cubit

The Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that is translated as “cubit” or into a metric or imperial measurement in English is translated in Kutu, Kwere, and Nyamwezi as makono or “armlength.” Since a cubit is the measurement from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, one armlength (measured from the center of the chest to the fingertips) equals two cubits or roughly 1 meter. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

Similarly, in Akoose, the translation is “arm distance.” (Source: Joseph Nkwelle Ngome and Marlie van Rooyen & Jacobus A. Naudé in Communicatio 2009, p. 251ff.)

In Klao it is converted into “hand spans” (app. 6 inches or 12 cm) and “finger spans” (app. 1 inch or 2 cm) (source: Don Slager) and in Bariai into leoa or “fathom,” which comprises the distance from a person’s fingertip to fingertip with arms outstretched, app. 6 feet (source: Bariai Back Translation).

bronze

The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “bronze” in English is translated in Newari as “bell-metal,” since bells are made of bronze in Nepal (source: Newari Back Translation).

See also bronze vessel.

complete verse (1 Kings 7:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 7:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “At that time, Huram prepared two pillars of bronze. Each of those pillars had a length of twenty seven feet, but around it was eighteen feet.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He made two bronze pillars 8 meters high and 5.3 meters in circumference [lit.: round]” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Huram made two bronze pillars, that each one has a height of 27 feet, and a size/measure of 18 feet around.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He made two bronze pillars. Each one was 27 feet tall and 18 feet around. Each was hollow, and the walls of the pillars were 3 in./7.4 cm. thick.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

distance (long / wide / high)

The concepts of distance that are translated in English with “long,” “wide,” and “high/tall” are translated in Kwere with one word: utali. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 7:15

7:15a He cast two pillars of bronze,

Huram formed/shaped two ⌊enormous⌋ columns out of bronze.
-or-
Huram created/made two bronze/copper pillars.

7:15b each eighteen cubits high and twelve cubits in circumference.

Both columns were 18 cubits high and 12 cubits around.
-or-
These pillars both measured nine meters high and six meters around.

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.