6King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be numbered or counted.
“Sheep are known throughout most of the world, even though, as in Central Africa, they are a far cry from the fleecy wool-producing animals of colder climates. Where such animals are known, even by seemingly strange names, e.g. ‘cotton deer’ (Yucateco) or ‘woolly goat’ (Inupiaq), such names should be used. In some instances, one may wish to borrow a name and use a classifier, e.g. ‘an animal called sheep.’ In still other instances translators have used ‘animal which produces wool’, for though people are not acquainted with the animals they are familiar with wool.” (Source: Bratcher / Nida)
In Dëne Súline, it is usually translated as “an evil little caribou.” To avoid the negative connotation, a loan word from the neighboring South Slavey was used. (Source: NCEM, p. 70)
Note that the often-alleged Inuktitut translation of “sheep” with “seal” is an urban myth (source Nida 1947, p. 136).
The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is transliterated as “Solomon” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “wise” referring to 1 Kings 3:12. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 5:6:
Kupsabiny: “Then, king Solomon stood with the elders of Israel in front of the Box of the Covenant and made sacrifices of a countless number of cows and sheep.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “King Solomon and all the people of Israel gathered before the Ark of the Covenant. They sacrificed countless sheep and oxen.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel sacrificed before the Box of the Covenant. They sacrificed so many sheep and cattle, these can- not -be-counted.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “King Solomon and many of the other people of Israel who had gathered there walked in front of the Sacred Chest. And they sacrificed a huge amount of sheep and cattle. No one was able to count them because there were very many.” (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.”
And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were before the ark: Solomon and the people of Israel were at the Temple in front of the ark of the covenant. The ark had not yet been carried inside the Temple into the Most Holy Place, where it would remain. The Hebrew noun rendered congregation refers to a gathering. The purpose of the gathering must be determined by the context. Here the purpose is for worship.
Sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered: Solomon and his people sacrificed many animals before the ark was carried inside the Temple. For oxen see the comments on 1 Chr 12.40. Revised Standard Version follows the form of the Hebrew here by saying that the number of animals sacrificed were so numerous that they could not be counted or numbered. The Hebrew is literally “they were not counted or numbered for multitude.” Compare “in numbers past counting or reckoning” (Revised English Bible). The use of two synonyms in Hebrew gives emphasis, but there is no distinction in meaning between the two verbs. It is legitimate to merge the two verbs into a single expression in the receptor language. Good News Translation, for example, says “too many to count,” and Contemporary English Version has “more sheep and cattle than could be counted.” This passive expression will have to be made active in a number of languages. The implied agent is clearly “no one.” So it may be perfectly natural to say “no one could count them exactly” (Parole de Vie).
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 .
5:6a There, before the ark, King Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel
Then, King Solomon and all the people of Israel gathered before the ark. -or-
King Solomon was before box {that held Yahweh’s covenant} with all the Israelites.
5:6b who had assembled with him
Together, -or-
They stood together
5:6c sacrificed so many sheep and oxen
they sacrificed many sheep and cattle, -or-
and sacrificed a great number of sheep and many cattle. -or-
and they sacrificed so many sheep and cattle
5:6d that they could not be counted or numbered.
too many to count or number. -or-
No one was able to count or list them all. -or-
that it was impossible to keep track of how many there were.
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