21Solomon was sovereign over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.]]
The Hebrew that is translated as “offering” in English is translated in Venda as nduvho. J. A. van Rooy (in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 439ff. ) explains: “It is derived from the verb u luvha (‘to pay homage to; to acknowledge the superiority of; at the same time usually asking for a favour’). It is sometimes used as a synonym for ‘asking something from a chief. The noun nduvho means ‘a gift of allegiance,’ which corresponds closely with minchah (מִנְחָה) as ‘offering of allegiance.’ This term nduvho has in it the elements of subjugation, of reciprocity (asking for a favor), of being taken up into the same community as the chief in allegiance to him. Only the element of expiation is missing.”
In Northern Emberá, it is translated as “given to God freely.” (Source: Loewen 1980, p. 108)
The term that is transliterated as “Philistines” in English means “(from) the land of wanderers,” “(from the) land of strangers” (same as “Palestinian”). (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
It is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the helmet the Philistine warriors wore was decorated with feather-like objects. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Philistines” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Philistines (source: Bible Lands 2012)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 4:21:
Kupsabiny: “Solomon ruled all the territories from River Euphrates up to the country of the Philistines to the boundary of Egypt. These countries paid tax to Solomon and they were his servants in all his days.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Solomon reigned over all the lands from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and the border of Egypt. The people living there paid tribute to Solomon, and they were subject to him for his entire lifetime.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Solomon is the one-who-ruled over all the kingdoms from the River Eufrates to the land of the Filistinhon until the boundary of Egipto. These kingdoms were paying taxes to Solomon and were-under- his -jurisdiction while he was-alive.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Solomon’s kingdom extended from the Euphrates River in the northeast to the Philistia area in the west and to the border of Egypt in the south. The conquered people in those areas paid taxes and were under Solomon’s control for the rest of his life.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
This verse is the beginning of chapter 5 in Hebrew, as in New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and many non-English versions. See the introductory comments on this section.
The Euphrates is literally “the river.” Some translations capitalize the word “River” to show that a particular well-known river is intended (New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Nouvelle Bible Segond), but in most languages it will be better to state the name, as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.
The land of the Philistines is a literal rendering of the Hebrew. Good News Translation has reworded it to say “Philistia.” This refers to the plain along the Mediterranean coast where the constant enemies of the people of Israel lived.
They brought tribute: They are the people, or more likely, the rulers who lived in all of the kingdoms mentioned in this verse. La Bible du Semeur says “these people.” Others may prefer to replace the pronoun by following the model of Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie, which is “All the rulers of these kingdoms.”
Tribute translates a Hebrew noun used of gifts given to someone who is a superior, usually a king. Such gifts express an attitude of submission and may have been given either voluntarily or by demand of the conquering king. The gifts were often given in the form of silver and gold. The same Hebrew noun is rendered “present” in 1 Kgs 10.25 and includes clothing, spices, and animals, in addition to gold and silver. The term “taxes” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) should not be understood to mean the payment of a certain percentage of one’s income.
Served Solomon: The sense is not that they became domestic servants but rather that these rulers of other kingdoms now were limited in their power because they were subject to Solomon’s rule. New American Bible uses the technical term “vassals,” saying “they … were his vassals.” Some other models are as follows: “they were subject to Solomon” (Nouvelle version Segond révisée), “they obeyed him” (International Children’s Bible), and “they were under Solomon.”
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 .
4:21a And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines,
Solomon ruled over all the nations between the ⌊great⌋ river⌊⌋ and the land where the Philistine people lived. -or-
Solomon had authority over all the countries/lands between the Euphrates River and ⌊the nation/territory of⌋ Philistia.
4:21b as far as the border of Egypt.
He ruled as far as the Egyptian border. -or-
His authority went/reached all the way to the edge of ⌊the nation/land of⌋ Egypt.
4:21c These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
These nations/peoples presented gifts to him/Solomon. He was their lord/overlord for as long as he lived. -or-
⌊The leaders of⌋ these countries/lands gave Solomon ⌊money/valuables⌋. They served/obeyed him his whole lifetime.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.