5So he said to the people of Succoth, “Please give some loaves of bread to my followers, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
The name that is transliterated as “Midian” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that depicts Moses fleeing to Midian (see Exodus 2:15, combined with a sign for the region. (Source: Missão Kophós )
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:
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 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”
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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 to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, kudasaru (下さる), a respectful form of kureru (くれる) or “give” is used.
There is an important step left out of the narration here, namely that Gideon and his men arrived at the town of Succoth. Good News Translation tries to make the transition more natural by beginning with “When they arrived at Sukkoth….” Contemporary English Version is similar with “The town of Succoth was nearby, so he went there….” In many languages it will be necessary to add this transition material. The previous verse mentions that Gideon and his men were hungry, so the logical thing is for them to look for food.
So he said to the men of Succoth: So renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction, since Gideon and his men are hungry. Depending on the transition, the conjunction may be omitted (so New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The pronoun he refers to Gideon, which may be made explicit. The men of Succoth refers to the inhabitants of Succoth, not just its males. The town of Succoth was on the east side of the Jordan River, probably near the mouth of the Jabbok River, which flows into the Jordan. The Hebrew name Succoth means “huts” or “shelters,” as in the Festival of Shelters (Lev 23.34). The people living in this town were presumably from the tribe of Gad.
Pray, give loaves of bread to the people who follow me: Gideon politely asks for food from the people of this town. Pray renders the Hebrew politeness marker naʾ, which may be translated “Please” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “I beg you” (see comments on verse 1.24). Loaves does not render the same Hebrew word translated “cakes” in verse 7.13. This word is plural, so it certainly refers to several loaves. However, the Hebrew word for bread (lechem) can also refer to any kind of food, so Contemporary English Version renders loaves of bread as “some food.” The people who follow me is literally “the people who [are] at my feet.” People renders the key Hebrew word (ʿam) often used in this book to refer to the Israelites in general (see verse 2.4), but in this context Gideon is obviously referring to his soldiers, so Contemporary English Version says “my troops.”
For they are faint, and I am pursuing … repeats in dialogue form two keywords that occur in the narrative in verse 8.4 (see comments there). This is typical Hebrew style. For renders the Hebrew particle ki, which clearly introduces a reason here. We can say “because” or “since.”
And I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian: And is a good rendering of the Hebrew waw conjunction here, since Gideon is giving an additional reason for his request of food. In 8.4 the text says all of Gideon’s men were “pursuing” the Midianites. However, here Gideon says specifically and emphatically I am pursuing…. Gideon was probably a known figure in the region. With the emphatic I, Gideon is making a personal request, based on his status in the area. There may also be a note of pride here, because Gideon claims that his troops are exhausted, but he, Gideon, is still pursuing the enemy. It is also possible that Gideon meant to leave his men there, while he continued on. Though it is possible to change the singular I into a collective “we” (Contemporary English Version), it is better to stay closer to the pronoun in the original text. Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian probably represent the last Midianite threat. The names Zebah and Zalmunna mean “sacrifice” and “protection is refused” respectively. Translators can choose whether to transliterate these names or render their meaning. Contemporary English Version, which often translates names, does not do so here. Most commentators believe that there are wordplays on these unusual names. For the Hebrew word rendered kings (melek), see the comments on verse 1.7. There may be some irony here since Gideon had told the Ephraimites that they had accomplished a great deed by killing “the princes of Midian” (verse 8.2-3). Obviously complete victory has not yet been achieved, since the two top leaders, the kings of Midian, are still loose in the territory. Many languages may prefer to change the word order in this clause by saying “I am still trying to capture the [last] kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna.”
Translation models for this verse are:
• Having arrived in Succoth, Gideon said to the men of the town, “Please give my warriors some food. They are really tired, and I am still pursuing the Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna.”
• When they arrived in the town of Succoth, Gideon said to the people there, “Please give my men and me some bread. They are completely exhausted, but I have to keep pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings.”
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 .
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