23Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes’s letter was read before Rehum and the scribe Shimshai and their associates, they hurried to the Jews in Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease.
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 4:23:
Kupsabiny: “When that letter which came from the home/palace of king Artaxerxes had been read to Rehum and Shimshai and their friends, (they) went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and stopped (it) with force.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “When this letter of King Artaxerxes had been read and expounded before Rehum and Shimshai, the Secretary, and the people who were working with them, they went quickly to the Jews of Jerusalem and forcibly prohibited the work.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “After Rehum, Shimshai, and their companions had-read to them the letter of King Artaserkses, they immediately went to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop building the city again.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Messengers took that letter to Rehum and Shimshai and their colleagues and read it to them. Then Rehum and the others went quickly to Jerusalem, and they forced the Jews to stop rebuilding the city wall.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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:
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.”
Then, when … they went in haste to the Jews at Jerusalem: The Aramaic begins with the adverb Then and a prepositional construction meaning “from the time that.” In other words, the provincial officials lost no time in carrying out the orders of the king. “As soon as” (Good News Translation, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible) they heard the letter from the king, they went in haste. For in haste, the Aramaic uses a preposition followed by a noun, and many languages will do the same as Revised Standard Version, but this may also be expressed adverbially as “very fast” (Parole de Vie [Parole de Vie]), or the concept of speed may be expressed by a verb like “hurried” as Good News Translation has done. Translators should use the grammatical construction that is normal for the style of this narrative.
Rehum’s title “royal deputy” or “high commissioner” (Revised English Bible) is not included in the Aramaic text but is in the Septuagint and the Syrian version. In line with the general principle of using MT as the base text, the title should not be inserted here by the translator. But if it is included in the translation as in Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible and other versions, a footnote should indicate its source.
By force and power made them cease: They caused the Jews to stop the work by force and power. The Aramaic uses the figure of speech “by arm and power.” The “arm” often represents strength in the Old Testament. The word for power indicates that they went with military strength. 1 Esdras 2.30 adds “with horsemen and a multitude in battle array” (also in Josephus, Jewish Antiquities XI.29), but this should not be added here.
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 .
4:23a When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates,
¶ When a copy of the letter of/from King/Chief Artaxerxes was read before Rehum, Shimshai the secretary, and their colleagues, -or-
¶ Then ⌊a messenger/servant took⌋ the letter that the king/ruler ⌊had sent⌋ and read it to/for Rehum and Shimshai and their companions.
4:23b they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
they went quickly to Jerusalem and caused the Jewish people with/by force to stop ⌊building⌋. -or-
⌊When they heard what the letter said⌋, they went to Jerusalem without delay ⌊and took some soldiers with them⌋. ⌊There,⌋ they and the soldiers forced the Jews to stop ⌊rebuilding the foundations and walls of the city⌋.
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