Pharaoh

The term that is used for monarchs in ancient Egypt and is transliterated as “Pharaoh” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying the “fake metal beard (postiche)” that was word by Pharaohs during official functions. (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Pharaoh” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Pharaoh .

complete verse (1 Kings 11:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 11:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “Pharaoh loved Hadad. So when he became mature/big/adult, he allowed him to marry his sister-in-law, a relative of his wife called Tahpenes.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Pharaoh was very pleased with Hadad. The King gave him his wife Queen Tahpanhes’s younger sister, in marriage.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The king really like Hadad, so he caused-to-be-married with Hadad his sister-in-law, the sibling of his wife Queen Tapenes.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The king liked Hadad. As a result he gave him the sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes, to be Hadad’s wife.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 11:19

If it is true that Hadad was no more than seven or eight years old when he arrived in Egypt, either he was married very young or considerable time elapsed between the events described in verse 18 and verse 19.

Found great favor in the sight of is literally “found great favor in the eyes of.” This is a common Hebrew idiom, meaning “to be considered or treated with kindness by someone.” This may be translated actively by saying something like “The king liked Hadad” (New Century Version) or “Pharaoh grew very fond of Hadad” (New Living Translation).

He gave him in marriage the sister of his own wife: Hadad married the sister of Pharaoh’s wife, that is, the “sister-in-law” (Good News Translation, La Bible du Semeur, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) of Pharaoh. Revised Standard Version says the sister of his own wife, which may suggest that this was the queen’s only sister. The Hebrew allows also for the translation “a sister of…” (New International Version, Revised English Bible). Nothing further is known about the queen’s family, but if translators must choose, it may be better to assume that she had other sisters as well.

Tahpenes is usually taken as a proper name. Some interpreters, however, understand it to be a transcription of the Egyptian title meaning “the wife of the king” or “the Great Lady.” The following rendering in New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant and Osty-Trinquet is misleading: “the Great Lady Tahpenes.” The footnote in New Jerusalem Bible here indicates that Tahpenes “is not a proper name but an Egyptian title.” The translation in New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant and Osty-Trinquet, though, will suggest that Tahpenes is in fact a proper name.

The queen: This is not the usual Hebrew noun for queen. In 2 Kgs 10.13; Jer 13.18 and 29.2 it refers to the queen mother and not the wife of the king. Here, however, it refers to the king’s wife.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 11:19

11:19a There Hadad found such great favor in the sight of Pharaoh

Pharaoh was very pleased with Hadad.
-or-
He liked Hadad very much.

11:19b that he gave to him in marriage the sister of Queen Tahpenes, his own wife.

So he gave Hadad a wife, the sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes.
-or-
So he let Hadad marry a sister of Queen Taphenes, his own wife.

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