complete verse (1 Chronicles 9:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 9:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “Some people from the clan of Benjamin also returned. Those people came from nine hundreds and fifty-six houses/families. The famous people among those people were Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Hodaviah, son of Hassenuah, and Ibneiah son of Jeroham. Others were Elah son of Uzzi who was son of Michri. And others were Meshullam son of Shephatiah, son of Reuel, son of Ibnijah.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “According to the genealogy of Benjamin there were 956 in Jerusalem. They were all people with their own families.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They were all leaders/[lit. heads] of their families. 956 all men from the tribe of Benjamin were-able-to-return, according to the list of their descendants.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “In other records of the people descended from Benjamin, there are the names of 956 people who were living in Jerusalem. All these were leaders of their clans.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

large numbers in Angguruk Yali

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.

Source: Lourens de Vries in The Bible Translator 1998, p. 409ff.

See also numbers in Ngalum and numbers in Kombai.

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 9:9

And their kinsmen according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty-six: In Revised Standard Version this phrase continues the long, complex sentence started in verse 7, but a number of versions begin a new sentence here (so New International Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). Good News Translation goes even further by starting a new paragraph because this verse constitutes a kind of summary statement. But other versions, such as Contemporary English Version, restructure the whole of verses 7-9 together. Good News Translation omits according to their generations, but New International Version keeps this phrase by saying “as listed in their genealogy,” and so does New Century Version with “the family history … lists.” As in verse 6, the number nine hundred and fifty-six probably refers to the total number of people from the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Jerusalem (so Contemporary English Version), not the total number of families (so Good News Translation).

All these were heads of fathers’ houses according to their fathers’ houses: Good News Translation correctly takes this clause to refer to the persons named in verses 7-8. For heads of fathers’ houses, see the comments on 1 Chr 5.24. Good News Translation renders this phrase as “heads of families” and does not repeat it, which other languages may find helpful.

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 .