8Hiram sent word to Solomon, “I have heard the message that you have sent to me; I will fulfill all your needs in the matter of cedar and cypress timber.
The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is transliterated as “Solomon” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “wise” referring to 1 Kings 3:12. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Cilician fir Abies cilicica grew abundantly in the forests of Lebanon along with cedars, evergreen cypresses, and Grecian junipers. The Hebrew word berosh probably included fir, cypress, and juniper. According to 1 Kings 5:8 and elsewhere, berosh was used in King Solomon’s building projects. The reference in Ezekiel 27:5 to the use of berosh for the timbers/planks of ships could well be talking about fir trees since they are very straight, but the association of berosh there with Mount Senir rather favors the Grecian juniper, which was abundant there.
The Cilician fir is a tall and almost perfectly straight evergreen tree, in the same family with pines, cedars, and cypresses. It can reach a height of 25 meters (82 feet). Its flat seeds are contained in cones that fall from the tree when mature. Firs are the major source for turpentine, used by painters to dilute paint and clean brushes.
The Abies genus is represented throughout the world in temperate climates at high altitudes (for example, in Kenya, Japan, and North America). Since there are no firs or anything quite like them in tropical Africa, translators can use a transliteration, for example, firi or pir. In Ezekiel 27:5 we recommend following Zohary by rendering berosh as “fir.” The majority of English translations are divided among “fir,” “cypress,” and “pine.” In 1-2 Kings and 2 Chronicles we recommend rendering berosh as “fir” or “juniper.” Elsewhere berosh may be considered a generic word referring to cypress, fir, pine, or all of them together. In those places a general word for this type of cone-bearing tree should be used.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, īoku-rare-ru (言い送られる) or “send message” is used.
Also, an honorific prefix is used. The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “want,” “desire,” or “need” or similar in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-nozomi (お望み), combining the verb “desire” (nozomi) with the respectful prefix o-. Note that in Mark 14:36, only the second instance of “want” is translated that way.
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.
Hiram’s answer to Solomon extends over verses 8 and 9.
As in verse 2, the Hebrew says only that Hiram sent to Solomon, saying. It may be necessary to add a direct object as Good News Translation has done (“the following message”). Another way of translating this clause would be to say “he sent back his answer” (Contemporary English Version) or “Hiram sent back this message to Solomon” (New Century Version). This makes it clear from the outset that Hiram’s words were in response to those of Solomon.
I am ready to do: The pronoun I is more emphatic here in Hebrew than in English. Compare Traduction œcuménique de la Bible: “Yes, I will….” In some languages the most natural equivalent will be something like “As for me, I will…” or “For my part, I shall…” (New Jerusalem Bible).
Regarding cedar, see 1 Kgs 4.33.
The botanist Zohary argues that the Hebrew word berosh rendered cypress does not refer to the cypress here since cypress trees were plentiful in Israel. In Lebanon it is more likely to refer to a fir or mountain juniper. However, a recent study suggests that berosh may be a generic word that covers cypress, fir and juniper, that is, any tall cone-bearing evergreen tree. This explains the wide variety of renderings for this term in the English versions: “pine” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Century Version, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), “cypress” (New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Bible en français courant footnote), “fir trees” (New American Bible), and “juniper” (Anchor Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, k The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament: Study Editionk* by Koehler, Baumgartner, and Stamm [HALOT]). For cedar and cypress, we suggest “cedar and other types of valuable trees.”
The Hebrew word translated timber occurs twice in the text, qualifying both cedar and cypress. It is a very common term referring to trees or wood. In languages that distinguish between trees that are still growing and those that have been cut down and made into lumber, it will be more appropriate in this context to speak of “lumber,” that is, trees that have been cut down.
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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