complete verse (2 Chronicles 21:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 21:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “Jehoshaphat gave those sons as inheritance some things that buys for very much money (very expensive). Jehoshaphat gave those sons to be in charge of some cities that had walls. But he gave Jehoram to rule because he was the firstborn.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “His father gave all of them gold, silver and valuable things and the walled cities in Judah as gifts. Since he was the eldest son, Jehoshaphat gave him the kingdom.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Jehoshafat gave them many gifts of silver and gold, precious/[lit. expensive] things, and stone-walled/fortified towns in Juda. But Jehoram was (one who) he had-chosen/cause-to-succeed him as king because he was the first-born.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Before Jehoshaphat died, he gave them gifts of silver and gold and other valuable things. He also appointed them to rule various cities in Judah that had walls around them. But he appointed Jehoram to be the king of Judah, because Jehoram was his oldest son.” (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 21:3

Their father gave them great gifts, of silver, gold, and valuable possessions …: The pronouns Their and them refer to Jehoshaphat’s sons. Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie render Their father as “Jehoshaphat, their father” for clarity. New Century Version begins this verse with “Jehoshaphat gave his sons….” Since silver and gold are valuable, it will be more logical in many languages to render valuable possessions as “other valuable possessions” (Good News Translation; similarly Contemporary English Version, God’s Word).

The Hebrew says only that Jehoshaphat gave fortified cities in Judah to his sons, without indicating how many cities each son was given to control. Good News Translation says that he placed each son in charge of one fortified city, but that is more precise than the Hebrew. For fortified cities, see the comments on 2 Chr 8.5.

But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram, because he was the first-born: The common Hebrew conjunction is rightly translated but since there is a contrast between what Jehoram received (the entire kingdom) and what his brothers got (fortified cities). Jehoshaphat made Jehoram the next king in accordance with the custom of naming the oldest son as the successor. Languages differ on how they refer to the first son born in a family. Some have a special term for the first-born, while other say simply that he is the oldest among other siblings (see the comments on 1 Chr 1.13). The Hebrew term for first-born in this context implies the first male born to Jehoshaphat, so New International Version specifies “firstborn son.”

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 21:3

21:3a Their father had given them many gifts

Their father had given them many gifts
-or-
King Jehoshaphat had given his children many gifts

21:3b of silver and gold and precious things,

of silver and gold and possessions of high value
-or-
of silver and gold and ⌊other⌋ valuable things.

21:3c as well as the fortified cities in Judah;

as well as walled cities in Judah.
-or-
He had also given them walled towns in Judah.

21:3d but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram

⌊However,⌋ Jehoshaphat made Jehoram be the king
-or-
But Jehoshaphat said that Jehoram should be the next king

21:3e because he was the firstborn.

because he was his firstborn son.
-or-
because he was the oldest son.

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