complete verse (Ezra 8:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 8:19:

  • Kupsabiny: “They sent to us also Hashabiah together with Jeshaiah who came from the family/clan of Merari. He came with his sons and his relatives which totaled to 20.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Also, from the Merarites, they sent us Hashabiah and Jeshaiah with his brothers and nephews, a total of 20 men.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “They also sent Hashabia and his siblings and nephews who were 20 in number/(lit. 20 whole), along-with Jeshaya from the family of Merari.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They also sent to us Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, descendants of Levi’s son Merari, and 20 of their relatives.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezra 8:19

The other group of Levites was under the leadership of Hashabiah and Jeshaiah, descendants of Merari, who was a son of Levi. They were accompanied by his kinsmen and their sons, which is literally “his brothers and their sons.” The “brothers” could be the kin of either Hashabiah or Jeshaiah, while the “sons” were the descendants of both. Good News Translation groups them together as “relatives” and thus avoids the ambiguity of the Hebrew text. Some commentators have proposed making “brothers” singular to refer to Jeshaiah as the brother of Hashabiah, but Hebrew Old Testament Text Project supports the Hebrew as the original form of the text with a B rating and should be followed.

Verses 18-20 are one sentence in the Hebrew text, but Good News Translation restructures them into separate sentences and modifies the style for easy English reading and comprehension.

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 8:19

8:19a also Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari,

⌊They also sent to us (excl.) ⌋ Hashabiah, and Jeshaiah with him, both from the family/clan of Merari.
-or-
Hashabiah and Jeshaiah ⌊were⌋ also ⌊brought to us⌋. Their ancestor was Merari ⌊the son of Levi⌋.

8:19b and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.

Hashabiah ⌊brought with him⌋ his brothers, and ⌊they brought⌋ their sons. They were twenty (20) men in all.
-or-
⌊They came⌋ with twenty of their relatives.

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