2He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had taken.
The name that is transliterated as “Asa” in English means “physician,” “healer.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
In Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign that depicts the concept of order and mandates. As the third king of Judah, Asa ordered the destruction of the altars, he took the cult prostitutes out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made (see 1 Kings 15:11 and following). (Source: Missão Kophós )
The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Ephraim” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “palm tree” referring to the palm of Deborah in the land of Ephraim (see Judges 4:5. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 17:2:
Kupsabiny: “He placed his soldiers to guard all the cities of Judah that had walls, and others he placed to guard other areas of Judah and the cities that his father had taken from the area of Ephraim.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “He put army in all the walled cities of Judah. And all over Judah and in the cities his father Asa had conquered he put cantonments for good protection.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “He stationed soldiers in all the stone-walled/fortified cities of Juda, and he put camps of the soldiers in Juda and in the towns of Efraim which his father Asa took-by-force/had-captured.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “He put soldiers in all the cities in Judah around which they had built walls, and he put soldiers in other places in Judah and in the towns in the area belonging to the tribe of Ephraim that soldiers of his father Asa had captured.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
He placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah: The pronoun He refers to Jehoshaphat, which BCI makes explicit. Fortified cities were protected by high, strong walls around the cities in contrast to smaller villages that usually had no protection from enemy armies. Forces and garrisons translate two different Hebrew words that have military connotations. The word for forces refers to soldiers and may be rendered “armed forces” (New American Bible) or “troops” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation). The word for garrisons may also refer to military commanders (so alternative translation in Revised English Bible) or to the forces under their command (see the comments on 1 Chr 18.6). In any case, set garrisons in the land of Judah probably means the king established additional military posts throughout Judah.
And in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken: Ephraim here refers to “the territory of Ephraim,” that is, the territory where the descendants of Ephraim lived. The cities … which Asa his father had taken were the cities that King Asa had captured during the high point in his reign before his son Jehoshaphat became the ruler of Judah (see 2 Chr 15.8). The Hebrew verb rendered had taken means “to catch” or “to overthrow.” Here it is better translated “had captured” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “had seized” ( NET Bible).
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 .
17:2a He stationed troops in every fortified city of Judah
He placed soldiers in all the strong towns of Judah -or-
He put soldiers in all the towns of Judah that had walls.
17:2b and put garrisons in the land of Judah
and in other places throughout Judah. -or-
He put soldiers all over Judah.
17:2c and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured.
He placed soldiers in the towns ⌊of the territory⌋ of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. -or-
⌊He did the same thing⌋ in the towns ⌊of the clan⌋ of Ephraim. His father King Asa had captured these towns.
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