21All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver—it was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.
The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is transliterated as “Solomon” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “wise” referring to 1 Kings 3:12. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 10:21:
Kupsabiny: “All Solomon’s utensils for drinking were made of gold. All the eating utensil in the House of Trees of Lebanon were also made of gold. There was nothing made of silver because silver was not of value during those days.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold. And all the utensils in the palace called "The Forest of Lebanon" were also gold. Nothing was made of silver because in the time of Solomon silver was very cheap.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “All of the drinking-cups of King Solomon were pure gold, and all the things-for-use/articles in the part of the palace which-is called Forest of Lebanon were also pure gold. These were- not -made of silver for the value of silver was-small only during the time of Solomon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “All of Solomon’s cups were made of gold, and all the various dishes in the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon were made of gold. They did not make things from silver, because during the years that Solomon ruled, silver was not considered to be valuable.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: The word vessels is a translation of a very general Hebrew term that may be rendered in a wide variety of ways from “utensils” to “armor” (see 1 Kgs 7.51). In this context the first reference is clearly to utensils used for drinking. The second occurrence may be translated by a more general term such as “utensils” (Good News Translation, New American Bible) since the text does not indicate what these vessels were or what their function was. New International Version speaks of “household articles.”
For the House of the Forest of Lebanon, see verse 17.
For pure gold, see the comments on these words in 1 Kgs 6.20.
None were of silver, it was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon: The pronoun it refers, of course, to silver. Although some biblical writings indicate that silver was a sign of wealth (Isa 60.17; Zech 9.3), the writer of this verse states that silver was not as highly valued as gold was in the time of Solomon. Compare New American Bible: “There was no silver, for in Solomon’s time it was considered worthless.” This overstatement is doubtless a way of highlighting the great wealth of the kingdom of Israel under Solomon.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
10:21a All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold,
All King Solomon’s drinking cups were ⌊made⌋ of gold, -or-
All the cups from which King Solomon drank ⌊wine⌋ were ⌊formed/shaped from⌋ gold.
10:21b and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.
and the dishes in the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. -or-
None of the vessels/containers in Lebanon Forest/Woods hall were made from anything but fine gold.
10:21c There was no silver,
Nothing ⌊there⌋ was made of silver, -or-
There were no silver objects/articles ⌊in that hall/building⌋.
10:21d because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
because silver had little value in Solomon’s time. -or-
When Solomon was king, people did not consider silver to be of much value/worth.
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