complete verse (Ezra 2:55)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 2:55:

  • Kupsabiny: “The descendants of the people of work/servants of the leader/ruler/king Solomon who returned are these: Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Here is the list of the descendants of king Solomon’s palace servants who returned —
    Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The descendants of the servants of Solomon also returned from captivity:
    The descendants of Sotai, Hasoferet, Peruda, Jaala, Darkon, Gidel, Shefatia, Hatil, Pokeret Hazebaim, and Ami.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “These descendants of King Solomon’s servants returned:
    Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezra 2:55 - Ezra 2:57

Solomon’s servants: This group includes people originally from Canaan whom Solomon made to do forced labor (see 1 Kgs 9.20-21; 2 Chr 8.7-8). Because the same Hebrew word is used both for servants and for slaves, some versions translate “Solomon’s slaves” (New Jerusalem Bible, Osty-Trinquet).

Pochereth-hazzebaim may mean “hunter of gazelles.” Good News Translation presents it as two separate words as in Hebrew, while Revised Standard Version uses a hyphen to show the relationship between the two parts (also the Septuagint). Translators should follow the model they are using.

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 2:55

2:55a The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

¶ ⌊These are⌋ the descendants of the servants of Solomon:
-or-
¶ ⌊This is the list of men who returned⌋ whose ancestors had served ⌊King⌋ Solomon.
-or-
¶ ⌊These are⌋ the descendants of the servants of Solomon ⌊who returned, according to their clans/families⌋.

2:55b the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants of Peruda,

from the clans of Sotai, Sophereth, Peruda,
-or-
⌊They were⌋ of/from the families of Sotai and Sophereth and Peruda
-or-
⌊They were⌋ the descendants of Sotai and Sophereth and Peruda

© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.