complete verse (Nehemiah 10:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 10:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The priests who signed were Seraya, Azaria, Jeremias, Pashur, Amaria, Malkia, Hatush, Shebania, Maluc, Harim, Meremot, Obadias, Daniel, Gineton, Baruc, Meshulam, Abia, Miamim, Maazia, Bilgai, and Shemaya.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 10:2 - 10:8

The names of twenty-one priests are given. This list of names is almost the same as the list of those who returned from Babylonia with Zerubbabel (Neh 12.1-7) and of the priestly families in the next generation (Neh 12.12-21). They are probably the names of priestly families that took turns serving in the Temple (see 2 Chr 31.2).

Seraiah was a member of the high-priestly family that held office at the time of the exile (see 2 Kgs 25.18; Jer 52.24).

Azariah is the long form of the name Ezra. This may be a reference to the priestly family of Ezra who is not listed by name in this section, but there were two people named Azariah among his ancestors (Ezra 7.1-3).

Pashhur is the name of a priestly family mentioned in Ezra 2.38.

Amariah is the long form of the name Immer, which is the name of a priestly family mentioned in Ezra 2.37 and Neh 11.13.

There are also references in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah to the other names in these verses. It cannot be known if they refer to the same people.

Good News Translation restructures and combines verses 2-8 under a heading that identifies the persons named as priests. In Hebrew the identification of the category of priests follows their names. In English style each name is separated from the next by a comma except for the last name in the list that occurs following a comma and the conjunction “and.” As for earlier lists in Ezra and Nehemiah, translators should use appropriate receptor language style to present this and the following lists of names.

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 .