The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “son of” in English is translated in all Icelandic Bible versions of the Icelandic Bible Society (latest edition 2007) in parallel with the Icelandic patronymic naming system . This means that for instance in Matthew 16:17 the name that is transliterated and translated in English as “Simon son of Jonah” becomes “Simon Jónasson” or in Isaiah 8:2 “Zechariah son of Jeberechiah” becomes “Sakaría Jeberekíason” where in both cases the “-son” means “son of.”
In cases where “son of” does not refer to a literal father or perhaps stepfather but to lineage, however, this system is not used. So in Matthew 1:1 “Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” is translated as “Jesú Krists, sonar Davíðs, sonar Abrahams.”
The referenced verses all have at least one instance where the patronymic naming system is used. (Source: Halldór Elías Guðmundsson)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 4:34:
Kupsabiny: “Other houses of the clan of Simeon became many and prospered much. The people who headed those houses were Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, Joel, Jehu (who was son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel), Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, Ziza (who was son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Meshobab, Jamlec, Josha (the child of Amazia),” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “The men in the following list were the leaders of their clans: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah the son of Amaziah, Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah. Joshibiah was the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Asiel. Other clan leaders were Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, and Ziza. Ziza was the son of Shiphi and the grandson of Allon, who was the son of Jedaiah, who was the son of Shimri, who was the son of Shemaiah. Those families became very large/numerous.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
As noted in the comments on the previous verse, these verses seem to have no clear connection to what precedes. The ancient Syriac translation, in fact, does not have verses 34-37. The demonstrative pronoun these in verse 38 seems to refer back to the names in verses 34-37, so Good News Translation restructures and numbers these verses as 34-38 (also Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch moves the words “The heads of their clans were” from verse 38 to the beginning of verse 34, explaining in a footnote that the words were moved. In addition to restructuring, Contemporary English Version also omits several names in these verses, and the reason is not clear. Contemporary English Version reads as follows:
34-38 As their families and clans became larger, the people of Simeon had the following leaders: Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshiah son of Amaziah, Joel, Jehu, Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, and Ziza.
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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