21When all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to put on armor, from the youngest to the oldest, were called out and were drawn up at the frontier.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 3:21:
Kupsabiny: “When all the people of Moab realized that those kings had come to fight them, they all called one another (to come). All who were able to carry weapons including the young men and all adults got up/left. They all went to guard the border.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Hearing the report that three kings had come to attack them, the Moabites summoned old men, young men and all the ones able to take arms and stationed them on the border.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Now, all the Moabnon had-heard-the-news that the three kings had-attacked them. So they gathered all who were-able to fight, both young or old, and stationed them on the border of Moab.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When the people of Moab heard that the three kings had come with their armies to fight against them, all the men who were able to fight in battles, from the youngest men to the oldest ones, were summoned, and they took their positions/prepared to fight at the southern border of their land.” (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.”
When all the Moabites heard …: The text leaves to the imagination of the reader the fact that the three kings and their troops were revived by the water and prepared themselves again for war. This verse begins with the Moabites learning of the imminent attack. Since there is a change of scene from the three kings to the Moabite side, several English versions begin this verse with “Meanwhile” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, American Bible).
The kings had come up to fight against them: The kings are the three kings mentioned earlier in this chapter: Joram, king of Israel; Jehoshaphat, king of Judah; and the unnamed king of Edom. This clause implies that their armies were also present and ready to fight.
All who were able to put on armor: This, in effect, refers to all able-bodied fighters. The Hebrew words translated put on armor sound as if they refer only to putting on defensive equipment. But the meaning is broader. Several English versions, in addition to Good News Translation, speak of those able to “bear arms” (New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, New International Version, New American Bible). In other languages translators may wish to say “all the men who were the age required to go into battle.”
From the youngest to the oldest: In some languages it may be more natural to begin with the older warriors and say “from the oldest to the youngest” as Good News Translation has done. The text literally says “and upward” (King James Version), but this of course means upwards in age.
Were called out: If this passive form presents problems, translators may recast the sentence to say that all those who were able to fight “assembled” or “rallied” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Another possibility would be to supply the agents of the passive verb and say something like “the Moabite leaders called together….”
Were drawn up at the frontier: Here the passive form of Revised Standard Version is not a reflection of the original text. The meaning is adequately expressed in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh “they stationed themselves at the border” or New Jerusalem Bible “they took up position on the frontier.”
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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