Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 28:20:
Kupsabiny: “But that king of Assyria caused trouble to Ahaz instead of helping (him).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria came to his place, instead of helping him he gave him trouble.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “So when Tiglat Pileser the king of Asiria arrived, he oppressed Ahaz instead of helping (him).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Tiglath-Pileser, the king of Assyria, sent his army saying that they would help Ahaz, but instead of helping him, they caused him to experience trouble.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”
So Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came against him: So renders the common Hebrew conjunction as a logical connector, but it is better to omit it as Good News Translation and many other versions do. The Masoretic Text introduces the name Tilgath-pilneser here. Since Good News Translation already introduced the name in verses 16-17, it omits the name here. Regarding the spelling of this name, see the comments on verses 16-17. Revised English Bible has “Tiglath-pileser,” which is based on the Syriac rather than on the Masoretic Text. Came against him may be translated “came to him” (New International Version, Revised English Bible). However, the context shows clearly that the encounter was not a friendly one, so a better rendering is “attacked Ahaz” (God’s Word, Bible en français courant).
Afflicted him translates a Hebrew verb that has to do with restricting, whether physically or emotionally. Here the verb seems to refer to physical oppression rather than emotional distress. Revised English Bible says “pressed him hard.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “gave him trouble,” while Contemporary English Version translates “made things worse.”
Instead of strengthening him: The Hebrew verb here may mean “to make strong.” If so, the sense of this clause is that Tiglath Pileser did not make Ahaz strong by helping him. This seems to be the intended sense, which NET Bible expresses by rendering the last half of this verse as “but he gave him more trouble than support” (similarly Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). But the Hebrew verb may also mean “to prevail over,” in the sense of being stronger than someone else. This second understanding is found in New Jerusalem Bible, which says “but he could not overpower him” (similarly Bible de Jérusalem). Compare the alternative translation in Bible en français courant, which says “without however succeeding in conquering him.” However, the next verse does not favor this second interpretation.
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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