sparrow

While the Greek word strouthion is certainly the name for the sparrow, the Hebrew tsippor is actually an inclusive word that refers to sparrow-sized birds in general. These small birds, especially sparrows, were caught in nets and traps and were an important part of the diet of poor people.

There are three types of sparrow that are common in Israel, the House Sparrow Passer domesticus, the Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis, and the Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus. All three are small speckled brown birds. Additional small birds that abound around towns and settlements are members of the bunting, finch, and tit families. Sparrows in particular are usually found in fairly large numbers roosting and nesting together. All are seed eaters and live mainly on grass seeds and grain.

Sparrows were considered clean birds and were associated with the poor.

Sparrows or sparrow-like small birds are found all over the world. Finding a local word is not usually difficult. The reference to “a lonely bird on the housetop” in Psalms 102:7 takes on additional meaning if the sparrow was intended, since it is a bird that is seldom seen alone. It would then indicate the psalmist’s sense of loneliness at being separated from those with whom he belongs.

Source: All Creatures Great and Small: Living things in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

complete verse (Joshua 24:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 24:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “After that, the king of Moab who was called Balak son of Zippor fought against you. He sent word to Balaam son of Beor to come and curse you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Again Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab rose and did battle with Israel. And to curse you he summoned Balaam, son of Beor.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then the king of Moab who is Balak the child/(son) of Sipor fought against Israel. He commanded Balaam the child/(son) of Beor to-curse you (plur.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then, Zippor’s son Balak, the King of Moab, decided that his army would fight against/opposed the Israelis. He summoned Beor’s son Balaam and asked him to curse you.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

king

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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 Joshua 24:9 - 24:10

For the account of Balak and Balaam, see Numbers 22.1–24.25. The king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor may be translated as “King Balak of Moab” or “Balak, king of Moab,” without the modifier son of Zippor. As with so many of these “son of…” modifiers, so here also it gives information which was important for the Hebrew writer and his readers, but not for present-day readers, and it adds awkwardness to the text.

In verse 9 fought does not agree with the accounts in Numbers 22.6, 11; Deuteronomy 2.9; Judges 11.25, which specify that Balak, in fact, did not go to battle against the Israelites. So some commentators and translations propose “prepared to fight” as the meaning of the verb. It is possible to use the verb in a more general sense of “stood up against” or “opposed.” Some translations use the idiomatic “stood in your way” or “placed himself in your way.” It may be better to translate “opposed.”

Balaam son of Beor may be rendered, “Balaam” (see above comments on “son of Zippor”).

Asked him to put a curse on you may be translated as direct discourse: “asked him, ‘Put a curse on the people of Israel,’ ” The problem, however, is that this would make a third layer of discourse, a quotation within a quotation, which is difficult for many readers. A simpler solution would be to translate the two verb structures sent word and asked by a single verb: “He sent for the prophet Balaam to put a curse on you” or “He sent for the prophet Balaam to come and place a curse on you.”

But I would not listen to Balaam (so also Revised Standard Version) represents a literal rendering of the Hebrew text. The meaning may be expressed “But I would not allow Balaam to place a curse on you.”

So he blessed you may be expressed more fully, “Against his will, he blessed you.” It may also be translated, “Instead I caused him to pronounce a blessing on you.”

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 24:9

24:9a

Then: The Hebrew conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then introduces the next event in the storyline.

Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab: The story of King Balak is told in Numbers 22-24. He was the king of the Moabites.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

Then Balak, who was the king of Moab and the son of Zippor, got ready to fight against the Israelites.
-or-
King Balak was the son of Zippor and the king of the Moabites. He prepared to fight Israel.

set out to fight against Israel: The Hebrew verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as set out indicates preparation for an action. It can also be translated “he got ready to make war.”

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

prepared to fight (New International Version)

24:9b

He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you: King Balak sent messengers to Balaam to ask him to put a curse on Israel.

Balaam son of Beor: Balaam is first mentioned in Numbers 22:5.

curse you: The phrase curse you indicates that Balaam would call on gods to make something terrible happen to the Israelites.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:

He sent ⌊messengers⌋ to tell Balaam the son of Beor to put a curse on you.
-or-
So King Balak sent ⌊word⌋ to Balaam the son of Beor and asked him to put a curse on you.

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