YNA 3:9 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=important (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, red:negative, blue:Elohim.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX τίς οἶδεν εἰ μετανοήσει ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἐξ ὀργῆς θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀπολώμεθα;
(tis oiden ei metanoaʸsei ho Theos, kai apostrepsei ex orgaʸs thumou autou, kai ou maʸ apolōmetha; )

BrTr Who knows if God will repent, and turn from his fierce anger, and so we shall not perish?

ULT Who knows? This god might turn back and have compassion and relent from the burning of his nose so that we will not perish.”

UST If everyone does those things, it is possible that this god will change his mind and be merciful to us. He may relent from being so angry with us, with the result that we will live.”

OEB Who knows? God may relent and avert his fierce anger, so that we may not die.’

WEBBE Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die.”

LSV Who knows? He turns back, and God has relented, and has turned back from the heat of His anger, and we do not perish.”

FBV Who knows? God may change his mind and relent. He may decide not to destroy us in his fierce anger.”

T4T Perhaps, if everyone does that, God may change his mind and be merciful to us, and stop being very angry with us, with the result that we will not die.”

LEB Who knows? God may relent and change his mind and turn _⌊from his blazing anger_⌋[fn] _⌊so that_⌋[fn] we will not perish.”

3:9 Literally “from the heat of his anger”

3:9 Hebrew “and”

BBE Who may say that God will not be turned, changing his purpose and turning away from his burning wrath, so that destruction may not overtake us?

Moff No Moff YNA (JNA) 3:9 verse available

JPS Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?'

ASV Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

DRA Who can tell if God will turn, and forgive: and will turn away from his fierce anger, and we shall not perish?

YLT Who knoweth? He doth turn back, and God hath repented, and hath turned back from the heat of His anger, and we do not perish.'

Drby Who knoweth but that [fn]God will turn and repent, and will turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

3.9 Elohim

RV Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
(Who knoweth/knows whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? )

SLT Who shall know God will turn back and lament, and turning back from the burning of his anger and we shall not perish?

Wbstr Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

KJB-1769 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

KJB-1611 Who can tell if God will turne and repent, and turne away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Who can tel whether God wyl turne and be moued with repentaunce, and turne from his fierce wrath, that we perishe not?
(Who can tell whether God will turn and be moved with repentance, and turn from his fierce wrath, that we perish not?)

Gnva Who can tell if God will turne, and repent and turne away from his fierce wrath, that we perish not?
(Who can tell if God will turn, and repent and turn away from his fierce wrath, that we perish not? )

Cvdl Who can tell? God maye turne, and repete, and cease from his fearce wrath, that we perish not.
(Who can tell? God may turn, and repete, and cease from his fearce wrath, that we perish not.)

Wycl Who woot, if God be conuertid, and foryyue, and be turned ayen fro woodnesse of his wraththe, and we schulen not perische?
(Who woot, if God be converted, and forgive, and be turned again from madness/wildness of his wrath, and we should not perische?)

Luth Wer weiß, GOtt möchte sich kehren und ihn reuen und sich wenden von seinem grimmigen Zorn, daß wir nicht verderben.
(Who white, God want itself/yourself/themselves sweep/bother and him/it regret and itself/yourself/themselves turn_around from his grim anger, that we/us not spoil/corrupt.)

ClVg Quis scit si convertatur et ignoscat Deus, et revertatur a furore iræ suæ, et non peribimus?
(Who he_knows when/but_if be_converted and ignoscat God, and return from with_fury anger his/her_own, and not/no peribimus? )

SOTN 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;

If we^(incl) do that, perhaps God will change his mind
Then maybe God will reconsider his plans,

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:

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.
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:

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
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,

and stop being so angry with us^(incl)
and his terrible anger against us^(incl) will stop

3:9c

so that we will not perish.”

so we^(incl) will not die.”
so he will not destroy us^(incl).”

UTN 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]

Parallel YNA 3:9

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

3:9a

3:9b

3:9c