1In the twenty-third year of King Joash son of Ahaziah of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria; he reigned seventeen years.
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Samaria” in English means “a watch mountain,” “a place of watching,” “guardianship.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )
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 name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 13:1:
Kupsabiny: “Jehoahaz son of Jehu started to rule the country of Israel when Joash had twenty-three years from when he started to rule the country of Judah. He ruled from the city of Samaria for seventeen years.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, King of Judah, son of Ahaziah, Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, became King of Israel in Samaria. He reigned seventeen years.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Jehoahaz the child/(son) of Jehu became king of Israel in the 23rd year of the reign of Joash, the child of Ahazia, in Juda. Jehoahaz stayed in Samaria, and he reigned for a period/[lit. inside] of 17 years.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “After Joash had been ruling Judah for almost 23 years, Jehu’s son Jehoahaz became the king of Israel. He ruled in Samaria city for 17 years.” (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.”
In the twenty-third year of Joash: As elsewhere in the books of 1–2 Kings (for example, 2 Kgs 3.1), this formula is not an indication of the age of Joash, but rather refers to the twenty-third year of his rule over Judah as king.
Began to reign over Israel: This is a part of the usual introductory formula for the rule of a king. It should be translated in a way corresponding to what was done in 1 Kgs 15.25 and other instances where this same pattern is used.
In Samaria: As in 1 Kgs 16.29 and 2 Kgs 3.1, this pinpoints the location of the capital city during the reign of the king in view.
While the introductory formula often contains information about the mother of the king, no such information is given in this case.
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 .
13:1a In the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash son of Ahaziah over Judah,
Joash’s death was recorded in 12:20-21. This chapter goes back in time and narrates an event that had happened before his death. Use the verb tense that is natural in your language.
Joash the son of Ahaziah had been reigning/king in Judah. In the twenty-third year of ⌊of his reign⌋ ,
-or-
When Ahaziah’s son Joash had ruled Judah for twenty-three years (23),
13:1b Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel,
Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel. His capital/chief city was Samaria.
-or-
the son of King Jehu became the next king of Israel. His name was Jehoahaz and he ruled ⌊Israel⌋ from Samaria ⌊city⌋ .
13:1c and he reigned in Samaria seventeen years.
His reign/rule lasted for seventeen years.
-or-
Jehoahaz was king for ⌊a total of⌋ seventeen (17) years.
13:1a-c (reordered)
Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel when Joash son of Ahaziah had been king of Judah for about 23 years. For 17 years Jehoahaz ruled ⌊Israel⌋ from ⌊the city of⌋ Samaria.
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