complete verse (2 Chronicles 4:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 4:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “The thing of bronze for water was placed at the corner of the House of God between South and East.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He placed the tank to the right of the temple in the south-east corner.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He placed the container of water which is called Sea in the south-east corner of the temple.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They placed the very large tank on the south side of the temple, at the southeast corner.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 4:10

And he set the sea at the southeast corner of the house: For the pronoun he, see the comments on 2Chr 4.6. The verb set may be better translated “placed” (New International Version) or “put” (Revised English Bible). The use of the passive verb “was placed” in Good News Translation may not be a reasonable option in many languages. For the sea, see the comments on 2Chr 4.2.

At the southeast corner of the house is literally “from the side of the right toward the east, from over against the Negev” (similarly Chouraqui). Revised Standard Version has added of the house (similarly Good News Translation “of the Temple”), as the sense requires. Other possible renderings are “at the right side, at the south-east corner of the temple” (Revised English Bible) and “to the southeast from the right side of the temple” (New American Bible; similarly New Jerusalem Bible). Some languages have difficulty with the word southeast. Some have expressed the meaning by saying “toward the rising sun, in the direction of the desert to the south of Israel” or “toward the sunrise, on the right-hand side.”

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 4:10

4:10a He put the Sea on the south side,

He put the basin/bowl called the Sea on the right/southern end

4:10b at the southeast corner.

of the eastern side ⌊of the courtyard⌋.

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