6At that time King Rezin of Aram recovered Elath for Edom and drove the Judeans from Elath, and the Edomites came to Elath, where they live to this day.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 16:6:
Kupsabiny: “But/And then/at that time the king of Edom captured the city of Elath and returned it to belong to the country of Edom. He chased the people of Judah from that city and brought people of Edom to go and stay in Elath from that time until today.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “At that time Rezin, King of Aram, conquered and took Elath again for Aram. He drove out the Judean people who lived in Elath. Then Edomites went to live in Elath. They are still living there, even today.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “At that time, King Rezin of Aram recovered Elat by driving-out the people of Juda. Some Arameanhon then moved to Elat and they are-living there until now.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “At that time the army of the king of Edom expelled the people of Judah who were living in Elath city. Some of the people of Edom started to live there, and they are still living there.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, 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.”
The Masoretic Text, which is not followed by either Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation, reads “At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram and drove out the Judeans from Elath; and the Arameans came to Elath and they dwell there to this day.” According to the Masoretic Text, the Syrian army attacked both Jerusalem (verse 5) and the Edomite city of Elath and drove the people of Judah out of Elath. Then the Syrians came to live in Elath and continued to live there at the time this account was written.
Many scholars, however, correct the Masoretic Text by changing the references to Aram (Syria) and the Arameans (Syrians) to Edom and the Edomites (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, La Bible Pléiade, Osty-Trinquet). Such a correction brings this verse into agreement with the statement in 2 Chr 28.17, which says that the Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah. Since the consonants in the Hebrew names for “Edom” and “Aram” are almost identical, scribes often confused the two names. If one would make this correction, then the entire verse would be parenthetical (so Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible) since it would be talking about something that happened at the same time but in a different geographical location than verse 5. The story of King Ahaz would then resume in verse 7.
The king of Edom: As noted above, the Hebrew text at this point actually has “Rezin king of Aram” (New International Version, New Century Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh is similar with “King Rezin of Aram.” The Hebrew text is also followed by Bible en français courant, which renders “Aram” as “Syria.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends “Rezin, king of Aram” with an {A} rating since the Masoretic Text as well as all the ancient versions agree on this reading. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament also recommends the Masoretic Text but does not give a rating since the suggested correction found in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation and many other modern translations is not based on the manuscripts but is only a conjecture made by some scholars.
Recovered Elath for Edom: The Hebrew verb rendered recovered is interpreted by most English versions as meaning that the king took back control of the city of Elath over which he had previously held authority. Elath was, in fact, under the control of Judah, Syria and Edom at different times. According to Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, the Hebrew verb form here should be understood to mean “led to a new owner,” not “restored to a previous owner.”
For Elath see the comments at 2 Kgs 14.22.
In place of for Edom, which is the reading adopted by the majority of modern translations, some modern versions, following the Masoretic Text, have “for Aram” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New International Version, New Century Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). “For Aram” is also the recommendation of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament since the Masoretic Text and all the ancient versions have this reading.
Drove the men of Judah from Elath: The men of Judah is literally “the Judeans.” Clearly the writer does not intend to imply that only the male members of the Judean community (the southern kingdom) were driven out of the city. Rather, it means that all of the usual inhabitants of the city, both male and female, were expelled. It will, therefore, be wise to translate “the people of Judah” (New Century Version) or “the Judeans” (Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version).
The Edomites came to Elath: Instead of the Edomites, the Masoretic Text reads “the Arameans,” but a correction in the margin of the Masoretic Text reads “the Edomites,” and this is followed in Revised Standard Version. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament likewise recommends this correction in the margin of the Masoretic Text. Translators should follow the corrected text. The correct sense is not that the Syrians (or the Edomites) drove out the people of Judah so that the Syrians could live in this Edomite city. Rather, the Syrians (or the Edomites) drove out the people of Judah and restored control of the city to the Edomite people so that they could live there again.
To this day: See the comments on 1 Kgs 8.8 and 2 Kgs 2.22.
The recommended text for this verse is the one found in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, which reads “At that time King Rezin of Aram recovered Elath for Aram; he drove out the Judites from Elath, and Edomites came to Elath and settled there, as is still the case” (similarly New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, La Bible du Semeur, Nouvelle Bible Segond).
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 .
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