complete verse (Nehemiah 12:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 12:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “This is the list of the priests and of the Levites who returned from being-captive with Zerobabel the child of Sealtiel and Jeshua the leading priest. The priests were Seraya, Jeremias, Ezra, Amaria, Maluc, Hatush, Shecania, Rehum, Meremot, Eddo, Ginetoi, Abia, Miamin, Moadia, Bilga, Shemaya, Joyarib, Jedaya, Salu, Amok, Helkia, and Jedaya. They were the leaders/[lit. heads] of their fellow priests and of their companions during the time of Jesua.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 12:2 - 12:7

Ginnethoi: In many Hebrew manuscripts, in the Vulgate, and in Neh 10.6 and 12.16, this name is spelled “Ginnethon,” which may be the correct form (so New International Version, Revised English Bible).

In the Hebrew text the connective conjunction occurs before Joiarib and sets off the last six names in the list from the first sixteen names. The words their brethren may refer to this group of names starting from Joiarib. These men were perhaps not yet chiefs or family heads at the time of the return from captivity in Babylonia. Their brethren has been translated as “their associates” in some versions (New International Version, New Revised Standard Version). It would be advisable to put “and in addition” or “also” before Joiarib to show that there is a distinction between two groups of priests. Good News Translation incorporates the priests together with “their associates” and calls them all “fellow priests” of the leaders whose names have been cited. Their brethren cannot refer to the Levites because the priests were not their chiefs.

Chiefs: See the comments at Neh 10.14.

In the days of Jeshua may be rendered “during the time of Joshua” (Contemporary English Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) or “during the time when Joshua was high priest” (see the comments on Jeshua at Ezra 2.2). The temporal phrase in the days of is used once in the book of Ezra (4.7) and eight times in Nehemiah, all in this chapter. The phrase “in those days” occurs three times (Neh 6.17; 13.15, 23). This reference to time in both forms is a stylistic device that focuses on the historical aspect of the narrative.

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 .