1When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who lived in the Negeb, heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he fought against Israel and took some of them captive.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 21:1:
Kupsabiny: “When the king of the Canaanites who lived in the city of Arad in the area/province of Negev heard that the Israelites wanted to go via the road of Atharim, he went to fight the Israelites and took some to put them in prison.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, hearing the word that the Israelites were coming by way of the road going to Atharim, came to fight with them. Then he captured some men and took [them] away.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Now, the Canaanhon king of Arad who lives in Negev have-heard that the Israelinhon were-approaching, who were-passing-through the road of Atarim. So he attacked them and took-captives some of them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “The king of Arad city lived in the area where the Canaan people-group lived, in the desert in the southern part of the land. He heard a report that the Israelis were approaching on the road to Atharim village. So his army attacked the Israelis and captured some of them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
When the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb …: This verse begins with the Hebrew waw conjunction (literally “And”). Since there is new information after this conjunction, it may be better to begin with the phrase “At that time” in some languages instead of the subordinate conjunction When. The Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb is a literal rendering that may give the wrong suggestion that there were no other Canaanites living elsewhere. Arad was a city west of the Dead Sea in the southern part of Canaan. For Negeb, which refers to “the southern part of Canaan” (Good News Translation), see the comments on 13.17. Good News Translation renders this phrase as “the Canaanite king of Arad in the southern part of Canaan.” However, the use of both “Canaanite” and “Canaan” may be considered too repetitive in some languages. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch avoids this repetition by saying “the Canaanite king of Arad in the land of the South.” Nije Fryske Bibeloersetting is similar with “the king of Arad—a Canaanite who lived in the land of the South.”
Heard that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim: In some languages it may be more natural to render Israel as “the Israelites” (Good News Translation) or “the people of Israel.” Contemporary English Version renders by way of Atharim as “on their way to the village of Atharim.” Most translations refer to a place called “Atharim,” whose location is unknown. But the Hebrew actually says “the way of the Atharim” (similarly La Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Several ancient versions, including the Vulgate and the Peshitta, changed the text slightly to read “by the way of the spies.” The Hebrew words for Atharim and “spies” (tarim) are similar. If this phrase refers to the way that the spies took in the Negeb (13.22), then the Israelites followed their route at this time. This reading is followed by the Jewish medieval commentators Rashi and Rashbam, and by a few older translations (so King James Version, Statenvertaling/em>], Buber, Luther [1912]). It is surprising that this reading has not received more attention. However, a proper name is probably intended (so Budd, page 229), so translators may follow Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation here.
He fought against Israel may be rendered “[the army of] the king of Arad attacked the Israelites” (similarly New International Version).
And took some of them captive is literally “and he captured from him [Israel] captive.” The Hebrew verb for took and the noun for captive come from the same root. Good News Translation says simply “and captured some of them.”
This verse contains quite a bit of information, perhaps too much to pack into one sentence in the receptor language. If so, the following model breaks it into several sentences:
• At that time the king of Arad was ruling in the southern part of Canaan. He heard that the people of Israel were coming along the road to Atharim. So he and his army attacked them and captured some of them.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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