complete verse (1 Chronicles 11:36)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 11:36:

  • Kupsabiny: “Hepher who came from Mekerah, Ahijah who came from Pelon,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Hepher the Makerahite, Ahija the Pelonite,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Hefer of/from-Mekerat,
    Ahia of/from-Pelon,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Hepher from the Mekerath clan;
    Ahijah from the Pelon clan/town;” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 11:36

Hepher the Mecherathite (verse 36): There is no parallel for Hepher in 2 Sam 23. Mecherathite refers to either an unknown family or an unknown place. Good News Translation treats this as a place called “Mecherah.”

Ahijah the Pelonite (verse 36): The parallel text of 2 Sam 23.34 in the Masoretic Text has a completely different name, saying “Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite.” Here in 1 Chronicles perhaps a scribe accidentally omitted the words “Eliam son of” by jumping from the first letter in the Hebrew name “Eliam” to the same first letter in the Hebrew name “Ahithophel” and then jumped from the letter “l” in Ahithophel to the “l” in Gilonite, resulting in Ahijah the Pelonite. A few translations have corrected the Masoretic Text here in 1 Chronicles on the basis of the name in 2 Sam 23.34, reading “Ahijah of Gilo” (so New American Bible, La Bible Pléiade, Einheitsübersetzung). According to HALOT, the Hebrew word peloni refers to a person or place that is not known. The English equivalent for Ahijah the Pelonite would be “Ahijah from so-and-so.” Revised English Bible has “Ahijah from a place unknown.”

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 .