drink

In Telugu different verbs for humans drinking (tāgu / తాగు) and animals drinking (cēḍu / చేడు) are required.

complete verse (2 Kings 9:34)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 9:34:

  • Kupsabiny: “After that, Jehu entered into that house. He ate and ate and drank, and then he said, ‘Go (plur.) and bury that cursed woman since she was the daughter of a king.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Jehu went in and ate and drank. Later on Jehu said, "Bury that woman who has fallen under a curse. She was the daughter of a king."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then Jehu entered the palace and ate and drank. Afterwards he said, ‘[You (plur.)] take that cursed woman and bury, (her) for she was also a child of a king.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and drank. Then he said to some of his men, ‘Take the corpse of that women whom Yahweh has cursed and bury it, because she is a king’s daughter and therefore should be buried properly.’” (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, 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 9:34

He went in: In languages that require a destination following the verb went in, it will be possible to say “he went into the palace” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch; similarly Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

Ate and drank: This gives the impression that Jehu acted as if nothing of importance had happened. It was only after he had calmed down that he was able to order a proper burial for Jezebel.

He said: The Hebrew does not indicate to whom Jehu spoke here. In some languages it will be necessary to indicate this; for example, Contemporary English Version has “he told some workers.”

See now to …: These words of Jehu include a particle in Hebrew which indicates that he is making a request. Regarding this particle of entreaty, see the comments at 1 Kgs 1.12. The Hebrew verb rendered See is one that has a wide variety of meanings. In this context the servants are commanded to take oversight of the unwanted task of burying the mutilated corpse of the hated woman Jezebel. Some possible translations are “Attend to…” (New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “Take care of…” (New International Version), and “Now see about…” (New Century Version).

This cursed woman: The Hebrew text has only the feminine singular participle meaning “accursed,” followed by the demonstrative pronoun. The same root word is used in the cursing of the serpent in Gen 3.14 and in the story of Saul’s forbidding food to his soldiers (1 Sam 14.24, 28). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch clearly expresses the sense with “this woman whom the LORD has cursed.”

For she is a king’s daughter: See 1 Kgs 16.31. The transition word for introduces the reason for Jehu’s desire for a proper burial for this wicked woman. In spite of her corrupt behavior, she was still a part of the royal family. The verb tense here in Revised Standard Version may be unacceptable in some languages since Jezebel was no longer living at this point. Both New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible use the past tense, saying “after all, she was a king’s daughter.” American Bible translates king’s daughter as “princess.”

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 9:34

9:34a Then Jehu went in and ate and drank.

Jehu went inside. He ate ⌊some food⌋ and drank ⌊some wine⌋ .

-or-

⌊After that,⌋ Jehu entered ⌊the palace⌋ and had a meal.

9:34b “Take care of this cursed woman,” he said,

Then he said, “Do (plur.) something about that woman whom God has cursed.

-or-

He said ⌊to some of his men⌋ , “Please make arrangements for the body of that cursed/wretched one/person.

9:34c “and bury her,

Go and bury her body,

-or-

Give her a proper burial.

9:34d for she was the daughter of a king.”

since she was a king’s daughter.”

-or-

because she was the daughter of a king.”

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