and die, and the invaders at the back of the group will fall into the western sea and die]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

אֶל & אֶת־פָּנָ֗י⁠ו אֶל־הַ⁠יָּם֙ הַ⁠קַּדְמֹנִ֔י וְ⁠סֹפ֖⁠וֹ אֶל־הַ⁠יָּ֣ם הָ⁠אַֽחֲר֑וֹן

to/towards & DOM his/its=faces/face to/towards the=sea the,eastern and,rear_of,its to/towards the=sea the,western

Yahweh is speaking to the Judeans from the perspective of their own culture and location. By eastern sea, he means the Dead Sea, and by western sea, he means the Mediterranean Sea. You could say that explicitly if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [his face into the Dead Sea and his back into the Mediterranean Sea]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

וְ⁠עָלָ֣ה בָאְשׁ֗⁠וֹ וְ⁠תַ֨עַל֙ צַחֲנָת֔⁠וֹ

and=he/it_would_go_up stench_of,its and,rise foul_smell_of,its

These two phrases mean the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition, and it would be good to show this to your readers by including both phrases in your translation rather than combining them. However, if this might be unclear in your language, you could connect the phrases with a word other than and in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternatively, you could combine the phrases and express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: [And his stench will rise, yes, his odor will rise]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

הִגְדִּ֖יל לַ⁠עֲשֽׂוֹת

he_made_great for=doing

This expression means “he has in some way done more than would be expected.” The implication is that the locust swarm has perhaps destroyed more crops than it ordinarily would, or that the army that will invade will be more destructive than usual. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. Alternate translation: [he has caused excessive destruction]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations

כִּ֥י הִגְדִּ֖יל לַ⁠עֲשֽׂוֹת

that/for/because/then/when he_made_great for=doing

Some versions end the quotation that begins in verse 19 before this clause. Other versions end that quotation after this clause. Some other versions do not end that quotation in this verse, so that it continues through 3:8. If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to follow the quotation boundaries that it has. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the same boundaries as the ULT.