complete verse (Ezra 2:58)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 2:58:

  • Kupsabiny: “The people of the work/servants in the house of God and the descendants of the work/servants of Solomon reached a total of 392.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “In all, [the number of] temple servants and Solomon’s palace workers [came to] 392” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The number of them who were the descendants of the servants in the temple and the descendants of the servants of Solomon were 392.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Altogether, there were 392 temple workers and descendants of Solomon’s servants who returned.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezra 2:58

In this list Solomon’s servants are associated with the temple servants and are counted together with them in the total number that is given in this verse. By this time in the history of Israelite religious practice, these workers were recognized as Temple officials, though of low status. Translators should therefore use a word like “servant” and not “slave” in this context.

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 2:58

2:58 The temple servants and descendants of the servants of Solomon numbered 392 in all.

⌊There were⌋ three hundred and ninety-two (392) men who were temple servants or descendants of the servants of Solomon.
-or-
From all the clans of the temple servants and the servants of ⌊King⌋ Solomon, ⌊there were⌋ three hundred and ninety-two ⌊men who returned⌋.
-or-
The ⌊total number of⌋ temple workers and descendants of the servants of ⌊King⌋ Solomon ⌊who returned⌋ was 392.

© 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.