complete verse (Nehemiah 10:13)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 10:13:

  • Kupsabiny: “Hodiah, Bani and Beninu.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The Levites who signed were Jeshua the child of Azania, Binui from the family of Henadad, Kadmiel, Shebania, Hodia, Kelita, Pelaya, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabia, Zacur, Sherebia, Shebania, Hodia, Bani, and Beninu.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 10:9 - 10:13

And the Levites: The third category includes the names of seventeen Levites. These are names of individuals and not of families. At least ten of these Levites participated in the reading of the Law in Neh 8.7 and/or led in worship and prayer in Neh 9.4-5. Good News Translation combines verses 9-13, identifying this category with the single word “Levites.”

In Hebrew there is a connective conjunction before Jeshua that can be understood with the meaning “that is.” This conjunction is omitted in a number of manuscripts and by the versions, but it was probably in the original text. The colon of Good News Translation following “Levites” can be understood as the equivalent of “that is” (also Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

Of the sons of is a literal translation of the Hebrew. Bible en français courant like Good News Translation understands this to refer to “the clan of.”

And their brethren: This phrase occurs at the beginning of verse 10 after the listing of the names of three Levites in verse 9, who may have been Levite leaders. It refers to fellow Levites, not to family or blood brothers. Good News Translation omits it as being redundant in a list that is all Levites, while Bible en français courant renders it “and their companions.” Translators should not omit what is in the text when it can be translated without leading to a wrong understanding.

The name Shebaniah occurs twice in this list (verses 10 and 12). This repetition may be due to a problem in the history of the text. Some manuscripts have “Shecaniah” for one or the other of the two occurrences. However, the names should be retained as they are in MT. In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that they refer to two different people; for example, the first one may be referred to as “a first Shebaniah” and the other one as “a second Shebaniah” or “another Shebaniah.”

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .