complete verse (Genesis 36:33)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 36:33:

  • Newari: “After Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah who lived in Bozrah became king in his place.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When- he -died, Jobab the child of Zera who came-from-Bozra succeeded him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Bela died, Zerah’s son Jobab/became the king. He was from Bozrah city.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • 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 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.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on Genesis 36:33

Bela died, and Jobab … reigned: some translations say “When Bela died, … Jobab became king.”

Son of Zera of Bozrah: Jobab is identified as son of Zerah. Bozrah was an important town in Edom and is mentioned in Isa 63.1 and Amos 1.12. In translation it may be necessary to say, for example, “Zerah … from the town of Bozrah” or “Zerah who lived in the town called Bozrah.”

Reigned in his stead means reigned or ruled “in his place” or “after him,” after he had died. In some languages there are expressions that will be appropriate in this context, for taking over a position of leadership or ownership when an important person dies; in one language, for example, “Bela died and Jobab … took over from him” (literally “exchanged him”).

Note that Good News Translation does not repeat reigned in his stead in these verses but says once in verse 31 “ruled the land of Edom in succession,” that is, each king ruled after the other.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .