Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 10:4

Your father made our yoke heavy: See Samuel’s warning in 1 Sam 8.10-18. Your father refers to Solomon, so Contemporary English Version and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente say “Your father Solomon” for clarity. A yoke is a wooden bar that joins together the necks of two cows or oxen so that they may work together. The Hebrew noun for yoke is often used figuratively in the Old Testament, as it is here, to refer to slavery or oppression (for example, Isa 9.4; 10.27; Jer 27.8|p, 11rj:RSV.JER.27.8). Here the Israelites are referring to the forced labor and high taxes that Solomon had imposed on the people in order to build the Temple, his palace, and other building projects. Good News Translation omits completely the metaphorical language of the yoke and speaks of “heavy burdens” (also Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). Similarly, New Living Translation says “Your father was a hard master,” Moffatt has “Your father’s rule was heavy,” and Bible en français courant translates “Your father always treated us as slaves.” In languages where the yoke is known, it may be possible to keep this image while also expressing its meaning. Translators may change the metaphor into a simile by saying “Your father placed heavy burdens on us like a yoke on oxen.” For the figurative use of yoke in the New Testament, compare Matt 11.29-30.

The Hebrew of this verse, and also of verses 9-10, contains a play on words between the word for our yoke (ʿullenu) and the word for upon us (ʿalenu). Such a wordplay will be impossible to reproduce in most languages.

Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke upon us: The writer refers to the hard service and heavy yoke. New Living Translation renders this as “harsh labor demands” and “heavy taxes.” However, some interpreters think that only one thought is intended and show this by placing the second phrase in apposition to the first one; for example, New Jerusalem Bible says “your father’s cruel slavery, that heavy yoke which he imposed on us.” The pronoun us should be exclusive in those languages that distinguish between inclusive and exclusive pronouns.

We will serve you: It was not possible for each individual Israelite to give personal service to Rehoboam. In this context the sense is that the Israelites would be loyal subjects (so Good News Translation, New Living Translation).

La Bible du Semeur offers a possible model for restructuring this verse by shifting the main clause (we will serve you) forward in the verse as follows:

• Your father imposed a very heavy yoke on us. We will be submitted to you on condition that you now lighten the weighty bondage and this heavy yoke that your father imposed on us.

For languages that seek to avoid direct discourse, here is a possible model:

• They complained to him about the heavy burdens that his father Solomon had placed on them and said that they would follow him and be subject to him only if he would lighten their burdens to make things easier for them.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

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