complete verse (1 Kings 12:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 12:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, Rehoboam became tough on those people following/according to the words of his generation and neglected/ignored what the elders had told him.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Without heeding the advice of the elders, the King in accordance with the advice of the young men spoke harshly to the people,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But Rehoboam did- not -obey what the ones-who-rule had-advised him. Instead, he spoke harshly to the people” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The king ignored the advice of the older men and spoke harshly to the Israeli leaders.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • 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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 12:13

The king answered the people harshly: The Hebrew adjective translated harshly comes from the same root as the verb translated “made heavy” in verse 4. Here it qualifies the speaking of the king as being done in a severe and unkind way. New Century Version translates “King Rehoboam spoke cruel words to them” while Contemporary English Version has “He spoke bluntly.”

Forsaking the counsel which the old men had given him is a reference to verse 8. See the comments there, especially on “forsook.”

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 12:13

12:13a And the king answered the people harshly.

Then the king spoke harshly/bluntly to the people.
-or-
Rehoboam gave them a harsh/severe answer.

12:13b He rejected the advice of the elders

He rejected/ignored the counsel that the old men had given him.
-or-
He refused to follow the advice of the older men/counselors.

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