29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the history of the prophet Nathan and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the visions of the seer Iddo concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Jeroboam” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the signs for “king” + “divide” + “north.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “son of” in English is translated in all Icelandic Bible versions of the Icelandic Bible Society (latest edition 2007) in parallel with the Icelandic naming system . This means that for instance in Matthew 16:17 the name that is transliterated and translated in English as “Simon son of Jonah” becomes “Simon Jónasson” or in Isaiah 8:2 “Zechariah son of Jeberechiah” becomes “Sakaría Jeberekíason” where in both cases the “-son” means “son of.”
In cases where “son of” does not refer to a literal father or perhaps stepfather but to lineage, however, this system is not used. So in Matthew 1:1 “Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” is translated as “Jesú Krists, sonar Davíðs, sonar Abrahams.”
The referenced verses all have at least one instance where the Icelandic patronymic or matronymic naming system is used. (Source: Halldór Elías Guðmundsson)
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)
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
Cherokee: adolehosgi (ᎠᏙᎴᎰᏍᎩ) or “discoverer of things,” a “term that was was traditionally applied to Cherokee medicine men or women who used divining.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 49)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 9:29:
Kupsabiny: “All the things/words/matters that Solomon did were written in the Book of Prophet Nathan, and the Book of Prophet Ahijah who came from Shilo. Again those matters were written in the Book of Revelations of Iddo who was revealed words concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “All the things that happened while Solomon was king, from beginning to end are written in the history of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahija the Shilonite, and in the book of the vision of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The other story concerning the reign of Solomon from the beginning until the end were-written in the Book of Prophet Natan, in the Message of Ahia who (is) of/from Shilo, and in the Visions of Prophet Ido, who also tells about the reign of Jeroboam the child of Nebat.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Lists of all the other things that Solomon did are recorded in the scrolls written by the prophet Nathan and by the prophet Ahijah from Shiloh city, and in the scroll in which were written the visions that the prophet Iddo saw concerning King Jeroboam.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
9:29a As for the rest of the acts of Solomon, from beginning to end,
The rest of the things that Solomon did, from start to finish, -or-
Many things took place during the whole time Solomon was king.
9:29b are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet,
are written in the book of the prophet Nathan, -or-
The prophet Nathan wrote them in his book.
9:29c in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite,
and in the book by the prophet Ahijah of the town of Shiloh. -or-
The prophet Ahijah from Shiloh Town also wrote them in his book.
9:29d and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat?
They are also written in the book of the visions that the prophet Iddo had about King Jeroboam son of Nebat. -or-
The prophet Iddo saw visions about King Jeroboam son of Nebat ⌊and wrote them down⌋. That book also contained things that King Solomon did when he was king.
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