Canaan

The term that is transliterated as “Canaan” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign loosely referencing the act of hiding/covering one’s face in shame. The association of “shame” with the name “Canaan” comes from Genesis 9, specifically verse 9:25. This sign was adapted from a similar sign in Kenyan Sign Language (see here). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Canaan” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Canaan in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

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 Judges 4:24

The summary statement continues here, giving the final outcome. It is hard to tell if 4.24 is presenting a new event in the story (in which case neither the battle with Sisera’s troops nor the execution of Sisera completely wiped out or subdued King Jabin) or whether this is merely an insistence of the defeat. If the latter interpretation is adopted, the Hebrew waw conjunction rendered And can be omitted in the translation. If translators think there are two events, then this conjunction could be rendered “After this.”

The hand of the people of Israel bore harder and harder on Jabin the king of Canaan: The keyword hand, which has occurred many times already in this story (see especially verse 4.21), is used here to refer to the strength and power of the Israelites. For the people of Israel, see verse 1.1. The hand … bore harder and harder on Jabin (literally “the hand … went going and severe/fierce on Jabin”) renders a very emphatic idiomatic clause in Hebrew expressing the increased pressure Israel put on King Jabin. We could say “The Israelites increasingly pressured/pressed Jabin” or “Israel put more and more pressure on Jabin.”

Jabin the king of Canaan refers of course not just to the king but to the king and his people. This phrase is repeated twice in the verse certainly to emphasize the defeat but also to close out the unit (see comments on verse 4.23). However, if the repetition is not acceptable in the target language, it can be reduced.

Until they destroyed Jabin king of Canaan: The pronoun they refers to the Israelites. Destroyed is literally “cut off.” Some versions think this clause means that the Israelites finally managed to kill King Jabin. However, it probably refers more generally to the fact that the Israelites were able to subjugate or completely dominate the population and territories Jabin ruled over.

A translation model for his verse is:

• The Israelites increasingly gained power over Jabin king of Canaan until they utterly destroyed him and his people.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .