purple

The Greek that is translated as “purple” in English is translated as “blue-red” in Ojitlán Chinantec.

In Kasua was a little bit more involved, as Rachel Greco recalls (in The PNG Experience):

“The Kasua people of Western Province have no word for the color purple. They have words for many other colors: black, red, white, yellow, green, and blue, but not for the color of royalty.

“About nine New Testament passages mention people placing a purple robe on Jesus. The Kasua translation team always wanted to use the word ‘red,’ or keyalo, to describe the robe. Tommy, one of the translation team helpers, disagreed because this is not historically accurate or signifies the royalty of Jesus.

“One of the main rules of translation is that the team must stick to the historical facts when they translate a passage. If they don’t, then how can the readers trust what they’re reading is true? Other questions about truth could bubble in the reader’s minds about the Scriptures. For this reason, Tommy was not willing to change the word purple. So the team hung up the problem, hoping to revisit it later with more inspiration.

“God did not disappoint.

“Years later, Tommy hiked with some of the men near their village. They saw a tree that possessed bulbous growths growing on the side of it like fruit. These growths were ‘the most beautiful color of purple I’d ever seen,’ explained Tommy.

“’What is the name of this tree?’ Tommy asked the men.

“’This is an Okani tree,’ they replied.

“Tommy suggested, ‘Why don’t you, in those passages where we’ve been struggling to translate the color purple, use ‘they put a robe on Jesus the color of the fruit of the Okani tree’?

“’Yeah. We know exactly what color that is,’ the men said enthusiastically.

“Everyone in their village would also visualize this phrase accurately, as the Okani tree is the only tree in that area that produces this kind of purple growth. So now, among the Kasua people, in his royal purple robe, Jesus is shown to be the king that he is.”

David

The name that is transliterated as “David” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign signifying king and a sling (referring to 1 Samuel 17:49 and 2 Samuel 5:4). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff.)


“Elizabeth” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In German Sign Language it is only the sling. (See here ).


“David” in German Sign Language (source )

The (Protestant) Mandarin Chinese transliteration of “David” is 大卫 (衛) / Dàwèi which carries an additional meaning of “Great Protector.”

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about David (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 2:14

This verse provides a detailed description of the background and qualifications of the gifted craftsman whom King Hiram was sending to Solomon.

The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan: It is important for readers to understand that Huram’s mother was an Israelite, which is the sense of this phrase. This information may be made explicit by saying “his mother was an Israelite from the tribe of Dan” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente; similarly Contemporary English Version). Compare also “His mother is from the tribe of Dan in Israel” (New Living Translation). Since Dan had lived several centuries earlier, Huram was not literally a son of one of Dan’s daughters. Rather, she was from the tribe of Dan (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). However, according to 1 Kgs 7.14, Huram’s mother was from the tribe of Naphtali. Interpreters have made several different suggestions to explain how Huram’s mother could be both a member of the tribe of Dan and a member of the tribe of Naphtali. But such attempts to solve the difference have no bearing on translation. The Hebrew here clearly says that his mother was from the tribe of Dan.

And his father was a man of Tyre: Huram’s father was a Phoenician and not an Israelite. For this clause and the previous one Peregrino says “son of a Danite woman and a Phoenician father,” and Bible en français courant has “He is Tyrian by his father, but originating from the tribe of Dan by his mother.”

He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, and in purple, blue, and crimson fabrics and fine linen: These words echo verse 7 (see the comments there). Stone translates a Hebrew word that is general in meaning. The context usually indicates whether the reference is to ordinary stones or to precious gems. Here some translators believe it refers to “precious stones” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, El libro del Pueblo de Dios). However, this context also allows for understanding it as referring to ordinary stonework. For linen see the comments on 1 Chr 4.21. It was usually a white or cream color since it was hard to dye. For this whole clause New Living Translation says “He is skillful at making things from gold, silver, bronze, and iron. He also knows all about stonework, carpentry, and weaving. He is an expert in dyeing purple, blue, and scarlet cloth and in working with linen.”

And to do all sorts of engraving: See the comments on 2Chr 2.7.

And execute any design that may be assigned him: An American Translation says “and to sketch any artistic device that may be assigned to him.” Since the passive verb be assigned (literally “be given”) will be a problem in some languages, another way of expressing this whole clause is “Whatever work a person asks him to do, he can do it.” Contemporary English Version says “And he can carve anything if you give him a pattern to follow.”

With your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord, David your father: The Hebrew has the common conjunction between the words your craftsmen and the craftsmen of my lord, David your father. Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version do not translate this conjunction, apparently taking it as a mark of apposition. That is, in these two versions Solomon’s craftsmen are identified with David’s craftsmen (see 1 Chr 22.15-16). However, most versions translate the conjunction as “and,” so that King Hiram refers to two different groups of workers.

The expression my lord, David your father may present problems in some languages. The words my lord are intended to show Hiram’s respect for David. In some languages it may be necessary to say “David, your father, whom I respect greatly” or “the honorable King David, your father.”

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 .