Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 8:17:
Kupsabiny: “Then Solomon went to the cities of Ezion-geber and Elath that were at the shore of the Red Sea in the land of Edom.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “After that Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Elath on the seashore of the land of Edom.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Solomon then went to Ezion Geber and to Elat, at the seashore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Then some of Solomon’s men went to Ezion-Geber and Elath cities on the coast of the Red Sea, an area that belonged to the Edom people-group.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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)
In Malagasy culture, the sea is perceived as sacred because it was a path taken by the ancestors. That is why the Malagasy word for the “sea” is ranomasina, which literally means “the sacred water.” The word masina actually has two different meanings: “salted” and “sacred/holy.” Salt is used for the conservation of some foods, such as meat or fish, that are to be set aside for later use. In this sense, the Malagasy phrase for “Holy Spirit” has the literal meaning of “Salted Spirit.” (Source: Brigitte Rabarijaona in The Bible Translator 2022, p. 103ff.)
Then translates a Hebrew adverb that is used here to move the story forward. In the books of 1-2 Kings this adverb often indicates the exact time of an event. In 1-2 Chronicles it often has the more general sense “at that time.” It is left untranslated in some modern versions such as Contemporary English Version. Other acceptable translations include “Later” (New Living Translation) and “At that time” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).
Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Eloth: Ezion-geber was a port city located on the Gulf of Aqaba, although the precise location of this Edomite town is uncertain. Some scholars say that it is the same city as Eloth, in which case the translation would read “Solomon went to Eziongeber (that is, Elath).” However, this verse and other passages where the two names are used together make it nearly certain that they are different cities although near to each other (see 1 Kgs 9.26). The more common spelling of the name Eloth is “Elath” (Good News Translation; see Deut 2.8; 2 Kgs 14.22; 16.6). Even though the name of this city is spelled differently in Hebrew here, the reference is clearly to Elath, which was a port city at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba. It received trade from Arabia, India, and Africa. Since Ezion-geber and Eloth were located on the Gulf of Aqaba, several versions refer to them as “ports” (Good News Translation, New Living Translation, Bible en français courant).
On the shore of the sea: The parallel text of 1 Kgs 9.26 specifies “the Sea of Reeds” (Revised Standard Version “the Red Sea”), but this detail is left implied by the Chronicler. However, it is possible to make this explicit here by saying “along the shore of the Red Sea” (New Living Translation; similarly New Century Version) or “along the Sea of Reeds” (Bible en français courant). The part of the Red Sea that sticks up like a finger pointing toward Jerusalem is called “the Gulf of Aqaba” (Good News Translation) on most maps. But the use of this terminology is considered by some to be anachronistic.
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 .
8:17 Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the coast of Edom.
Later, Solomon went to the towns of Ezion-geber and Eloth on the seashore of Edom. -or-
After that, King Solomon traveled to Ezion-geber City and Eloth City. These cities were on the coast of Edom Country.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.