2Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set out to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.
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)
The name that is transliterated as “Salathiel” or “Shealtiel” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that combines “ask” (the name means “I have asked God”) and a reference that his son Zerubbabel returned to the city of Jerusalem to build the second Temple (see Ezra 3:8). (Source: Missão Kophós )
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
The name that is transliterated as “Zerubbabel” or “Shealtiel” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that combines “begotten” (the name means “begotten in Babylon”) and a reference that he led the first group that left the city of Babylon to build the second Temple in Jerusalem (see Ezra 3:8). (Source: Missão Kophós )
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 5:2:
Kupsabiny: “Then, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak got up and continued to build the House of God in Jerusalem. Those prophets of God encouraged them.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Listening to them, Zerubbabel sone of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jehozadak again began the work of building the temple of God in Jerusalem. Staying with them, these prophets of God helped them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Zerubabel the child of Shealtiel and Jeshua the child of Jozadak listened to them. Therefore they continued building/[lit. cause-to-stand] the temple of God in Jerusalem. They were truly supported by those two prophets of God.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Then Zerubbabel and Shealtiel led many other people as they started again to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. And God’s prophets Haggai and Zechariah were with them and helped them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The rebuilding of the Temple was started just twenty-three days after Haggai’s first prophecy (see Hag 1.1, 15). The verse begins with the time marker Then, which is the same word in Aramaic as at the beginning of Ezra 4.24, where it is translated “at that time” in New Revised Standard Version. Here it indicates an action immediately following that of the previous verse. The relationship between the actions in the two verses is brought out by the use of the temporal clause “When … heard their messages” in Good News Translation.
The work of rebuilding the Temple was resumed under the same leaders, Zerubbabel and Jeshua, who started it in Ezra 3.8. They arose and began to rebuild means that they set about rebuilding (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New International Version). Arose is a literal translation of a word in Aramaic that indicates the beginning of an action (see “rose up” in Ezra 1.5). For the house of God which is in Jerusalem, see Ezra 1.4.
This time the prophets of God were helping them. This probably refers to the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, as indicated by Josephus in Jewish Antiquities XI.96, although it has been suggested that other prophets may have been helping.
Good News Translation has simplified with them were the prophets of God, helping them, which is a relatively uncommon construction in English, to one verb: “the two prophets helped them.” However, in some languages it may be acceptable grammatical form and good literary form to use two verbs; for example, “the prophets were present with them, assisting them [in the work]” (similarly English Standard Version). Some translations have restructured to express this with a noun phrase: “with the help of the prophets of God” (Bible en français courant) or “with the full support of the prophets of God” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).
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 .
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