complete verse (1 Chronicles 4:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 4:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “And Helah, she bore to Asshur four sons. Those sons were: Zereth, Izhar, Ethnan and Koz.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan and Koz.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The children of Hela and Ashur were Zeret, Izhar, Etnan,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The sons of Ashhur and his wife Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 4:7

The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan: Good News Translation and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje insert the name “Ashhur” here (from verse 5 above) in order to give the name of both the father and the mother of these three sons. Contemporary English Version is similar with “Ashhur and Helah were the parents of Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan.” Almost nothing more is known of these three sons except that Ethnan was possibly the founder of the town of Ithnan mentioned in Josh 15.23.

Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation follow the reading in the text of the Masoretic Text with the name Izhar. Some translations follow the correction in the margin of the Masoretic Text by saying “Zohar” (New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

Some translations follow the Targum (that is, the ancient Aramaic version) by adding the name “Koz” at the end of this verse (so Revised English Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Osty-Trinquet, Luther, Klein), which would mean that Ashhur and his wife Helah had four sons. Such an addition makes a more logical connection with the next verse. But translators should follow the Masoretic Text here since the textual evidence for such a change is not very strong.

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 4:7

4:7 The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,

⌊Ashur’s other wife,⌋ Helah ⌊bore him⌋ sons named Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan,
-or-
Helah, ⌊the other wife of Ashur, had sons for him.⌋ They were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan

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