33He would speak of trees, from the cedar that is in the Lebanon to the hyssop that grows in the wall; he would speak of animals, and birds, and reptiles, and fish.
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated in English as “hyssop” is translated in Lokạạ as yisoki. Yisoki “is the name of a local bitter herb that is used for ritual cleansing in the traditional religion. It was, therefore, perceived by the translators as functionally adequate for ‘hyssop.’ The translation is thus symbolic in that it uses an indigenous Lokạạ botanical term and simultaneously indexical in that the translators believed that the translation points to the functional significance of the incipient term.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
Likewise in Kweremfumbasi is used, a local plant that both looked similar to hyssop and is traditionally used for sprinkling in rituals. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 4:33:
Kupsabiny: “He knew everything concerning every kind of tree, including the cedar which is in Lebanon, to the tree called hyssop which grows in the cracks of the wall. He also knew about animals of the bush/wild, birds, creatures which crawl on the ground and the creatures which live in the waters.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “He made descriptions of plants from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that sprouts from the wall. He also taught about animals, birds, animals that creep, and fish.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “He can-tell about all kinds of plants, from the big trees to the small plants. He can- also -tell about all kinds of animals: the ones-that-walk, crawl, fly, and swim.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “He talked about various kinds of plants, from the huge cedar trees in Lebanon to the tiny hyssop plants that grow in cracks in walls. He also talked about wild animals and birds and reptiles and fish.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Long ago the majestic cedars of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) completely covered the upper slopes of the Lebanon Mountains on the western and northern sides. Now only a few pockets of these mighty cedars remain. At that time they were mixed, as they are today, with other trees such as Cilician fir, Grecian juniper, cypress, and Calabrian pine.
We know from 1 Kings that Solomon used cedar wood in his palace and in the Temple. Cedar was used for beams, boards, pillars, and ceilings. Historians tell us that the Assyrians also hauled cedars to their land for use in buildings. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon also imported cedars from Lebanon. In some versions of Isaiah we read that people made idols of cedar and oak (44:14-20). Finally, when the Temple was rebuilt by the returning exiles (Ezra 3:7), they again cut down cedar trees to grace the house of God.
In 2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles and Ezra, when Lebanon is specifically mentioned, there can be no doubt that ’erez is Cedrus libani, the “cedar of Lebanon,” although it is possible that sometimes the word was used loosely to include various evergreen trees.
In the description of the purification rituals (Leviticus 14:4 at al.), the word ’erez probably refers to the Phoenician juniper tree, since that was the only cedar-like tree in the Sinai Desert.
Description Cedar trees can reach 30 meters (100 feet) high with a trunk more than 2 meters (7 feet) in diameter. The leaves of true cedars are not flat like those of most trees, but consist of tufts of dark green, shiny spines. (The cedars in North America have a flatter type of spine than the biblical cedar.) The wood is fragrant and resistant to insects. Cedars bear cones and can live to be two or three thousand years old.
The cedar of Lebanon is famous for its large size (see Isaiah 2:13 et al.), and for the fragrance of its wood. Psalm 92:12 links the cedar to righteousness, that is, presumably, to its straightness and height above other trees. The cedar is the national emblem of Lebanon.
Cedrus species are found in the mountains of North Africa, in the Himalayas, in India, and in North America. Translators in these places, should, of course, use the local name in nonfigurative references. In sub Saharan Africa, translators can transliterate from Hebrew (’erez), Greek (kedar), English (sedar), or another major language, or they can take a generic solution such as “large, beautiful tree.” In poetic passages (wisdom literature and prophecy), some translators may wish to use a cultural equivalent with these traits. In Africa, according to Burkhill (The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa, volume 4. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, 1985), the Pink Mahogany Guarea cedrata is also called the pink African cedar because of the cedar-like scent of its timber. Likewise, some people in India and Australia use “cedar” to refer to the toon because of its reddish wood. I do not recommend such substitutes in historical passages, since the ’erez is not related to these trees. In some figurative passages, however, the substitution could be effective, since all are large trees with reddish wood. However, each passage has to be evaluated to determine the intended effect of the image.
Exactly how this verse is to be understood is not clear. Following after verse 32, it may mean that Solomon used figurative language about plants and animals as he told proverbs like those in Pro 30.24-31 or fables like the one in Jdg 9.8-15. However, since scientific lists of things in nature were drawn up in both Mesopotamia and Egypt before the time of Solomon, it is more likely that this should be understood in a literal sense as indicating that Solomon knew a lot about nature, both plant life and animal life.
He spoke of trees: Often the Hebrew noun rendered trees occurs in the singular to refer collectively to trees and bushes. Use of the plural here focuses on the different kinds of trees and bushes. This may be expressed in translation as “He spoke of different kinds [or, varieties] of trees.” Compare Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente: “He spoke of every kind of plant.”
From the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall: Cedar trees were massive trees that often grew as tall as 36 meters (120 feet). The wood from cedar trees is hard, fragrant, and can be polished to a bright shine.
Lebanon refers to a mountain range north of Palestine and was famous for its forests of cedar trees and cypress trees.
According to the majority of botanists, the Hebrew word rendered hyssop refers here to the marjoram plant, which is an aromatic bush that grows to a height of around 80-90 centimeters (2-3 feet). Revised English Bible correctly translates “marjoram.”
The sense of the first part of this verse with its contrast between the cedar and the hyssop is that Solomon knew about all plants from the greatest trees to the smallest bushes. Contemporary English Version renders it “He could talk about all kinds of plants, from large trees to small bushes.” This translation expresses the basic sense of the Hebrew, but if possible, translators should try to keep the specific references to cedar trees and marjoram bushes if such plants are known in the receptor language. Relatives of marjoram are widespread in Asia and Africa. Compare “He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny marjoram that grows from cracks in a wall.”
He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish: The Hebrew word translated beasts refers to animals in general, so New Revised Standard Version says “animals.” The Hebrew noun rendered reptiles can include snakes, lizards, insects as well as marine mammals. It may have to be translated “snakes” in certain languages. But others may prefer a more general expression such as “crawling things” (New Century Version).
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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