The Aramaic, Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “fast” in English is translated in Isthmus Mixe as “going without food to worship God,” in Lacandon as “leaving eating in order to talk to God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.), in Vidunda as “resting to eat” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext), and in Kankanaey as “endure hunger” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation).
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign referring to abstinence from food and drink. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 21:12:
Kupsabiny: “Those people called for a day where one should fast and then Naboth sat in front in/of the council meeting.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “On a certain day they put on a fast and assembled all the people in one place. Then they seated Naboth in a place of honor.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “They gathered the people to fast and had- Nabot -sit a little-ahead/in front of the people.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “They declared a day on which the people would all fast/abstain from food. And they gave Naboth a seat in a place where honored people sat, in front of the people.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Set Naboth on high among the people: See verse 9. The Hebrew verb form translated set is unusual in the context, and for this reason some scholars correct it to the expected form. But the form of the verb here is the same as in verse 9. Walsh argues that the writer may have deliberately used the same verb form here, even though it does not fit grammatically, in order to show that the men of Jezreel did exactly, word-for-word, what Jezebel ordered in verse 9. Even if Walsh is correct, this kind of subtle use of verb forms in Hebrew cannot be expressed in translation in most languages.
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 .
21:12 They proclaimed a fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
The men declared/announced a day for fasting. They had Naboth sit at the head/front of the gathering. -or-
They set aside ⌊an official⌋ day to fast. And they gave Naboth a seat of honor at the front of the group/assembly.
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