complete verse (2 Kings 21:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 21:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “But the people of that country killed those people who had killed Amon. Later/Then, those people anointed the son of Amon who was called Josiah to become king to replace his father.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then the people of the land killed all those who conspired against King Amon. And they made Josiah, his son, king in his place.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But the people of Juda killed all who had-killed King Amon. And they replaced Josia the child/(son) of Amon as king.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But then the people of Judah killed all those who had assassinated King Amon, and they appointed his son Josiah to be their king.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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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 21:24

Since the expectation of the reader might be that the killers of King Amon would take power, Revised Standard Version translates the common Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse as But. A number of other modern versions, including New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible and New American Bible, do likewise. Translators should consider whether this would also be natural in the receptor language.

The expression the people of the land occurs twice in this verse. As indicated in the comments on 2 Kgs 11.14, this wording has special significance in 2 Kings. Here Bible en français courant translates “the citizens of Judah.”

All those who had conspired against King Amon; that is, the entire group of court officials mentioned at the beginning of verse 23. The Contemporary English Version rendering is “the murderers of Amon” (similarly Good News Translation), but this seems too limited and is not recommended as a model. It is quite possible that there were people implicated in the conspiracy who were not involved in the actual assassination.

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 .