complete verse (2 Kings 8:28)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 8:28:

  • Kupsabiny: “So, that relationship was what made Ahaziah go with/join Joram, son of Ahab to go and fight Hazael, the king of Syria, at Ramoth-gilead. At that time, the people of Syria wounded Joram.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Ahaziah went with King Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. But the Arameans wounded Joram.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Ahazia went-together with Joram the child of Ahab in fighting against King Hazael of Aram. They fought at Ramot Gilead, and Joram was-wounded. So King Joram went-home to the town of Jezreel to heal his wounds. And while he was there, King Ahazia of Juda visited him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Ahaziah’s army joined the army of King Joram of Israel to fight against the army of King Hazael of Syria. Their armies started fighting at Ramoth city in the Gilead region, and the soldiers of Syria wounded Joram.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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:

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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 8:28

He went with Joram the son of Ahab: Since Ahaziah was king of Judah, Good News Translation correctly highlights the fact that this verse is speaking of a military alliance with the whole kingdom of Israel by adding the words “of Israel” following the name Joram. Since Joram was the son of Ahab, he was Ahaziah’s uncle.

Ramoth-gilead: This refers to the town named Ramoth in the region of Gilead on the east side of the Jordan River (see the comments at 1 Kgs 4.13). It is apparently named in this way in order to distinguish it from the town of the tribe of Issachar which was also called Ramoth (1 Chr 6.73).

While this verse is a single sentence in Revised Standard Version (reflecting the Hebrew), it may be better translated by two or three separate sentences in the language of translation; for example, in some languages it will be more natural to make a separate sentence of the last part of this verse by saying “It was there [at Ramoth-Gilead] that Joram was injured in the fighting.”

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 8:28

8:28a Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab

King⌋ Ahaziah joined/met the son of Ahab, King Joram,

-or-

Ahaziah ⌊the king of Judah⌋ allied himself with ⌊the king of Israel,⌋ Joram the son of Ahab. Together they ⌊led their soldiers/armies

8:28b to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead,

and together they went and fought Hazael king of Aram. ⌊The battle took place at⌋ Ramoth ⌊in the region of⌋ Gilead.

-or-

to fight ⌊the soldiers/army of⌋ Hazael the king of Aram/Syria. ⌊The battle took place at⌋ Ramoth ⌊town⌋ in Gilead ⌊region/land⌋ .

8:28c and the Arameans wounded Joram.

The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “wounded” is more literally “struck him [down].”

The soldiers of Aram/Syria defeated Joram.

-or-

During this fight⌋ Joram was severely injured by the soldiers of Aram/Syria.

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