22Then the prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 20:22:
Kupsabiny: “Then, that prophet returned to Ahab and said, ‘Prepare yourself well, for the king of Syria will come to fight you that (next) year.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “After that the prophet came to the King of Israel and spoke like this, "Come, strengthen yourself! Think carefully about what you have to do. In the time of the coming spring season, the King of Aram will attack you again.”” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “After that, the prophet came-near to the king of Israel and said, ‘You prepare and plan carefully, for the king of Aram will-attack again next year.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Then that same prophet went to King Ahab and said to him, ‘Go back and prepare your soldiers, and think carefully about what will be necessary for you to do, because the king of Syria with attack with his army again in the springtime of next year.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
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 prophet refers to the unnamed “prophet” mentioned in verse 13.
For came near, see the comments on verse 13.
As in the previous verse, the Hebrew says the king of Israel but Good News Translation refers to him by name.
Come is translated with an almost opposite meaning in Good News Translation (“Go back”). The Hebrew verb here may be understood either way, but in this context the more likely meaning is “Go” (New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).
The Hebrew verb rendered strengthen yourself is second person singular. In this form it may mean “show yourself to be courageous” or “show yourself to be strong.” The main question, however, is whether the prophet means that (a) Ahab himself should “be resolute” (New Jerusalem Bible) or (b) he is to strengthen his army. The second understanding is the basis for the rendering “build up your forces” in Good News Translation and Revised English Bible. Similarly, “regroup your forces” (New American Bible) and “Build up your troops” (Contemporary English Version) also follow the second interpretation. Either interpretation is possible, so translators must simply choose one.
Consider well is literally “know and see” (see the comments on this same idiom in verse 7).
In the spring is literally “in the return of the year.” The basic meaning of the expression used here is generally thought to be that of repetition or return of a time of the year. The sense may be simply “at this same time next year.” More likely, however, as in 2 Sam 11.1, this Hebrew expression refers to the spring equinox. This idiom occurs also in 2 Chr 36.10 to indicate the time when Nebuchadnezzar brought Jehoiachin to Babylon. A similar Hebrew expression occurs in 2 Kgs 13.20 to note when the habitual invasion of the land of Israel by the Moabites took place. Many modern versions say “in the spring” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version) or something similar, such as “at the beginning of the year” (New American Bible). In those parts of the world where the season of spring is unknown, it may be necessary to say “at the turn of the year” (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible).
Will come up is a literal translation of the Hebrew, but the verb is used here as a military term, meaning “to attack.”
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 .
20:22a Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said,
But/Later the prophet returned and said to the king of Israel, -or-
But the prophet approached the king of Israel ⌊again⌋. He told the king, -or-
The man of God went to speak to King Ahab ⌊again⌋. He told him
20:22b “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do,
“Go, strengthen your (sing) ⌊army⌋. See/Think what you (sing) must/should do ⌊to prepare yourself⌋. -or-
“Begin now to build up your (sing) strength/forces. Find out what has to be done ⌊to protect Samaria⌋. -or-
to strengthen his ⌊army/defences⌋ and make plans ⌊for protecting/defending Samaria⌋.
20:22c for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
For at the beginning of the year the king of Aram is going to attack you (sing) again.” -or-
The king of Aram is planning another attack against you (sing) at the beginning of this next/coming year.” -or-
⌊He explained/warned that⌋ in the new year the king of Aram/Syria was going to attack ⌊Israel⌋ again.
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