Rehoboam

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Rehoboam” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the signs for “king” + “divide” + “south.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

In Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) it is translated with the sign for “hard heart” and a selfish and disobedient facial expression. (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Rehoboam” in Libras (source )

More information on Rehoboam .

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

complete verse (1 Kings 15:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 15:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “Rehoboam would not see eye to eye with/come near to Jeroboam.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The war which had started between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued throughout Abijah’s lifetime.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “In the time-past Rehoboam and Jeroboam always fight-each-other, and then later on Abia and Jeroboam also fight-each-other. The other story about the reign of Abia, and all that he did, were-written in the Book of the History of the Kings of Juda.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “There were wars between the armies of Rehoboam and Jeroboam all during the time that Abijah ruled.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 15:6

For the details of the war between Abijah and Jeroboam, see 2 Chr 13.3-21.

This verse is almost identical in Hebrew to 1 Kgs 14.30. Some Greek manuscripts omit this verse, and a number of translations follow the Greek, thinking that a scribe copied 14.30 here (so Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Osty-Trinquet). But Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament correctly argues that verses 5b-6 have been accidentally omitted in the Septuagint.

Some Hebrew manuscripts read “Abijam” here instead of Rehoboam, and this is followed by a number of modern versions, including New Century Version, New Living Translation, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; but Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text, which should be followed. The author states that the war between Abijam and Jeroboam (verse 7) already had its beginnings in the war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.

Some other translations follow the Hebrew by keeping this verse in the translation, but they have restructured the text by taking the information about war between Abijah and Jeroboam at the end of verse 7 and moving it forward to the end of verse 6 as follows: “[the war] continued throughout Abijah’s lifetime” (so Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). The first edition of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch combines verses 6-7.

Another possible way of conveying the meaning of this verse may be seen in the following model:

• During the entire lifetime of Abijah, the soldiers of Rehoboam kept on fighting the soldiers of Jeroboam.

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 .