the organization of work (image)

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Image taken from the Wiedmann Bible. For more information about the images and ways to adopt them, see here .

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son vs. grandson

“Son of x, son of y” must be rendered as “son of x or grandson of y” in Tibetan or else it will sound like two different people. (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 21).

Note: The same translation solution is chosen in many contemporary English Bibles that emphasize easy readability, such as the Contemporary English Version, Common English Bible, Good News Translation, God’s Word, or New Living Translation.

See also father / grandfather.

son of

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)

See also daughter of.

complete verse (Nehemiah 3:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 3:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “Meremoth who was the son Uriah who was the son of Hakkoz, built another section of the wall from the entrance of the house of Eliashib to the edge of the house.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Next to him was Meremot the child of Uria and grandchild of Hakoz. He built the portion of the stone-wall from the entrance/gate side of the house of Eliashib as-far-as the side of this house.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Next to him, Meremoth the son of Uriah and grandson of Hakkoz, repaired a section from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of Eliahib’s house.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 3:21

Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired another section: This is the end of the sections being repaired by Levites, though the identity here of Meremoth is uncertain. In Ezra 8.33 Meremoth was identified as a priest, but here this detail is not mentioned. Commentators have offered various explanations for the identity of Meremoth, but none are certain. Therefore, translators should translate the Hebrew text as it stands. The name Hakkoz is listed in Ezra 2.61 among the families of priests who were unable to prove their identity. Note that the second occurrence of son of refers to “grandson of,” as in Good News Translation.

For another section, Revised English Bible makes it explicit this was Meremoth’s “second section” (see verses 4 and 11 above).

From the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib: Meremoth was given the honor of building the section in front of the house of the high priest Eliashib. This must have been a very short length of wall equal to the distance from the door of the house to the furthest end of the wall of the house as in Good News Translation. It possibly means that he built the wall along one side of the house from front to back.

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 .