Jerusalem

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:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

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)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

complete verse (Isaiah 22:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 22:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “You (plur.) counted the houses of Jerusalem,
    and tore (them) down so you could use (them) to build the wall of the city.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “You counted the houses of Jerusalem,
    and tore houses down to reinforce [lit. cause to make strong] the fortress.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) looked-at the houses of Jerusalem and destroyed some of it in-order to use the stones to repair the stone-wall of the city.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You will inspect the houses in Jerusalem,
    and some of them you will tear down to use the stones to repair the city wall.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Isaiah 22:9 - 22:10

Good News Translation has rearranged verses 9 and 10 in order to link the broken walls of Jerusalem in verse 9 with the accumulated stones needed to repair them in verse 10, and to associate the collected water in verse 9 with the reservoir in verse 11. No other consulted translation combines these verses like this, but it helps to make them clearer. However, it understands the lower pool of verse 9 and “the old pool” of verse 11 to be the same pool, which is unlikely (see the comments below).

And you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many: The city of David was the oldest part of Jerusalem (see 2 Sam 5.7-9). Here it refers to the whole city. Jerusalem’s defenses are weak because of breaches, which are breaks or gaps in the city wall. The siege armies or natural deterioration could have caused these breaks. The object comes before the verb in the Hebrew text, which is literally “And the breaches of the city of David you [plural] saw because [they were] many.” This construction draws special attention to the fact that there are many gaps in the wall.

And you collected the waters of the lower pool is a second step taken to secure the city. If the setting is the time of Hezekiah, this statement has a known historical context. Hezekiah was the king who ordered the digging of a tunnel that brought water from the Gihon Spring outside the walls into the city (see 2 Kgs 20.20; 2 Chr 32.30). The lower pool is unknown. The text here could mean that water was collected in the lower pool (so New International Version) or from the lower pool (so Revised English Bible). Most translations retain the ambiguous phrase the waters of the lower pool, which is the better alternative.

And you counted the houses of Jerusalem: They inspected the houses in Jerusalem in order to determine which ones could be demolished, so that their stones could be used to fortify the city wall. New Jerusalem Bible says “You surveyed the houses in Jerusalem.”

And you broke down the houses to fortify the wall: There are two ways to understand this clause. According to one view, they demolished the houses that were in a poor state of repair between the outer and inner city walls (so CEV footnote|prj:CEVUS06.Isa 22.11 on verse 11). The front and back walls of these houses formed part of these walls. They used the stones from the inner walls of these demolished houses to repair the outer city wall. According to the second view, they demolished any broken-down houses in Jerusalem and took their stones to repair the city wall.

For the translation of verses 9-10 we can say:

• 9 You noted the many gaps in the walls of the City of David,
and you stored the water of the Lower Pool.
10 You surveyed the houses of Jerusalem,
demolishing some to fortify the city walls.

• 9 You observed that there were many holes in the City of David’s defenses,
and you ensured the water supply of the Lower Pool.
10 You surveyed Jerusalem’s houses,
and you took stones from some of them to strengthen the city wall.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .