The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “son of” in English is translated in all Icelandic Bible versions of the Icelandic Bible Society (latest edition 2007) in parallel with the Icelandic naming system . This means that for instance in Matthew 16:17 the name that is transliterated and translated in English as “Simon son of Jonah” becomes “Simon Jónasson” or in Isaiah 8:2 “Zechariah son of Jeberechiah” becomes “Sakaría Jeberekíason” where in both cases the “-son” means “son of.”
In cases where “son of” does not refer to a literal father or perhaps stepfather but to lineage, however, this system is not used. So in Matthew 1:1 “Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” is translated as “Jesú Krists, sonar Davíðs, sonar Abrahams.”
The referenced verses all have at least one instance where the Icelandic patronymic or matronymic naming system is used. (Source: Halldór Elías Guðmundsson)
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is transliterated “Levites” in English (only the Contemporary English Version translates it as “temple helpers”) is translated in Ojitlán Chinantec as “temple caretakers,” Yatzachi Zapotec as “people born in the family line of Levi, people whose responsibility it was to do the work in the important church of the Israelites,” in Alekano as “servants in the sacrifice house from Jerusalem place,” in Tenango Otomi as “helpers of priests” (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.), in Chuj as “family of Levi,” and in Desano as “grandchild of Levi” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In American Sign Language with a sign that combines “temple” + “servant.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Levite” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 11:15:
Kupsabiny: “The Levites who went and settled in Jerusalem were: Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni and” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “From the Levites: Shemaya the child of Hashub (Hashub the child of Azrikam; Azrikam the child of Hashabia; and Hashabia the child of Buni);” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Another descendant of Levi who settled in Jerusalem was Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The list of Levites follows in verses 15-18. Good News Translation introduces the list with the subheading “Levites” at the beginning of this verse. This list begins with the same name as the one in 1 Chr 9.14: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub.
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 .
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