The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is transliterated as “Levi” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign that signifies a menorah referring to the temple service of the tribe of the Levites. The same sign is also used for the tribe. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Benjamin” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “wolf,” referring to Genesis 49:27. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 21:6:
Kupsabiny: “Joab did not count the people of the clan of Levi and those of the clan of Benjamin, because what David had said had made him angry.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “But Joab did not count the number of the Levites and Benjaminites. For king David’s command was very displeasing to him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “But Joab did- not -include counting the tribes of Levi and Benjamin because he was angry with the command of the king.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Joab did not count the men from the tribes of Levi and Benjamin, because he was disgusted with what the king had commanded.” (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.”
But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering is literally “And Levi and Benjamin he did not count [or, muster] among them.” But translates the common Hebrew conjunction. Here it introduces a contrast with the previous verse. It should be made clear in translation that the pronoun he refers to Joab. Good News Translation substitutes the name “Joab” for the pronoun he at the beginning of this verse and replaces the name Joab at the end of the verse with the pronoun “he.” The immediate reason for not including the tribes of Levi and Benjamin in the census is stated at the end of this verse. But the text does not indicate why Joab objected so strongly to the census. According to Num 1.49, the tribe of Levi was not to be included in a census, probably because the Levites did not have to serve in the army. Scholars have suggested different possible reasons why Benjamin also was not included, but since the text does not say, translators should not attempt to say why in the translation. Some versions render Levi and Benjamin as “the tribes of Levi and Benjamin” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Versión Internacional, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), so that readers will not think that two individuals are in view here.
For the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab: The king’s command is literally “the king’s word.” But the Revised Standard Version rendering correctly communicates the sense in this context. Some modern versions refer to “the king’s order” (Revised English Bible, Complete Jewish Bible) or “what the king had made him do” (New Living Translation). The Hebrew verb rendered was abhorrent refers to strong feelings of disgust or loathing that come when a person’s religious or moral order has been offended. For this whole clause Revised English Bible has “so deep was his repugnance against the king’s order” (similarly New American Bible), and American Bible says “because the command of the king was repugnant to Joab” (similarly La Bible du Semeur). The language level of the words “repugnance” and “repugnant” is high, but “repugnance” correctly indicates greater feelings than simply “disapproved” (Good News Translation), which is too weak to translate the Hebrew verb. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy says that Joab “did not like” the king’s order, but “did not like” is also too weak. A stronger expression such as “detested” or “was repulsive” (New International Version) should be used.
The Hebrew text states the reason at the end of the verse for not taking a census of the two tribes. Good News Translation places the reason first. But translators should choose whichever structure is more natural in their own language.
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 .
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