sunrise, sunset

The Hebrew and Greek terms that is translated as “sunrise” and “sunset” or similar in English are translated in Chichewa as “sun coming out” and “sun entering.” The understanding is that the sun moves and that when it is evening it goes back where it belongs. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also periods of the night.

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.

complete verse (2 Chronicles 18:34)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 18:34:

  • Kupsabiny: “The battle continued to be fierce the whole of that day. The king of Israel was supporting himself on his chariot looking at the soldiers of Syria from a distance. And in the afternoon/evening he died.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The battle became intense. The king of Israel took support in his chariot, and when the sun set he died.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The battle that day was so severe, and the king of Israel was- just now -leaning on his chariot facing the Arameanhon until afternoon. And when the sun was now setting-down, he died.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The battle continued all that day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • 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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 18:34

And the battle grew hot that day: The common Hebrew conjunction rendered And may be translated “But” (God’s Word, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, La Bible du Semeur) to express contrast. The battle grew hot is literally “the battle went up.” In other languages translators may say “the fighting became more violent” or “the fight grew fiercer” (Moffatt; similarly An American Translation).

And the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening: The text does not indicate why Ahab held himself up in his chariot. Perhaps this was an attempt to keep the Israelite soldiers from knowing that he had been seriously wounded. But any suggested reason is only speculation and must not be inserted into the translation of this verse. Once again, it may be more natural to speak of Ahab by name rather than translating literally the king of Israel (so Good News Translation). Propped himself up renders a causative participle in Hebrew that is literally “causing himself to stand.” New Jerusalem Bible translates “had to be held upright.” Facing the Syrians may be rendered “in front of the Syrians.”

Then at sunset he died is literally “and he died at the time of the going of the sun.” Some may prefer to translate “As the sun was going down, he died.” In some languages the words for evening and sunset may be similar or closely related.

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 18:34

18:34a The battle raged throughout that day,

All that day they continued to fight
-or-
The fighting went on all that day

18:34b and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot

and the king of Israel leaned against his chariot
-or-
and King Ahab stood holding onto his chariot.

18:34c facing the Arameans until evening.

facing the Aramean soldiers until the evening.
-or-
He stood there in front of the soldiers of Aram until evening.

18:34d And at sunset he died.

At sunset, he died.
-or-
In the evening, when the sun was setting, he died.

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