army

The Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “army” in English is translated in Chichewa as “group of warriors.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

power / strength

The Hebrew that is typically translated in English as “power” or “might” or “force” is translated in the English translation by Goldingay (2018) as energy or energetic.

enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

In Cherokee it is either translated as “the one(s) who reprimand(s) you” or “the one(s) feared.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 47)

complete verse (2 Chronicles 26:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 26:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “The soldiers reached to three hundred and seven thousand and five hundred (307,500). Those soldiers had much strength in which they were able to fight any enemy of the king.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Under their authority they had a strong army of 307,000 soldiers able to fight the enemy without fear in order to help the king.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The numbers of the soldiers were 307,500. They were-trained/skilled in battle, and ready/[lit. prepared] to help the king against his enemies.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “In the groups that those leaders commanded there were a total of 307,500 well-trained soldiers. It was a very powerful army which was ready to help the king fight against his enemies.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, 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 26:13

Under their command was an army … is literally “And under their hand was an army force….” The pronoun their refers to the family leaders mentioned in the previous verse. They commanded Uzziah’s army.

Who could make war with mighty power: The Judean soldiers were an effective fighting force. Moffatt calls them “sturdy fighters,” and God’s Word says “They were a powerful force.”

To help the king against the enemy: The Hebrew word rendered the enemy is singular but the reference is not to a single specific enemy. Rather, the sense is “the persons or nations who are enemies of the king.” For this reason Good News Translation says “his enemies” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

The structure of this verse may be awkward if translated literally into other languages because it begins with a prepositional phrase. An alternative model is:

• The army they commanded included 307,500 men, all of them choice troops. They were available to help the king against all his enemies.

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 26:13

26:13a Under their authority was an army of 307,500 trained for war,

Under these family leaders was a powerful army numbering 307,500 trained soldiers,
-or-
The total number of the army that these family leaders commanded was three hundred seven thousand five hundred (307,500) people ready to fight.

26:13b a powerful force to support the king against his enemies.

who were ready to help the king fight against his enemies.
-or-
They were available to help the king fight any of his enemies.

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