The Hebrew that is translated as “book of the annals” in English is translated in Newari as “history book” (source: Newari Back Translation).
complete verse (2 Kings 1:18)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 1:18:
- Kupsabiny: “All other matters which Ahaziah did have been written in the book about the life of the kings of Israel.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “The other events that happened while Ahaziah was king, concerning all the work that he did, they are written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “The other stories concerning the reign of Ahazia, and what he did, were-written in the Book of the Story of the Kings of Israel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “If you want to know about all the other things that Ahaziah did, they are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
king
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:
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- Piro: “a great one”
- Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
- Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
- Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
- Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
- 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.”
(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )
See also king (Japanese honorifics).
Translation commentary on 2 Kings 1:18
This verse contains a rhetorical question and may be restated in the form of a statement (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible). See the comments on the similar-type verse in 1 Kgs 11.41.
The rest of the acts of Ahaziah refers to all the other deeds of Ahaziah which are not included in the account of the biblical books of 1–2 Kings. See the comments at 1 Kgs 11.41 and 14.19. Revised English Bible translates this as “The other events of Ahaziah’s reign,” and New Jerusalem Bible says “The rest of the history of Ahaziah, and his career.”
The Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel: See the comments on 1 Kgs 14.19.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Kings 1:18
1:18a As for the rest of the acts of Ahaziah,
Everything else that took place during Ahaziah’s rule,
-or-
The other things that happened while Ahaziah was king,
1:18b along with his accomplishments,
and all that he did,
-or-
and everything ⌊else⌋ that he did,
1:18c are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.
-or-
are recorded in the official history of the kings of Israel.
1:18a-c (reordered)
The official records/annals of the kings of Israel tell/report the deeds of Ahaziah, together with all the other things that happened in his reign.
-or-
The historians of Israel have written in their record books all the other events of Ahaziah’s reign and his ⌊other⌋ actions/deeds.
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