The Hebrew in Job 3:14 that typically is translated as “ruins” in English is translated in the English translation by E.L. Greenstein (2019) as “palace-tombs.” Greenstein (p. 14) explains: “Literally, ‘ruins’; but for horabot one may read haramot ‘pyramids (mr in Egyptians; harama in Aramaic).’
lots of gold
complete verse (Job 3:14)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 3:14:
- Kupsabiny: “Then I would have slept/laid like rulers/kings and leaders,
who built for themselves houses that have become deserted ruins.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation) - Newari: “[I] would have been with the kings and counsellors of the world, [and] of the earth,
who built places for themselves that have been destroyed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon: “with the kings and leaders/[lit. heads] of the world who built palaces which are ruined now.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “I would be resting with kings whose beautiful palaces that they built are now in ruins (OR, who rebuilt palaces that had previously been destroyed),
and I would be resting with their officials who have also died.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("counting")
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, oshieteo-rare-ru (数えておられる) or “counting” is used.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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 Job 3:14
With kings and counselors of the earth describes the company Job would have kept, if at birth he had gone down into the world of the dead. For a similar idea see Isaiah 14.9-11, where in Sheol the rulers of the earth rise from their thrones to mock the dead king of Babylon. The word translated counselors refers to the officials or ministers who carried out the king’s orders. Of the earth simply emphasizes their realm, or as Moffatt says, “the kings and statesmen of the world.” In some languages Job’s companions in death would be “chiefs and tribal headmen” or “great chiefs and minor chiefs.” In language areas where there are no persons with such authority, it may be necessary to say “with important ancestors and their helpers.” Good News Translation picks up “sleeping” from verse 13b, which it does not use there, and uses it metaphorically here.
Who rebuilt ruins for themselves: scholars are divided regarding what is meant by this line. Revised Standard Version understands that the kings rebuilt what they found as ruins during their rule. In this sense they restored what were probably old palaces. New English Bible says “who built themselves palaces.” New International Version understands that the palaces they built are “places now lying in ruins.” Another group of translations takes for themselves to mean that the kings built burial places or pyramids (so Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible de Jérusalem, Moffatt). Good News Translation follows Revised Standard Version and expresses the idea of ruins through the use of “rebuilt ancient palaces.” Considering the various possibilities, Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation are adequate models for translation. “Palaces” may be rendered in some languages as “houses which chiefs live in,” “big house for the rulers,” or “big houses important people live in.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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