The name that is transliterated as “Abiathar” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that combines “priest” and “last.” Abiathar was a priest during the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon. He was also the last priest in the lineage of Eli (1 Kings 2:27). (Source: Missão Kophós )
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin that is translated as “army” in English is translated in Chichewa as “group of warriors.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”
Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada … and Abiathar: Ahithophel committed suicide according to 2 Sam 17.23. So although the Hebrew does not state here that Jehoiada and Abiathar succeeded Ahithophel because he died, Good News Translation makes that explicit by beginning with “After Ahithophel died” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).
Revised Standard Version‘s rendering of this sentence reflects the ambiguity of the Hebrew, which is literally “and after Ahitophel Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar.” Did Jehoiada and Abiathar succeed Ahithophel at the same time, or did Abiathar follow Jehoiada after a period of time? Contemporary English Version follows the second sense by saying “Jehoiada the son of Benaiah was the king’s advisor after Ahithophel, and later, Abiathar was his advisor.” However, it is more likely that they became advisers at the same time (so Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Nueva Versión Internacional). New Jerusalem Bible expresses this sense by saying “Jehoiada son of Benaiah and Abiathar succeeded Ahitophel,” but this rendering sounds as if Benaiah and Abiathar were both parents of Jehoiada. Translations should be clear that Jehoiada was not the son of Abiathar also. New International Version, for example, says “Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar.”
According to the Masoretic Text, both Jehoiada and Abiathar were advisers to King David. Since Abiathar was a priest, some interpreters think that a scribe accidently omitted the words “his priest,” so they correct and Abiathar to read “and his priest was Abiathar” (Knoppers). Einheitsübersetzung says “Abiathar was priest,” and then states in a footnote that this rendering is “expanded by analogy.” However, there is no textual support for such a correction.
Joab was commander of the king’s army: See 1 Chr 11.6 and 18.5.
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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