7The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five, heads of ancestral houses, mighty warriors; and their enrollment by genealogies was twenty-two thousand thirty-four.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 7:7:
Kupsabiny: “Bela had five sons: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri. Each one was a leader in his house and very skilled/fierce in battle. The descendant of Bela who were fit to enter the army were twenty-two thousands and thirty-four (22,034). Each person was registered according to their house.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Bela had five sons. Their names were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth and Iri. They all were heads of each of their families. According to their genealogy, they had 22,034 soldiers.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Bela had five children who were Ezbon, Uzi, Uziel, Jerimot, and Iri. They were leaders/[lit. heads] of their families. The numbers of their good soldiers were 22,034, according to the list of their descendants.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Angguruk Yali which uses a system that ends at the number 27. To circumvent this limitation, the Angguruk Yali translators adopted a strategy where a large number is first indicated with an approximation via the traditional system, followed by the exact number according to Arabic numerals. For example, where in 2 Samuel 6:1 it says “thirty thousand” in the English translation, the Angguruk Yali says teng-teng angge 30.000 or “so many rounds [following the body part tally system] 30,000,” likewise, in Acts 27:37 where the number “two hundred seventy-six” is used, the Angguruk Yali translation says teng-teng angge 276 or “so many rounds 276,” or in John 6:10 teng-teng angge 5.000 for “five thousand.”
This strategy is used in all the verses referenced here.
The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, five: Bela was one of Benjamin’s sons (verse 6). The names of Bela’s sons according to 1 Chr 8.3-5 were Addar, Gera, Abihud, Abishua, Naaman, Ahoah, Gera, Shephuphan, and Huram. According to Num 26.40, Bela’s sons were Ard and Naaman (see the comments on the previous verse).
Heads of fathers’ houses: See the comments on 1 Chr 7.2.
Mighty warriors: See the comments on 1 Chr 5.24.
And their enrollment by genealogies was twenty-two thousand and thirty-four: For their enrollment by genealogies, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “In the registries,” and American Bible has “Their official genealogy.” As in verses 1-5, the numbers in this section seem to come from a military census. Therefore the number twenty-two thousand and thirty-four does not refer to all of the descendants of Bela, but only to “men available for military service” (New Living Translation; similarly Good News Translation).
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 .
7:7a The sons of Bela: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, heads of their families—five in all.
Bela’s five sons were Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. They were all leaders of their families in their clans. -or-
Bela was the father of Ezbon and Uzzi and Uzziel and Jerimoth and Iri. He had these five sons who were the chiefs of their clans. -or-
Bela had five sons. ⌊Their names were⌋ Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri. ⌊These men⌋ led/guided their descendants.
7:7b There were 22,034 mighty men of valor listed in their genealogies.
⌊Bela⌋ had 22,034 descendants in his family line who were strong warriors. It was written in their ancestral records. -or-
There were twenty-two thousand and thirty-four (22,034) of them listed/enrolled as brave/virtuous soldiers in the books of their ancestors.
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