complete verse (1 Chronicles 8:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 8:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “Shaharaim chased away his two wives. Those wives were Hushim and Baara. Hushim had earlier born to Shaharaim two sons. One was called Abitub and the other was called Elpaal. Shaharaim later married another woman who was called Hodesh in Moab. That wife bore to him seven sons and they were Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malkam, Jeuz, Sakia and Mirmah. All these sons later became leaders in their houses/families.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “From Hushim, Shaharaim had two sons, Ahitub and Elpaal.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Shaharaim also had children with his wife Hushim. They were Abitub and Elpaal.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Another descendant of Benjamin was Shaharaim. He and his wife Hushim had two sons, Abitub and Elpaal. In the Moab region, Shaharaim divorced Hushim and his other wife Baara. Then he married a woman whose name was Hodesh, and they had seven sons: Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah. They were all leaders of their clans.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 8:11

He also had sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal: The pronoun He refers to Shaharaim (verse 8). In some languages it may be wise to use the proper name again at this point, as in New Living Translation. For Hushim see 1 Chr 8.8. Shaharaim had already divorced Hushim before he had seven children by Hodesh. For this reason some versions correctly use the past perfect tense. New Living Translation, for example, has “Shaharaim’s wife Hushim had already given birth to Abitub and Elpaal” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, El libro del Pueblo de Dios). Compare also “Earlier Shaharaim had had two sons by his wife Hushim, Abitub and Elpaal” (Bible en français courant).

Translators should be aware of how someone only hearing the text read may understand it since translations are not intended for readers only. When a literal translation of this verse such as Revised Standard Version is heard in public reading, it may sound as if Shaharaim had sons by three women: Hushim, Abitub, and Elpaal. Good News Translation, which adds the word “two,” will be understood more easily (so also Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Another possible model that does this is “Shaharaim also had two sons named Abitub and Elpaal by Hushim.” The sons of Elpaal are listed in the following verse, but nothing is said regarding the descendants of Abitub.

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 8:11

8:11 He also had sons by Hushim: Abitub and Elpaal.

Shaharaim and Hushim’s sons were Abitub and Elpaal.
-or-
Shaharaim’s wife Hushim ⌊was the mother of⌋ Abitub and Elpaal.

8:8-11 (reordered)

Shaharaim and his wife Hushim had ⌊two sons,⌋ Abitub and Elpaal. Then, having divorced his wives Hushim and Baara, Shaharaim had ⌊sons⌋ through his wife Hodesh. At that time they lived in Moab. Shaharaim and Hodesh ⌊became the parents of⌋ Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sachia, and Mirmah. These sons became the heads of their families.

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