The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Jezebel” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign depicting “striking serpent” representing her deceitfulness. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Dogs were domesticated very early and were used for hunting and as watchdogs in the ancient world. In Egypt as early as 4000 B.C. people made pottery images that indicate that sleek fast hunting dogs were bred which looked like the modern greyhound. From Babylonian sculpture we know that around 2500 B.C. large hunting dogs that looked like the modern bull-mastiff were kept by people in the Mesopotamian civilizations.
Among the Jews however while dogs were kept mainly as watch-dogs they were held in contempt and left to feed themselves by scavenging. This habit of scavenging and the fact that dogs were possibly associated with some Egyptian gods meant that dogs were seen as very unclean animals by the Jews. The dog found in Jewish settlements in Bible times was probably the pariah dog Canis familiaris putiatini which looked something like a small light brown Alsatian or German shepherd. This type of dog in its wild and domesticated forms is found all over the Middle East and on the mainland coasts of South and Southeast Asia (where it is known as the crab-eating dog). The Australian dingo is also very similar.
Small pet dogs were kept in homes in the Greek and Roman civilizations by gentiles but not by Jews. This is probably the type of dog referred to by the Greek word kunarion in Matthew 15:26 and Mark 7:27.
[Sarah Ruden (2021, p. 27), who translates kunarion as “little doggy,” says the following: “In the entire Greek Bible, only [these two passages] use this diminutive (kunarion) of the word for ‘dog,’ a rare and largely comical word. This word choice weakens the usual sense of dogs as dirty and uncivilized and excluded from the home, much less from the table that symbolized God’s providential bounty.”]
As mentioned above dogs were held in contempt as unclean. To call someone a dog was therefore very derogatory and to refer to someone as a “dead dog” was even more so. Israelites viewed dogs as second only to pigs as unclean animals. Dogs as scavengers around the villages ate anything from household refuse to animal carcasses and human excreta. They even ate human corpses that lay unburied after battles. Furthermore the dog was possibly one of the symbols of the Egyptian god Anubis (although many modern scholars believe the symbol to be the jackal).
With all of the above in mind it is understandable that dying and then being eaten by unclean dogs was seen as the worst of all possible fates.
In the first century A.D. gentiles were considered to be unclean and were referred to by Jews in a derogatory way as “dogs.” There is therefore strong irony in the expression in Philippians 3:2 where Judaizing Christians are referred to as dogs.
One additional connotation associated with dogs in the Bible is sexual perversion and promiscuity a connotation probably arising from the fact that sexually aroused male dogs do not always differentiate between sexes as they seek to mate and the fact that dogs of both sexes mate repeatedly with different partners.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 9:10:
Kupsabiny: “No one shall bury Jezebel, because dogs shall eat her body at/in the city of Jezreel.’ ’ When that man had finished saying those words, he opened the door quickly and ran away.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “In the plot of ground at Jezreel, dogs will eat Jezebel. No one will bury her.’" Having spoken like that, the prophet opened the door and went running.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Concerning Jezebel, she will-be-eaten by dogs there in the land of Jezreel, and no one will-bury her.’ ’ Then the prophet went-out and ran.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “And when Jezebel dies, her corpse will not be buried. Dogs will eat her corpse there in Jezreel city.’’ After the young prophet said this, he left the room and ran.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
It will be noted that Good News Translation changes the order of the first two clauses in this verse. The fact that Jezebel would not be buried is shifted forward to the beginning of the verse. This may be the most natural structure in certain other languages. But the transformation of the verbs eat and bury into passive forms by Good News Translation will be unnecessary and unnatural in many cases.
The dogs shall eat Jezebel; that is, they will eat the dead body of Jezebel. The use of the definite article with dogs is probably not intended to refer to any particular group of dogs, but rather to dogs in general. So the article is better left untranslated in most languages. New Living Translation clearly identifies Jezebel as “Ahab’s wife, Jezebel.”
In the territory of Jezreel: Compare 1 Kgs 21.23, but note that the wording is slightly different in that case. Instead of territory, 1 Kgs 21.23 speaks of the “bounds” of Jezreel. According to some commentators, the reference here is to the vineyard that Jezebel had taken from Naboth by having him killed (Cogan and Tadmor). If this is true, then the Contemporary English Version rendering “in the town of Jezreel” is probably too vague. A better translation would be “in the plot of ground at Jezreel” (Revised English Bible) or “in the field of Jezreel” (New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). For Jezreel see 1 Kgs 18.45 and 21.1.
Then renders the common Hebrew conjunction, but the context may require something stronger in certain languages. Attempts at this by modern English versions are “With that” (Revised English Bible) and “With this” (New Jerusalem Bible). But other languages may require an expression such as “At once” or “Immediately.”
He opened the door, and fled: While the text has only the pronoun he, referring to the young prophetic messenger, it may be necessary in some languages to make it clear that it was not Jehu but the young prophet who left the room so quickly (so Good News Translation).
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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