The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “son of” in English is translated in all Icelandic Bible versions of the Icelandic Bible Society (latest edition 2007) in parallel with the Icelandic naming system . This means that for instance in Matthew 16:17 the name that is transliterated and translated in English as “Simon son of Jonah” becomes “Simon Jónasson” or in Isaiah 8:2 “Zechariah son of Jeberechiah” becomes “Sakaría Jeberekíason” where in both cases the “-son” means “son of.”
In cases where “son of” does not refer to a literal father or perhaps stepfather but to lineage, however, this system is not used. So in Matthew 1:1 “Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” is translated as “Jesú Krists, sonar Davíðs, sonar Abrahams.”
The referenced verses all have at least one instance where the Icelandic patronymic or matronymic naming system is used. (Source: Halldór Elías Guðmundsson)
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 1:43:
Kupsabiny: “The kings who ruled the land of Edom before any king ruled Israel were these: The first was one who was called Bela son of Beor and his city was called Dinhabah.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “These are the kings who ruled in Edom before there was a king in Israel — Bela son of Beor, and his city was Dinhabah.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “These were the kings of Edom during the time when the Israelinhon have no kings: Bela of/from-Dinhaba the child of Beor.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “These are the names of the kings that ruled the Edom region before any kings ruled over Israel: Bela, the son of Beor, was king in Edom, and the name of the city in which he lived was Dinhabah.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
For many readers the presentation of the names of the Edomite kings in the form of a list in verses 43-50 as in Good News Translation will be easier to read and understand than the presentation in paragraph form as in Revised Standard Version. Translators need to consider what form will be most effective in their own language. By adding the words “one after the other,” Good News Translation (and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje) also attempts to make it clear from the beginning that the following list is in the order of the chronological appearance of these kings.
These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites means Edom had kings ruling over the inhabitants of that land before Israel had kings ruling over the Israelites. Most translations express this meaning clearly, but New American Bible says “The kings who reigned in the land of Edom before they had Israelite kings were the following,” which means the Edomites had their own kings before Israelite kings ruled over them. Some translations give this alternative interpretation in a footnote (so New International Version, New Living Translation). TheIsraelites is literally “the sons of Israel,” which may be rendered “the people of Israel.”
Dinhabah (verse 43) may have been Bela’s place of birth, but more likely it refers to the area of his rule.
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 .
1:43a These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites:
Before Israel had a king that ruled over Israel, these were the kings who ruled in Edom. -or-
⌊The following list of men⌋ are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom. ⌊They reigned⌋ before ⌊there were⌋ any Israelite kings who ruled in Israel.
1:43b Bela son of Beor. His city was named Dinhabah.
⌊The first king was named⌋ Bela. He was the son of Beor. Bela ruled from a city called Dinhabah. -or-
⌊The name of Edom’s first king was⌋ Bela. His father was Beor. Bela ruled ⌊in Edom⌋ from a place called Dinhabah.
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