complete verse (2 Kings 9:35)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 9:35:

  • Kupsabiny: “But when people went to bury (her), (they) did not find the body, but they only found the skull, feet and hands.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When they went down to bury her, they found only her skull, her hands and her feet.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “But when they got her corpse in-order to bury (it), nothing was-left on her, aside-from her skull, feet, and hands.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But when they went to get her corpse to bury it, all that was left was only her skull and the bones of her feet and her hands. Everything else was gone.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 9:35

The common Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse is properly translated But since what happens stands in contrast with what might have been expected.

They found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands: While Jehu had been eating and drinking in the palace, the dogs on the outside had been eating the flesh of Jezebel. The only body parts remaining were the skull and her hands and feet. Apparently the other bones had been carried away by the dogs. The Hebrew words translated the palms of her hands may be misleading since the word palms in English refers to the hollow inner part of the hand between the base of the fingers and the wrist. Probably in this context, the whole expression refers to the hands in general and is not meant to exclude the fingers. A number of modern versions translate simply “hands” (Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible).

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 9:35

9:35a But when they went out to bury her,

They went outside to ⌊find and⌋ bury her body.

-or-

The men went into the street to ⌊pick up Jezebel’s body and⌋ bury it.

9:35b they found nothing but her skull, her feet, and the palms of her hands.

But they found only her skull, her feet, and her hands.

-or-

But all they could find were the bones of her head, along with her hands and feet.

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