lying flat, prostrate

The interconfessional Chichewa translation (publ. 1999) uses the ideophone ngundangunda to positions like lying prostrate or lying flat (in death). (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 105)

Ideophones are a class of sound symbolic words expressing human sensation that are used as literary devices in many African languages. (Source: Philip Noss)

desert / wilderness

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The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “desert” or “wilderness” in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Mairasi: “a place where noisiness is cut off (or: stops)” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Muna: pandaso bhalano pr “big barren-field” (source: René van den Berg)
  • Balinese: “barren field” (source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • Wantoat: “uninhabited place” (source: Holzhausen 1991, p. 38)
  • Umiray Dumaget Agta: “where no people dwell” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “where no house is” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Amri Karbi: “waterless region/place” (source: Philippova 2021, p. 368)
  • Ocotlán Zapotec: “large empty place” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Pa’o Karen: “jungle” (denoting a place without any towns, villages and tilled fields) (source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. )
  • Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “steppe”
  • Yakan: “the lonely place” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “a land where no people lived” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “the place with no inhabitants” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Matumbi uses various term: lubele (desert, sandy place without water) — used in John 11:54, lupu’ngu’ti (a place where no people live, can be a scrub land, a forest, or a savanna) — used in Mark 1:3 et al.), and mwitu (a forest, a place where wild animals live) — used in Mark 1:13 et al.) (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Chichewa Contemporary translation (2002/2016): chipululu: a place uninhabited by people with thick forest and bush (source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place,” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

See also wilderness and desolate wilderness.

Judah, Judea

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)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

complete verse (2 Chronicles 20:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 20:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “The people of Judah went to where one could look out over the wilderness at a distance. As they looked, they saw bodies/corpses being on the ground. There was not even one person who fled.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The people of Judah, having come to a high place in the wilderness, when they looked at the great enemy army, they discovered them dying on the ground. Not even one had been delivered.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When the soldiers of Juda arrived to the high place wherein the desolate-place can-be-seen below, they saw the corpses of their enemies lying on the ground. No one was alive.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When the soldiers from Judah came to the place where they could look down over the desert, they looked toward that huge army of their enemies, and they saw only corpses lying on the ground. No one had survived.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 20:24

When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness: Judah refers to the army of Judah under the leadership of King Jehoshaphat, so Good News Translation says “the Judean army.” The Hebrew word rendered watchtower may refer to a particular structure built by human beings from which an area is be viewed (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version). Versions that understand the word in this way render the watchtower of the wilderness as “their post of attack looking over the open country” (Moffatt), “the observation post overlooking the desert” ( NET Bible), and “a tower that was in the desert” (Good News Translation). But the Hebrew noun may just as likely refer to a high natural point from which a person has a good view. This is the basis for renderings such as “the vantage-ground that overlooks the desert” (Knox), “the place that overlooks the desert” (New International Version), “a hill from which it was possible to see the desert” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), “the point overlooking the desert” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “the lookout point in the wilderness” (New Living Translation; similarly NASB). It is not clear whether this place was man-made or natural. In any case, what is most important is that it was a place where the army of Judah could look out over the entire area. The wilderness here refers to the desert area near Tekoa (see verse 20).

They looked toward the multitude: The multitude refers to the enemy soldiers. So it is possible to translate this phrase as “the enemy’s large army” (New Century Version) or “the enemy host” (Revised English Bible).

And behold, they were dead bodies lying on the ground; none had escaped: In spite of the fact that the people of Judah had been told in advance that they would not have to fight, all the enemy corpses must have been a surprising and awe-inspiring sight. The Hebrew focusing particle rendered behold highlights the surprising nature of what they saw.

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 20:24

20:24a When the men of Judah came

When the men of Judah came
-or-
The soldiers from Judah came

20:24b to a place overlooking the wilderness,

to the watchtower that overlooks the desert
-or-
to the place where they could look down over the desert.

20:24c they looked for the vast army,

and looked towards the vast army,
-or-
They looked towards the large group of soldiers,

20:24d but there were only corpses lying on the ground;

they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground.
-or-
but all they could see was dead people on the ground.

20:24e no one had escaped.

No one had survived.
-or-
No one had lived.

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