Translation commentary on 1 Kings 12:9

Revised Standard Version follows the form of the Hebrew by including the people’s words of verse 4 as a quotation within the quotation of Rehoboam’s question. Good News Translation and New Living Translation restructure the text by turning the embedded quotation into an indirect quotation.

What do you advise…?: As in verse 6, neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation show the emphasis that the Hebrew places on the pronoun you in Rehoboam’s question. Compare Traduction œcuménique de la Bible: “And you, what do you advise?”

The Hebrew participle translated advise comes from the same root as the verb translated “took counsel” in verse 6.

That we answer: The Hebrew verb translated answer is literally “return word.” The use of the first person plural pronoun we in this context may be taken as a “royal we” (referring to the king alone), or it may indicate Rehoboam’s closeness with the young men he is now addressing. One manuscript of the Septuagint has the singular pronoun “I” instead. Several modern versions (Good News Translation, New American Bible, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version) translate in this way, but it is not clear whether they are following the Septuagint or understand the Hebrew as a “royal we.”

Who have said to me is literally “who have said to me saying.”

Lighten the yoke that your father put upon us: See the comments on verse 4. The first person plural pronoun us will be exclusive in those languages that distinguish between inclusive and exclusive pronouns.

This whole verse may have to be structured differently in certain languages since it will be more natural to repeat the request of the whole assembly (either as direct or indirect discourse) at the beginning of the verse rather than at the end. A possible model for this kind of restructuring is found in Bible en français courant (similarly Parole de Vie):

• He said to them: “These people are asking me to relieve them a little of the burden that my father imposed on them like a yoke. What response do you advise me to give them?”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

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