23Uzziah slept with his ancestors; they buried him near his ancestors in the burial field that belonged to the kings, for they said, “He had a defiling disease.” His son Jotham succeeded him.
The Greek and Hebrew terms that are often translated as “leprosy (or: defiling/skin disease)” or “leprous (person)” in English is translated in Mairasi as “the bad sickness,” since “leprosy is very common in the Mairasi area” (source: Enggavoter 2004).
Usila Chinantec “sickness like mal de pinta” (a skin disease involving discoloration by loss of pigment) (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Hiligaynon: “dangerous skin disease” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “fearful skin disease” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “terrible rotting” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The name that is transliterated as “Uzziah” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that refers to Uzziah contracting a rare forehead disease until he died as a result of him wrongly wanting to make an offering in the temple (see 2 Chronicles 26:16, 26:19, and 26:21). (Source: Missão Kophós )
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:
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.”
The account of Uzziah’s reign is concluded here by another common formula used to summarize the reign of most of the kings of Israel and Judah. It refers to his death, burial, and successor.
And Uzziah slept with his fathers: In the year that Uzziah died, Isaiah received his call to be a prophet (see Isa 1.1; 6.1). For slept with his fathers, see the comments on 2 Chr 9.31.
And they buried him with his fathers in the burial field which belonged to the kings …: Uzziah was not buried in the royal cemetery because of his disease, but he was buried nearby. The words and they buried him with his fathers are absent from a few Hebrew manuscripts. The New English Bible translators incorrectly thought that only the words with his fathers were omitted in some Hebrew manuscripts, so New English Bible says “and was buried in a burial-ground.” Moreover, New English Bible follows the Syriac in reading “he was not buried in the royal tombs” instead of the Hebrew, which says “which belonged to the kings.” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text here, and notes that the author is stating that the king was indeed buried in land which belonged to the kings but he was not buried in the same tombs as the other kings because of his disease. The meaning is correctly expressed by Revised English Bible, which begins this verse with “He rested with his forefathers and was buried with them, but in the field adjoining the royal tombs….” Moffatt says “Uzziah slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers—but only in the burial-field belonging to the kings.”
For they said, “He is a leper”: A literal translation here may leave too much information implied for readers today. Since Uzziah had a severe skin disease, he was considered unclean and could not be buried in the royal tombs without making them impure. It is not important to know the identity of the people who spoke here. The writer is simply indicating why Uzziah could not be buried in the royal tombs. Good News Translation does not keep the direct quotation and says simply “because of his disease” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), which other languages may find helpful.
And Jotham his son reigned in his stead: For reigned in his stead, see the comments on 1 Chr 19.1 and 2 Chr 9.31.
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 .
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