OET interlinear ZEP 2:2

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

בְּ⁠טֶ֨רֶם֙ לֶ֣דֶת חֹ֔ק

in/on/at/with,before takes_effect decree

Zephaniah is using this possessive form not to describe something bringing forth the decree but to speak of the decree as if it would be bringing forth something, that is, as if it would literally be giving birth to something. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers, and it may be helpful to use plain language. Alternate translation: “before the decree takes effect”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

בְּ⁠טֶ֨רֶם֙ לֶ֣דֶת חֹ֔ק

in/on/at/with,before takes_effect decree

Zephaniah is referring implicitly to the decree of Yahweh that he announced in the previous chapter. You could indicate that in your translation if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “before Yahweh carries out his decree to destroy sinful people”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

י֑וֹם

day

By the day, Zephaniah means the “day of Yahweh.” See how you translated that expression in chapter 1. Alternate translation: “the time when Yahweh punishes people for their sins”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

כְּ⁠מֹ֖ץ עָ֣בַר

like,chaff passes

The point of this comparison is that just as the wind blows away chaff so that it is gone and will not return, so the day of Yahweh will come and go, and afterwards there will be no further opportunity for people to repent. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “before … has come and gone and there is no further opportunity to repent”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

בְּ⁠טֶ֣רֶם ׀ לֹא־יָב֣וֹא עֲלֵי⁠כֶ֗ם חֲרוֹן֙ אַף־יְהוָ֔ה בְּ⁠טֶ֨רֶם֙ לֹא־יָב֣וֹא עֲלֵי⁠כֶ֔ם י֖וֹם אַף־יְהוָֽה

in/on/at/with,before not comes upon,you_all fierce_of also/though YHWH in/on/at/with,before not comes upon,you_all day also/though YHWH

These two phrases mean similar things. Zephaniah is using repetition to emphasize the idea that the phrases express. However, rather than combine the phrases and show the emphasis in another way, it may be good to include both phrases in your translation, since they are part of a litany. See the discussion in the General Notes to this chapter of the litany form and how you might format verses 1–2 to show that Zephaniah is using this form.

Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

בְּ⁠טֶ֣רֶם ׀ לֹא־יָב֣וֹא עֲלֵי⁠כֶ֗ם חֲרוֹן֙ אַף־יְהוָ֔ה

in/on/at/with,before not comes upon,you_all fierce_of also/though YHWH

Zephaniah is using a negative expression to describe an outcome that he is urging the people of Judah to avoid. He is effectively telling them to pursue the purpose of avoiding that outcome. Use a natural way in your language for introducing a purpose clause. The clause itself may be negative or positive, depending on the conventions of your language. Alternate translation: “so that the burning of the nose of Yahweh does not come upon you” or “lest the burning of the nose of Yahweh come upon you”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בְּ⁠טֶ֣רֶם ׀ לֹא־יָב֣וֹא עֲלֵי⁠כֶ֗ם חֲרוֹן֙ אַף־יְהוָ֔ה

in/on/at/with,before not comes upon,you_all fierce_of also/though YHWH

Zephaniah is using the term nose to mean anger. He is doing this by association with the way that a person who is angry breathes heavily through his nose. Your language and culture may also associate anger with a particular part of the body. If so, in your translation you could use an expression involving that part of the body. You could also use plain language. Zephaniah is also speaking as if Yahweh’s nose or anger were literally burning. He means that Yahweh’s anger is very intense. Alternate translation: “so that Yahweh’s fierce anger does not come upon you” or “lest Yahweh’s fierce anger come upon you”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

בְּ⁠טֶ֣רֶם ׀ לֹא־יָב֣וֹא עֲלֵי⁠כֶ֗ם חֲרוֹן֙ אַף־יְהוָ֔ה

in/on/at/with,before not comes upon,you_all fierce_of also/though YHWH

Zephaniah is speaking as if Yahweh’s nose, that is, his anger, were a living thing that could come upon the Judeans, that is, attack and overpower them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “so that Yahweh does not destroy you in his fierce anger” or “lest Yahweh destroy you in his fierce anger”

Note 9 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

בְּ⁠טֶ֨רֶם֙ לֹא־יָב֣וֹא עֲלֵי⁠כֶ֔ם י֖וֹם אַף־יְהוָֽה

in/on/at/with,before in/on/at/with,before not comes upon,you_all day also/though YHWH

See how you translated the similar expression just before this one, and see how you translated the term day earlier in the verse. Alternate translation: “so that Yahweh does not destroy you in his anger at the time when he punishes people for their sins”