large numbers in Angguruk Yali

Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Angguruk Yali which uses a system that ends at the number 27. To circumvent this limitation, the Angguruk Yali translators adopted a strategy where a large number is first indicated with an approximation via the traditional system, followed by the exact number according to Arabic numerals. For example, where in 2 Samuel 6:1 it says “thirty thousand” in the English translation, the Angguruk Yali says teng-teng angge 30.000 or “so many rounds [following the body part tally system] 30,000,” likewise, in Acts 27:37 where the number “two hundred seventy-six” is used, the Angguruk Yali translation says teng-teng angge 276 or “so many rounds 276,” or in John 6:10 teng-teng angge 5.000 for “five thousand.”

This strategy is used in all the verses referenced here.

Source: Lourens de Vries in The Bible Translator 1998, p. 409ff.

See also numbers in Ngalum and numbers in Kombai.

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 2:2

And Solomon assigned seventy thousand men to bear burdens: Assigned is literally “counted.” The Hebrew verb here often refers to counting people or things for a specific purpose. In this context Solomon counted the workers in order to set aside certain numbers to do certain tasks. Since verses 17-18 of this chapter indicate that these workers were non-Israelites, the sense is probably that they were forced to do the work. That interpretation is the basis for other translations such as “conscripted” (New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible), “drafted” (God’s Word), “enrolled” (Bible en français courant), “allocated” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “put … to work” (Good News Translation).

The Hebrew word translated to bear burdens is general in that it does not indicate the content of the burden nor how the burden was carried. In fact, there is no verb in Hebrew. The text says simply “burden bearer.” In this context the meaning is probably that these 70,000 men were carrying the stones and rocks that were quarried in the hill country. Revised English Bible calls them “bearers,” and New Jerusalem Bible says they were “porters.” Most translations do not make explicit how they carried their loads, but New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says they were “basket carriers,” meaning that they carried the rocks in baskets on their backs or heads. Historical and lexical evidence support the New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translation. Contemporary English Version says “to carry building supplies,” without indicating what the supplies were. Since these men were forced to do the work, An American Translation calls them “forced laborers.” These workers were unskilled laborers.

And eighty thousand to quarry in the hill country: The Hebrew verb translated to quarry is used of cutting or digging stones out of the ground. Most translations correctly say that these 80,000 men were quarrying stone. La Bible du Semeur says they “quarried and shaped the stones.” It is possible to translate the Hebrew verbal form here as a noun, saying “stonecutters” (New Revised Standard Version, New International Version) or “quarrymen” (Revised English Bible). However, some interpreters say they were “woodcutters” (An American Translation, Moffatt), although this seems unlikely. In those languages that do not have a special term for the verb quarry, New Century Version provides a possible model by saying “cut stone.” The hill country (literally “the hill/mountain”) translates a Hebrew noun that may refer to “the hills” (New Jerusalem Bible) or to “the mountains” (New American Bible). Here the reference is probably to the central hill country of Israel.

The logical order is that the 80,000 men first cut the stone out of the mountainsides, and then the 70,000 men transported these rocks to be used in Jerusalem. For this reason Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch reverses the order of the Hebrew, speaking first of the group of 80,000 and then of the group of 70,000.

And three thousand six hundred to oversee them: Other ways of referring to the task of these 3,600 men include “supervising them” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh; similarly Good News Translation), “superintend them” (Revised English Bible), “foremen over them” (New International Version; similarly Moffatt), and “overseers for them” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly New American Bible). In some languages it may be more natural to talk about the overseers before the common laborers.

The numbers 70,000, 80,000, and 3,600 add up to equal 153,600 (see verse 17). It is not clear whether all of these workers worked at the same time or whether this is the total number who did this work over a period of several years. But the sense seems to be that every single alien was forced to work on building the Temple.

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 .