26Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebnah, and Joah said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in the Aramaic language, for we understand it; do not speak to us in the language of Judah within the hearing of the people who are on the wall.”
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding the Rabshakeh. The Adamawa Fulfulde translation also uses the inclusive pronoun, including everyone.
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 18:26:
Kupsabiny: “Then Eliakim and co. said to that assistant, ‘Please do not speak to us through the language of the Hebrews since the people who are on top of the wall are listening, but speak to us through the language of Aramaic since we understand that language well.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna and Joah said to the field commander who had come for war, "Here is a request. Please speak to your servants in the Aramaic language since we understand that language. Do not speak with us in the Hebrew language, causing the people sitting on the wall to hear."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Eliakim, Sebna, and Joa said to the commander, ‘Please [you (sing.)] speak to us (excl.) in the Aramico language, since we (excl.) understand it. [You (sing.)] do- not -speak in Hebrew for the people who are on the stone-walls of the city will-hear you (sing.).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the official from Assyria, ‘Sir, please speak to us in your Aramaic language, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in our Hebrew language, because the people who are standing on the wall will understand it and be frightened.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Spanish uses a formal vs. informal second-person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Spanish Bibles all use only the informal second-person pronoun (tú), with the exception of Dios Habla Hoy (third edition: 1996) which also uses the formal pronoun (usted). In the referenced verses, the formal form is used.
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, -naide (ないで) or “do not (for their sake)” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
Here, hanashite (話して) or “speak” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
New Jerusalem Bible omits the words the son of Hilkiah for textual reasons, considering them to be a scribal addition since the parallel text in Isa 36.11 does not have them. But Good News Translation omits them for reasons of style since this information has already been given in verse 18.
The Rabshakeh: See the comments at verse 17.
Pray renders the Hebrew particle of entreaty, which occurs also in verses 19 and 23. This particle shows politeness and may be rendered by the equivalent of “please” (Contemporary English Version) in certain languages.
Speak to your servants: The three officials of Hezekiah show their submission to the Assyrian official by referring to themselves in the third person. But since this is unnatural in many languages, their submission may be shown in other ways. The use of a word like “sir” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) may be a good way to do this, beginning the quotation as follows: “Sir, please speak to us….”
The comment of the three men focuses on the difference between Aramaic, a West Semitic dialect related to Hebrew and which was the language of diplomacy at that time, and the language of Judah, which was Hebrew. However, the expression the language of Judah may suggest a Judean dialect of Hebrew since Hebrew is elsewhere referred to as “the language of Canaan” (Isa 19.18). In this passage a number of modern versions have translated “Hebrew” (Good News Translation, New International Version, New Century Version, Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant, La Bible du Semeur, Contemporary English Version) instead of the language of Judah. The three men ask that the communication take place in Aramaic in order to prevent Judean observers from understanding the meaning of what was being said.
Within the hearing of the people who are on the wall is literally “in the ears of….” Others translate “in the presence of…” (Nouvelle Bible Segond) or “because all the people on the city walls can hear us” (Parole de Vie).
The people who are on the wall would have been bystanders standing or sitting on the wall around the city of Jerusalem (see the comments on 1 Kgs 3.1). In some languages the idea of people up on a wall might be so distracting to the main point of the story that it would be better to translate simply “observers,” “onlookers” or “spectators,” rather than focusing undue attention on the fact that they happened to be on the city wall.
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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