Nebuchadnezzar

The term that is transliterated as “Nebuchadnezzar” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the signs for “king” and one signifying a wavy beard, referring to the common way of wearing a beard in Mesopotamia (see here ). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Nebuchadnezzar” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting “idol in my image,” referring to Daniel 3:1. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Nebuchadnezzar” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Nebuchadnezzar .

Translation commentary on 1 Esdras 1:53

These slew their young men with the sword around their holy temple: The demonstrative pronoun These refers to the Babylonian soldiers. This clause may be rendered “The Babylonia soldiers used their swords to kill the Judean young men who were around the Temple of God.” Slew … with the sword is an idiomatic expression for killing violently, not necessarily by means of a sword, so Good News Bible renders this whole clause as “The Babylonians killed the young men of Judah all around the Temple.”

And did not spare young man or virgin, old man or child: Virgin here is simply a parallel to young man, not an indicator of the sexual inexperience of the young girls. This clause may be translated “They killed everyone, whether young men or women, old people or children.”

For he gave them all into their hands means that God allowed the Babylonians to do whatever they liked with the people of Judah.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• The invading army [or, The Babylonian soldiers] killed the young men all around their holy Temple [or, God’s Temple]. They killed everyone. For the Lord handed everyone over to the enemy, men and women, young and old.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.