complete verse (2 Kings 18:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 18:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “At that time, the king of Assyria took the people of Israel and went with them as prisoners to his country and gave then a portion to live in the city of Halah, others to live in Habor which was near the river Gozan, and others, those lived in the cities of Media.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The King of Assyria, having captured the Israelites, deported them to Assyria. He put them in Halah, in Gozan which is on the banks of the Habor river and in the cities of Media.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The king of Asiria took those of/from-Israel as captives to Asiria, and had- them -to-settle in the town of Hala, in the places near River Habor in Gozan, and in the towns of the Medianhon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The king of Assyria commanded that the people of Israel be taken to Assyria. Some of them were taken to Halah town, some were taken to a place near the Habor River in the Gozan region, and some were taken to cities where the Mede people-group live.” (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 18:11

The king of Assyria: As in 2 Kgs 17.6, this most likely refers to Sargon II, who followed Shalmaneser.

For the Hebrew verb translated carried … away, see the comments at 2 Kgs 15.29 and 17.6.

The Israelites is literally “Israel.” But the reference is clearly to “the inhabitants of the kingdom of Israel” (Parole de Vie).

The references to the geographical place names in this verse are virtually identical with the wording in 2 Kgs 17.6. Translators should consult that verse for details about these names and should ensure that their translation corresponds in the two verses.

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 18:11

18:11a The king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria

The king of Assyria then led away the Israelites into exile to Assyria.

-or-

The Assyria ruler forced the people of Israel to go to live in Assyria.

18:11b and settled them in Halah,

He made them live/stay in ⌊the town of⌋ Halah,

-or-

Some of them had to live in Halah ⌊town⌋ ,

18:11c in Gozan by the Habor River,

in ⌊the region of⌋ Gozan on the River Habor.

-or-

near the River Habor in the territory of Gozan.

18:11d and in the cities of the Medes.

He also made them live/stay in the towns ⌊belonging to⌋ the Medes.

-or-

Some of them had to live in the towns of the Mede people.

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