Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 7:46:
Kupsabiny: “Those things were shaped/molded using clay equipment which had been prepared in the Jordan valley between Succoth and Zarethan” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The king had all those implements cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan that were between Succoth and Zarethan.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “King Solomon caused-to-make these through a something-to-form that is there at the Valley of Jordan, between Sucot and Zaretan.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “They made them by pouring melted bronze into the clay molds that Huram had set up near the Jordan River Valley, between the cities of Succoth and Zarethan.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The Hebrew, Greek and Ge’ez that is translated as “Jordan” means “descending (rapidly),” “flowing down.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with the sign for the river bordering Jordan and Israel, along with the general sign for river. (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and HSL Bible Translation Group)
“Jordan river” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
The plain of the Jordan refers to the lower valley of the Jordan River, which extends south of the Dead Sea. The Jordan Valley had clay deposits that made this a good location for a bronze smelting industry.
The king cast them, in the clay ground: See the comments on cast in verse 15. New Jerusalem Bible translates this part of the verse as follows: “He made them by the process of sand casting.” Revised English Bible says “The king cast them in the foundry.” Compare also Contemporary English Version: “… by pouring melted bronze into clay molds.” Apparently, molds for the Temple equipment were made by digging into the thick bed of clay soil.
Succoth and Zarethan: Succoth was a town located east of the Jordan River just north of the Jabbok River. Zarethan, mentioned earlier in 1 Kgs 4.12, was also east of the Jordan River, though its exact location is uncertain. Some translations make explicit that these two places were towns (so Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie).
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 .
The king ordered them to be made using clay molds. -or-
King ⌊Solomon⌋ had ⌊his workmen⌋ construct these objects/articles ⌊out of liquid metal/bronze⌋ that they poured into clay casts.
7:46b in the plain of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan.
⌊They did this work⌋ in the savannah/valley of the Jordan ⌊river⌋ between ⌊the towns of⌋ Succoth and Zarethan. -or-
⌊These casts/molds⌋ ⌊were located/situated⌋ in the Jordan flood plain near Sukkoth and Zarethan towns.
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