Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 18:5:
Kupsabiny: “When those news reached the people of Aram there in Damascus, they sent soldiers to aid Hadadezer, But David killed twenty-two thousand of those soldiers.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The Arameans from the city of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah. But David killed their 22,000 soldiers.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “When the Arameanhon from Damascus arrived to help Hadadezer, David and company killed the 22,000 of them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When the army of Syria came from Damascus city to help Hadadezer’s army, David’s soldiers killed 22,000 of them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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.
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.”
And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah: Because Zobah was part of the Syrian federation, the other Syrians set out to help their fellow countryman. Syrians is literally “Aram.” Many versions say “Arameans” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), but as far back as King James Version the Hebrew noun here has been translated “Syrians” since it refers to the same geographical area. Some consider the term Syrians misleading when used for the period prior to 1000 B.C., but many modern versions find it acceptable in this context (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, La Bible du Semeur). This is true for the frequent references to the name throughout this book (especially in chapters 18 and 19). Since readers are more likely to think of Damascus only as a city, it may be better to add a word with a wider meaning such as “territory,” “region” or “country” to show that a “nation-state” is involved. For the Syrians of Damascus, Contemporary English Version speaks of “the Syrian kingdom of Damascus.” In the Masoretic Text Damascus is written here as “Darmeseq,” but it will be best to use the same spelling in the receptor language as elsewhere in the Old Testament. The Hebrew verb for came is third person singular. Since “Aram” refers to the people of Syria, most translations will use a plural verb. Good News Translation clarifies the meaning of the verb came with “sent an army.” Similarly, Contemporary English Version speaks of “troops.” Since Hadadezer has already been identified in verse 3 as king of Zobah, Good News Translation omits the name Zobah for reasons of English style. Bible en français courant abbreviates even more, saying simply “Hadadezer.”
David slew twenty-two thousand men of the Syrians: Slew renders the same Hebrew word translated “defeated” in verses 1-3. But this context seems to require the more specific meaning “killed” (Good News Translation) since the victims are counted. Of course, David would not have personally killed all twenty-two thousand enemy soldiers, so some languages may require “David and his men” or “the army of David” as the subject of this verb. The object of this verb includes the words of the Syrians (literally “of Aram”), repeating the name used at the beginning of this verse. However, in some languages it will be more natural to use a pronoun, saying “of them,” or to leave this phrase untranslated.
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 .
18:5a When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah,
The Aramean ⌊people from the region⌋ of Damascus went to help Hadadezer king of Zobah. -or-
The Syrian ⌊army from the territory⌋ of Damascus came to help ⌊their countrymen, the army of⌋ king Hadadezer.
18:5b David struck down twenty-two thousand men.
⌊When they went,⌋ David killed twenty-two thousand ⌊Arameans⌋ . -or-
⌊But when the Syrians came, the army of⌋ David overcame and killed twenty-two thousand (22,000) of them.
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