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.

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)

complete verse (1 Kings 7:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 7:16:

  • Kupsabiny: “That person again molded two caps/tops of bronze and placed (them) on top of those pillars. Each of those caps/tops had seven and a half feet upwards.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He also made two bronze capitals [lit.: heads], each 2.2 meters high to put on the top parts of those pillars.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He also made two bronze that seems-like-head of the pillars, that each one has a height of seven and a half feet.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He also made two bronze caps to be put on top of the pillars. Each cap was 7-1/2 feet tall.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Kings 7:16

He also made two capitals of molten bronze: Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have added the word also, which correctly expresses the sense. (Or perhaps also is a translation of the common Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse.)

The word capital is a technical word of architecture, referring to the top part of a column or pillar which bears the direct weight of that which it supports. As already noted, the two pillars here were most likely freestanding and did not actually support any part of the Temple. So in this case the capitals would be simply the “tops” or “heads” of the columns.

The height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits: If translators have been using equivalent measurements in the receptor language, they should do so here also. The equivalent for five cubits is about 2.5 meters or 7.5 feet.

In some languages it will sound needlessly repetitious to translate literally this last half of the verse. If it is more natural to do so, translators should translate the meaning by saying simply that “each one of the two capitals was two and a half meters tall.”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 7:16

7:16a He also made two capitals of cast bronze to set on top of the pillars,

He fashioned/formed two bronze tops for the columns.
-or-
Huram constructed the heads/crowns of the pillars from bronze/copper.

7:16b each capital five cubits high.

Each top had a height of five cubits.
-or-
The heads/crowns of both pillars were two and a half meters tall.

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