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 .

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

complete verse (2 Chronicles 22:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 22:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “When Jehoram died the people of Jerusalem gave to his son who was young who was called Ahaziah to rule replacing his father. It happened like that because those enemies who attacked together with Arabs had killed all the older sons of Jehoram. So, Ahaziah ruled the land of Judah.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The people of Jerusalem chose Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son to be king in his place. Those who came into the cantonment with the Arabs had killed all his older sons. So Jehoram’s son Ahaziah became Judah’s new king.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Ahazia the youngest child of Jehoram was-the-one-who the people of Jerusalem made/appointed as their king. For the other children of Jehoram were-killed by the Arabs who attacked Juda. So Ahazia the child of King Jehoram reigned in Juda.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The people of Jerusalem appointed Jehoram’s youngest son Ahaziah as their king, because the men from Philistia who had invaded Judah with some Arabs had killed all of Jehoram’s other sons. So Ahaziah started to rule Judah.” (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 22:1

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: Ahaziah is called “Jehoahaz” in 2 Chr 21.17 (see the comments there). At the beginning of this new section it will be helpful to make it clear that the pronoun his refers to Jehoram. New Century Version does this by rendering his youngest son as “Jehoram’s youngest son.”

For the band of men that came with the Arabs to the camp had slain all the older sons: See 2 Chr 21.16-17. This verse seems to say the Arabs led the raid and did not merely join it. No mention is made of a camp in 21.16-17. Some scholars think the Hebrew text originally read lammilchamah (“to the battle”) rather than lammachaneh (“to the camp”). Revised English Bible says “in the campaign” but states in a footnote that the Hebrew is literally “in the camp.” If the Hebrew text is correct, the sense is probably “to the Judean military camp” (Bible en français courant). Good News Translation avoids the problem by expressing this whole sentence as “Some Arabs had led a raid and killed all of King Jehoram’s sons except Ahaziah, the youngest.” Good News Translation places this sentence at the beginning of the verse since it is known information. Other languages may find this restructuring helpful.

So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned: Good News Translation combines this clause with the first sentence of the verse, which other languages may find useful.

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 .