chariot

The Hebrew, Latin, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated into English as “chariot” is translated into Anuak as “canoe pulled by horse.” “Canoe” is the general term for “vehicle” (source: Loren Bliese). Similarly it is translated in Lokạạ as ukwaa wạ nyanyang ntuuli or “canoe that is driven by horses.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
Other translations include:

  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “cart pulled by horses” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
  • Chichicapan Zapotec: “ox cart” (in Acts 8) (ox carts are common vehicles for travel) (source: Loren Bliese)
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz, it is translated as “little house with two feet pulled by two horses” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Hausa Common Language Bible as keken-doki or “cart of donkey” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Mairasi: “going-thing [vehicle]” (source: Enggavoter 2004)

It is illustrated for use in Bible translations in East Africa by Pioneer Bible Translators like this:

Image owned by PBT and Jonathan McDaniel and licensed with the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

See also cart.

army

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin that is translated as “army” in English is translated in Chichewa as “group of warriors.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

complete verse (2 Chronicles 12:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 12:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “Shishak came with one thousand and two hundred (1,200) carts/chariots together with sixty thousand (60,000) soldiers who went on horses. He also came with countless warriors who hailed from Libya, Suki and Kush.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “taking 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen, attacked Jerusalem. With him also came innumerable Libyanites, Sukkites and Cushites from Egypt.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Shishak had/[lit. brought] 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horse riders, and so many soldiers, that some of them came from Libya, Sukot, and Etiopia.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Along with his army he brought 1,200 chariots and 60,000 soldiers riding horses and a very large number of troops from two regions in Libya, and from Ethiopia.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 12:3

With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen: This phrase completes the sentence begun in the previous verse. It deals with the military strength of Shishak. For chariots and horsemen, see the comments on 1 Chr 18.4 and 2 Chr 1.14.

And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt …: The Hebrew word translated people is frequently used to refer to an army. That is clearly its meaning in this context. Here it may be rendered “troops” (New International Version) or “army of foot soldiers” (New Living Translation).

Shishak came with mercenary troops from other countries that are named in the last part of this verse. The Libyans (literally “Lubians” [An American Translation]) were people who lived on the coast of North Africa, west of Egypt.

The Sukki-im are unknown today. Possibly they were of Libyan origin and lived in the desert west of Egypt. The Hebrew form here is plural. The plural form in some languages will be “Sukkites” (New Living Translation, Revised English Bible, An American Translation, Bible en français courant). The Septuagint translates this name as Trôglodutai (a name given to several peoples in Caucasia), which is the basis for Moffatt‘s rendering “Troglodytes.”

Ethiopians (also New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation, La Bible Pléiade) is literally “Cushites” (New International Version, New Century Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Peregrino. God’s Word translates “Sudanese.” Revised English Bible gives “Nubians” as an alternative translation in a footnote, and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible has “Nubians” in the text itself. The problem in translating the Hebrew term as Ethiopians is that the location is not identical with modern-day Ethiopia. The footnote in Good News Translation provides a clear description of the area in view. But it may be best to retain the transliterated form “Cushites” in the text itself.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Chronicles 12:3

12:3a with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen,

⌊Shishak came⌋ with twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand men on horses.
-or-
⌊King Shishak attacked⌋ with one thousand two hundred (1,200) war carts and sixty thousand (60,000) soldiers who rode horses.

12:3b and countless troops who came with him out of Egypt—

⌊He also had⌋ a large number of soldiers who came with him from Egypt,
-or-
⌊He attacked them with⌋ many soldiers. These soldiers came with King Shishak from his country of Egypt,

12:3c Lybyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.

from the Libya people, the Suk people, and the Cush people.
-or-
and from the countries of Libya, Suk, and Ethiopia.

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