complete verse (1 Chronicles 2:50)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 2:50:

  • Kupsabiny: “Hur was the firstborn of Ephrath who was a wife of Caleb. Hur had these sons: Shobal who started the city of Kiriath-jearim,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “These were also descendants of Caleb.
    Hur was the eldest son of Caleb, Ephrathah gave birth to him. The sons of Hur were Shobal, founder of Kiriath-jearim,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “These were the descendants of Caleb.
    Hur was the eldest child of Caleb and Efrata. The male children of Hur were Shobal the father of Kiriat Jearim,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 2:50

These were the descendants of Caleb: This sentence may refer to the people named in the previous verses (so Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Complete Jewish Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or to the people named in the following verses (so Good News Translation, New Century Version, Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). If the latter interpretation is followed, it will be important to add the conjunction “also” (Good News Translation) or something similar.

The sons of Hur the first-born of Ephrathah: Verse 19 has already identified Hur as the son of Caleb and Ephrath (or, Ephrathah); but Hur’s son Uri, who was mentioned in verse 20, is not listed here. The sons of Hur is literally “Son of Hur.” Many versions have the plural “sons,” as the context requires (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Reina-Valera revisada). Others, following the Septuagint, correct the text to read “sons” (so Revised English Bible). Whether done for textual reasons or not, the context requires the plural.

Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim: Here and in the next verse, the father of may be translated “the founder of” (Revised English Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) or “founded” (Good News Translation). Kiriathjearim, as well as “Bethlehem” and “Bethgader” in the next verse, were all well-known cities. Kiriath-jearim, located about 13 kilometers (8 miles) northwest of Jerusalem, is well known from the story about the Covenant Box in 1 Sam 5–7. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has the following footnote on this verse: “Here it will be particularly clear that the lists of descendants at the same time describe a classification of clans in a specific territory (names of cities and of clans).”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Chronicles 2:50

2:50a These were the descendants of Caleb.

⌊All these people⌋ were the descendants of Caleb.
-or-

⌊The above mentioned people were⌋ the descendants of Caleb.

2:50b The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah:

Hur was the firstborn of Ephrathah. ⌊He had the following sons.⌋
-or-
Hur was the first son of ⌊Caleb and his wife⌋ Ephrathah. ⌊Hur had the following sons.⌋

2:50c Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim,

Shobal was the founder of ⌊the town of⌋ Kiriath-jearim.
-or-
Shobal established ⌊the city of⌋ Kiriath-jearim.

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