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 (Joshua 10:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 10:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then Adonizedek sent word to these kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish and Debir of Eglon.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “So king Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent to Hoham, king of Hebron, Piram, king of Jarmuth, Japhia, king of Lachish, and Debir, king of Eglon, saying like this,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So Adoni Zedek sent a message to King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmut, King Jafia of Lakish, and King Debir of Eglon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So King Adonizedek sent a message to Hosham the king of Hebron city, to Piram the king of Jarmuth city, to Jarmuth the king of Lachish city, and to Debir the king of Eglon city.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, 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 Joshua 10:3

We learn from verse 5 that the four kings to whom Adonizedek sent the message were Amorite kings, as was King Adonizedek himself. It may be useful to introduce that information at the beginning of this verse, and to indicate that the four kings to whom the message was sent were neighboring kings of Adonizedek. For example:

• At that time there were four other Amorite kings in the region besides King Adonizedek. They were King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon. So Adonizedek sent a message to each of them. 4 He said …

Four cities are listed: Hebron, about 32 kilometers south of Jerusalem; Eglon, about 56 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem; Jarmuth and Lachish were between Eglon and Jerusalem, Lachish being nearer to Eglon. The word Amorite (verse 5) is equivalent to Canaanite; it may be that the term was especially used of the native peoples in the hill country (verse 6; see 3.10).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Joshua 10:3

10:3a

Therefore Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent word: The phrase sent word indicates that the king sent messengers to take his message to the other kings.

King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent this message to… (NET Bible)
-or-
Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to… (New International Version)
-or-
King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to… (New Living Translation (2004))

It may be more natural in some languages to put the title “King” before the names of each of the kings in this list.

10:3b

to Hoham king of Hebron: Hoham is the name of the king of Hebron. Hebron was a town in the hill country southwest of Jerusalem.

Piram king of Jarmuth: Piram is the name of the king of Jarmuth. Jarmuth was a town about 24 kilometers west of Bethlehem in the Elah Valley. It was southwest of Jerusalem.

10:3c

Japhia king of Lachish: Japhia is the name of the king of Lachish. Lachish was about 40 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem.

and Debir king of Eglon, saying: Debir is the name of the king of Eglon. Eglon was about 56 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem.

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