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.”
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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