years (age)

In Aekyom, years are counted as “turtles” (ambum).

Norm Mundhenk tells this story:

“Recently I was checking some New Testament material in the Aekyom language of western Papua New Guinea. It seemed relatively clear until suddenly we came to a passage that started, ‘When Jesus had 12 turtles, …’ Surely I had misunderstood what they said.
“‘Did you say that Jesus had 12 turtles?’
“‘Let us explain! Around here there is a certain time every year when river turtles come up on the banks and lay their eggs. Because this is so regular, it can be used as a way of counting years. Someone’s age is said to be how many turtles that person has. So when we say that Jesus had 12 turtles, we mean that Jesus was 12 years old.’
“It was of course the familiar story of Jesus’ trip with his parents to Jerusalem. And certainly, as we all know, Jesus did indeed have 12 turtles at that time!”

In Tok Pisin, krismas (derived from “christmas”) is taken as the fixed annual marker, so Jesus had 12 “christmases” (Jisas i gat 12-pela krismas pinis) or Abram (in Gen. 12:4) had 75 (Abram i gat 75 krismas) (source: Norm Mundhenk). In Noongar it is biroka kadak or “summers had” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

See also advanced in years.

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 14:2

This verse is a continuation of the introductory formula begun in the previous verse. It includes the age of King Amaziah at the beginning of his reign (twenty-five years old), the length of his reign (twenty-nine years), the name of his capital (Jerusalem), and information about his mother’s name (Jehoaddin) and her origin (Jerusalem). Apart from this verse, nothing is known of Jehoaddin.

In the parallel passage of 2 Chr 25.1 the mother’s name in the Masoretic Text is “Jehoaddan.” Here in 2 Kgs 14.2 the correction in the margin of the Masoretic Text also has the name “Jehoaddan.” This explains why some translations have “Jehoaddan” here (Nouvelle Bible Segond, Bible en français courant, Reina-Valera revisada, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Although New Revised Standard Version and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible read “Jehoaddin” here and “Jehoaddan” in 2 Chr 25.1, it will be better to choose either form of the name and use it in both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles for the sake of consistency.

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 .