Judah, Judea

The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)


“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .

complete verse (Ezra 1:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 1:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “King Cyrus told Mithredath who was the treasurer that (he/they) should count those things and give to Sheshbazzar who was the chief leader of the people of Judah.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Cyrus King of Persia gave all the responsibility for that to Mithredath, Chief of the Treasury. He gave Sheshbazzar, leader of Judah, the responsibility for counting and making a list of those utensils.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “King Cyrus entrusted these to Mitredat the treasurer of his kingdom. Mitredat counted them and gave the list to Sheshbazar, the governor of Juda” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Cyrus commanded Mithredath, the treasurer of the Persian Empire, to count all these items and then give them to Sheshbazzar, the leader of the group that was going to return to Judah.” (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, 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 Ezra 1:8

Cyrus king of Persia brought these out: Cyrus did not bring the vessels out himself. Instead, he had the vessels brought out or “he caused them to be brought out.” This is the same Hebrew word as in the previous verse that was translated both as “brought out” and “carried away.”

In charge of Mithredath the treasurer: The vessels were handed over to the treasurer. In charge of is literally “into the hand of.” The treasurer had a Persian name, Mithredath, which means “gift of Mithra.” Mithra was a god worshiped by the Persians. The Hebrew word for treasurer here is gizbar, which is from a Persian word that became modified to Caspar, the legendary name of one of the wise men from the East who came to see Jesus (Matt 2.1). This title refers to a high financial official. Here he was responsible for the treasures that were kept in the temples.

Who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah: After the treasurer received the vessels he had them delivered to the leader of the people of Israel. He counted them out, that is, he “made an inventory” (Good News Translation) of the vessels and made sure that they were all accounted for and delivered. A count of the vessels had been made by the Levites when they were in the Temple (see 1 Chr 9.28).

Sheshbazzar is a Babylonian name, but no information is given about this man’s ancestry. His title, the prince of Judah, does not mean that he was the son of a king. It indicates instead that he was the head of the tribe of Judah. New English Bible translates “the ruler of Judah.” Good News Translation refers to him as “the governor of Judah” because in Ezra 5.14 he is identified as the “governor.” He was the one who laid the foundation of the Temple. His name occurs only in the book of Ezra.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ezra 1:8

1:8a Cyrus king of Persia had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer,

Cyrus, king of Persia, gave the responsibility/task of bringing out the objects to Mithredath, the/his ⌊royal⌋ treasurer.
-or-
⌊Now that⌋ Cyrus the chief/ruler ⌊wanted to send the temple objects back⌋, he put Mithredath, his financial officer, in charge of them.

1:8b who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

⌊Mithredath⌋ counted them and gave them to Sheshbazzar, the prince/leader of Judah.
-or-
⌊So Mithredath/he brought them out,⌋ made a list/inventory of them, and delivered them to Sheshbazzar, who was the governor ⌊of the people/clan⌋ of Judah.

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