Asher

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Asher” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign for “(oak) tree” that signifies fruitfulness (referring to Genesis 49:20). (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Asher” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

More information on Asher and the Tribe of Asher .

complete verse (1 Chronicles 12:36)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 12:36:

  • Kupsabiny: “Forty thousands (40,000) people who had been taught and were prepared for battle came from the clan of Asher.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then from the tribe of Asher came 40,000 soldiers prepared for battle.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “From the tribe of Asher: 40,000 skilled/expert soldiers who were-prepared for battle.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “There were 47,000 experienced soldiers from the tribe of Asher, all trained to fight battles.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

large numbers in Angguruk Yali

Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Angguruk Yali which uses a system that ends at the number 27. To circumvent this limitation, the Angguruk Yali translators adopted a strategy where a large number is first indicated with an approximation via the traditional system, followed by the exact number according to Arabic numerals. For example, where in 2 Samuel 6:1 it says “thirty thousand” in the English translation, the Angguruk Yali says teng-teng angge 30.000 or “so many rounds [following the body part tally system] 30,000,” likewise, in Acts 27:37 where the number “two hundred seventy-six” is used, the Angguruk Yali translation says teng-teng angge 276 or “so many rounds 276,” or in John 6:10 teng-teng angge 5.000 for “five thousand.”

This strategy is used in all the verses referenced here.

Source: Lourens de Vries in The Bible Translator 1998, p. 409ff.

See also numbers in Ngalum and numbers in Kombai.

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Chronicles 12:36

12:36 From Asher: 40,000 fit for service, prepared for battle.

From the tribe of Asher there were forty thousand trained soldiers ready for war.
-or-
And there were forty thousand (40,000) good soldiers who came from Asher. They were ready to fight.

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.