1When the Israelites living in Judea heard of everything that Holofernes, the general of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the Assyrians, had done to the nations and how he had plundered and destroyed all their temples,
The term that is transliterated as “Nebuchadnezzar” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the signs for “king” and one signifying a wavy beard, referring to the common way of wearing a beard in Mesopotamia (see here ). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Nebuchadnezzar” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting “idol in my image,” referring to Daniel 3:1. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
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:
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.”
By this time the people of Israel living in Judea heard …: Verses 1 and 2 are independent sentences in the Greek text. Each is introduced by “and.” Virtually all translations connect the two by making verse 1 a subordinate clause introduced by “when.” So it is possible to translate “When the Israelites living in Judah heard that….” Revised Standard Version keeps the two sentences independent by beginning with the phrase By this time. This phrase really works pretty well, except that the verse is introducing a new chapter and hearers or readers may not remember what this time refers to. One way to avoid misunderstanding is to refer back to information at the end of chapter 3; for example, “By the time Holofernes and his soldiers were camped between Geba and Scythopolis, the people of Israel living in Judah heard….”
The reference to Israel is strange here, so Good News Translation omits it. The author writes during the time when only the tribe of Judah had returned from exile, but he is imaginatively reconstructing a reunited Israel. Moore suggests with good reason that “children of Israel” here is simply an archaic usage. The focus is certainly to be on Judea.
Had done to the nations: The term used for nations is the word often translated “Gentiles.” There is no doubt that here it translates the Hebrew word used for the non-Israelite world. Good News Translation uses “other nations” to get this across without the technicality of the word “Gentile.”
How he has plundered: Plundered means “forcibly took everything of value [or, all their valued possessions].” See 1.14.
Destroyed all their temples: Temples may be also rendered “places where they worshiped their gods.”
It is possible to reorder this verse as follows:
• When the people [of Israel] living in Judah heard that Holofernes the commander of King Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers had destroyed all the places where the peoples of the surrounding nations worshiped their gods, and had taken everything of value….
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.
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