23Now the rest of all the acts of Asa, all his power, all that he did, and the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? But in his old age he was diseased in his feet.
The name that is transliterated as “Asa” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that depicts the concept of order and mandates. As the third king of Judah, Asa ordered the destruction of the altars, he took the cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made (see 1 Kings 15:11 and following). (Source: Missão Kophós )
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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”
The final summary of Asa’s reign follows the usual formula and gives particular attention to his military achievements and what he had done in construction. As in previous cases, the rhetorical question may be better translated as a statement in many languages (see 1 Kgs 14.29).
All his might most likely refers to his military victories. Compare Peregrino: “his military exploits/deeds.” But it may also be understood in a more general sense as “all his successes” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) or “the courage that he showed” (Bible en français courant). This same Hebrew noun rendered might is used in reference to Baasha in 1 Kgs 16.5 and of Omri in 1 Kgs 16.27.
And the cities which he built: These words are not in some Greek manuscripts. New Jerusalem Bible omits them, considering them to be a later addition from the previous verse. But these words form a part of the Masoretic Text and there is no convincing reason why they should be omitted. Built is rendered “fortified” by Good News Translation (see verses 17, 21-22).
The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah: See 1 Kgs 14.29.
But in his old age he was diseased in his feet: But translates a Hebrew adverb that expresses an exception. All of the things that are mentioned at the beginning of this verse are to be understood as signs of God’s approval and blessing. Then the writer adds the comment about Asa’s diseased feet, which is an implicit sign of God’s disapproval. The Septuagint even makes this explicit by saying that his disease was the result of his evil ways.
Asa may have had gout or dropsy when he was old. Sometimes in the Old Testament, the noun feet is used as a euphemism for the male genitals (for example, 2 Sam 11.8; Isa 6.2; 7.20). If feet is a euphemism here, the sense would be that Asa had some kind of venereal disease, but none of the translations consulted expresses this interpretation.
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 .
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