The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “soldier” in English didn’t have a direct equivalent in Enlhet so it was translated with “those that bind us” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. ) and in Noongar it is mammarapa-bakadjiny or “men of fighting” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
Judah, Judea
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)
“Judah” and “Judea” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España
For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .
See also Judah, Judah (son of Jacob) , and Tribe of Judah .
complete verse (Jeremiah 39:4)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 39:4:
- Kupsabiny: “When Zedekiah and all his soldiers saw those things happening, they sneaked out in the night through the garden of the palace at a gate where two walls met and set out towards the valley of the river of Jordan.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “When King Zedekia and all his soldiers saw this they fled. They left the city by night, and they passed-through there in the garden of the king, at the gate between two the stone-walls, and they went to the Valley of Jordan.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “When King Zedekiah and all his soldiers realized that the army of Babylonia had broken into the city, they fled. They waited until it was dark. Then they went out of the city through the king’s garden, through the gate that was between the two walls. Then they started running toward the Jordan River Valley.” (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 (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.”
(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )
See also king (Japanese honorifics).
Translation commentary on Jeremiah 39:4
All the soldiers; that is, Zedekiah’s soldiers (Good News Translation “all his soldiers”).
Saw them is a literal rendering of the Hebrew text. However, on the assumption that verse 4 originally followed verses 1-2, Good News Translation places verse 3 in parentheses and renders saw them as “saw what was happening.” It is equally possible, however, to say “saw the Babylonians [there].”
Good News Translation has rendered fled as “tried to escape.” This is not actually accurate. As the passage makes clear, they did escape from Jerusalem, but were pursued and captured outside the city. Translators are better advised, therefore, to say something such as “they fled from the city” or “they escaped from the city.”
The king’s garden was near the pool of Siloam, southeast of Jerusalem (see 2Kgs 25.4; Neh 3.15).
The gate between the two walls was evidently in the south of the city; it is thought by some to be the Fountain Gate referred to in Neh 2.14; 3.15; 12.37. The two walls would have been south of this gate, along the west side of the east hill of Jerusalem and the east side of the west hill.
The Arabah; that is, the Jordan Valley, east of Jerusalem. Since most Bible readers will recognize “Jordan Valley” more readily than “Arabah,” translators often follow the example of Good News Translation here.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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