The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “sycamore” in English is translated in Chichewa as mkuyu or “fig tree.” (Source: Wendland 1987, p. 72)
Note that the tree referred to in these instances is the “Sycomore Fig (Ficus sycomorus), also called the “Mulberry Fig” (compare GermanMaulbeerfeigenbaum), is a type of fig that is found especially in low-land areas in the Mediterranean region. It was known in Egypt as early as 3000 B.C. but also in the Indus Valley in India. (…) The sycomore fig is not a tall tree (up to 10 meters [33 feet]) but has large low, spreading branches.” (Source: Koops 2012, p. 67)
The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
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 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.”
And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone: The book of Deuteronomy warns the Israelite people that when they would have a king some time in the future, the king was not to become rich with silver and gold (Deut 17.17). This clause is literally “And the king gave silver and gold to Jerusalem, like stones” (similarly Chouraqui). The rendering of Good News Translation seems to downplay the role of the king, implying that this was merely something that happened during his reign (so also Contemporary English Version). But this should be avoided if possible. Bible en français courant provides a better model with “Thanks to the king, there was as much silver and gold as stones in Jerusalem” (similarly Parole de Vie). To say that silver and gold were as common … as stone is obviously an overstatement, but will probably be understood as such in most languages. The point is that during the time that Solomon was ruling, the kingdom of Israel experienced incredible economic growth and the people were very wealthy.
And he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah: Cedar and sycamore are types of trees (see the comments on 1 Chr 14.1 and 27.28). The original readers and hearers of this text would have known that sycamore trees were very common in the lowlands to the west of Jerusalem and that cedars were relative rare and highly valued. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version speak of “ordinary sycamore” trees in order to make this clear to the modern reader. New Living Translation accomplishes the same purpose by saying “valuable cedarwood was as common as the sycamore wood.”
The text does not mean that Solomon imported and planted cedar trees. Rather, he imported cedar timber. Many translations say something like “he made cedars as plentiful as the sycamore trees” (so New American Bible, Nouvelle version Segond révisée), but the word “cedars” refers to trees and not to timber. The sense is that cedar wood for building was plentiful, not that actual cedar trees were numerous. El libro del Pueblo de Dios says “cedar wood.” In languages where the cedar tree is not known, cedar may be rendered “valuable timber” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente) or “fine wood” (La Biblia: Traducción en Lenguaje Actual). Sycamore may be translated “sycomore-fig” (Revised English Bible) or “wild fig” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, BTI).
Shephelah is a transliteration of the Hebrew noun here. As indicated in the comments on 1 Chr 27.28, the Shephelah refers to the lowlands in the territory of Judah, west of the hill country and east of the Mediterranean seacoast. The Shephelah was approximately 65 kilometers (40 miles) long and 20 kilometers (12 miles) wide and lay south of Aijalon Valley. Elevations in the Shephelah were about 90-400 meters (300-1300 feet), which was much lower than the Judean plateau to the east, which rose to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet). A number of modern versions simply transliterate the Hebrew term (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). In other contexts Revised Standard Version translates the same term as “the lowland” (for example, Deut 1.7; Josh 9.1; Jdg 1.9). In this verse some versions seek to convey the meaning instead of transliterating the term by saying “the lowlands” (New Jerusalem Bible, Moffatt), “the Lowland” (Jewish Publication Version), “the Low-Country” (Bible en français courant, Nouvelle Bible Segond, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), or “the foothills” (Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New American Bible). The Septuagint also uses a word that refers to a flat or level place. Good News Translation, New Living Translation, and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch say “the foothills of Judah,” which is a more precise and better way of translating the Hebrew term. La Bible du Semeur has “the coastal plain along the Mediterranean,” but such a translation is a bit misleading since the Shephelah refers to a zone between the coastal plain to the west and the Judean hills to the east.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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