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VU Research Portal Translating Zephaniah in context Willits, B.R. 2019 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Willits, B. R. (2019). Translating Zephaniah in context. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 29. Sep. 2021 VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT TRANSLATING ZEPHANIAH IN CONTEXT ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. V. Subramaniam, in het openbaar te verdedigen tan overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit Religie en Theologie op maandag 13 mei 2019 om 11.45 uur in de aula van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Bradford Ray Willits geboren te Dallas, Texas, United States of America promotoren: prof.dr. L.J. de Vries prof.dr. W.T. van Peursen copromotor: dr. E.R. Wendland 1 Summary This dissertation explores a process of cross-cultural communication that spans centuries of time between two different cultures, that of the Hebrew speaking Israelites of the seventh century a.C. and the Susu people of Guinea West Africa today. The question is how, given that the two groups operate with completely different worldviews and historical backgrounds, might one translate a Hebrew religious hortatory discourse into Susu in such a way that it would be understood and appreciated as a relevant message to their culture. The author attempts to do this beginning with an analysis of the Hebrew discourse, first from a rhetorical perspective (Chapter 2), and then from a textual perspective (Chapter 3). The presentation of the message employs a rhetoric dependant upon an understanding of the historical background of the audience. The author crafts the message not only with rhetorical nuances, but also with a textual artistry designed to enhance the overall impact of the presentation. The author then procedes to use the same process on an analogous discourse from the Susu target culture. Since the Hebrew book of Zephaniah consists of religious hortatory, the same genre was utilized from the Susu culture, a Muslim Xutuba (Friday sermon). Again, the analysis covers the rhetorical component of the communication (Chapter 4) and then the textual structure component (Chapter 5). Having completed an analysis of the rhetoric and the textual discourse structure of a discourse both in the source language and in the target language, the author delves into two possible approaches to the translation of the Hebrew discourse. The first, “a documentary translation,” focuses on the forms used in Hebrew to express the message in such a way to have a rhetorical and structural communicative impact (Chapter 6). The second, “an instrumental translation,” shifts the focus to forms used in the target language, with the express purpose of communicating the same message with rhetorical and structural devices that would have a communicative impact on the Susu people. Ultimately, the preferred translation approach depends upon the scopos of the translator. If the objective is to present an ancient document to highlight the “foreign” forms used in the original communication, the documentary approach works well. However, if the objective is to present the message of said document in such a way as to transfer the relevancy of the message to the target culture, an instrumental approach is advantageous. 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... 3 1 – Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Human cognition and communication ........................................................................................... 9 1.2 “Zephaniah” for the Susu .............................................................................................................. 9 1.3 A model to guide the process: Contextual frames of reference .................................................... 10 1.4 Application of the “Contextual frame of reference” model ......................................................... 11 2 – Contextual frames of reference in Zephaniah’s rhetoric ............................................................ 13 2.1 Contextual frames of reference in Zephaniah’s world ................................................................. 13 The socio-cultural frame of reference ........................................................................................... 13 The organizational frame of reference .......................................................................................... 14 The situational frame of reference ................................................................................................ 15 2.2 The relationship between rhetoric and contextual analysis ......................................................... 20 2.3 A proposed methodology ............................................................................................................. 22 2.4 A contextual analysis of the discourse of Zephaniah ................................................................... 24 Zephaniah 1:1 – Title and setting .................................................................................................. 24 Zephaniah 1:2–6 – Divine punishment on the earth...................................................................... 26 Zephaniah 1:7–16 – The day of Yahweh and His “sacrifice” ....................................................... 29 Zephaniah 1:17–18 – A summary of the divine punishment ........................................................ 36 Zephaniah 2:1–3 – Divine appeal to repentance ........................................................................... 38 Zephaniah 2:4–7 – Divine punishment for the Philistines ............................................................ 41 Zephaniah 2:8–11 – Divine punishment for the Moabites ............................................................ 45 Zephaniah 2:12 – Divine punishment for the Cushites ................................................................. 48 Zephaniah 2:13–15 – Divine punishment for the Assyrians ......................................................... 50 Zephaniah 3:1–5 – Divine oracle against Judah ............................................................................ 53 Zephaniah 3:6–7 – Divine oracle against “the nations” ................................................................ 55 Zephaniah 3:8–13 – Divine oracle to save a remnant ................................................................... 57 Zephaniah 3:14–20d – Divine promise of salvation ..................................................................... 62 Zephaniah 3:20e - Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 67 2.5 Rhetorical overview of Zephaniah 1–3 ........................................................................................ 68 2.6 A Summary of rhetorical devices used in Zephaniah ................................................................... 70 Relevant contextual analysis ......................................................................................................... 70 Claim of divine authority .............................................................................................................. 70 Hyperbole...................................................................................................................................... 70 Dramatic appeal to the senses ....................................................................................................... 71 Metaphor and similes .................................................................................................................... 71 Contra-expectation ........................................................................................................................ 71 Indirect statement of reason .......................................................................................................... 71 Rhetorical use of lexical items ...................................................................................................... 71 Direct discourse ............................................................................................................................ 72 Thematic symmetry ...................................................................................................................... 72 3 2.7 A summary of rhetorical arguments in Zephaniah .....................................................................