son vs. grandson

“Son of x, son of y” must be rendered as “son of x and grandson of y” in Tibetan or else it will sound like two different people.

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.

Jerusalem

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:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

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)

large numbers in Angguruk Yali

Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Angguruk Yali which uses a system that ends at the number 27. To circumvent this limitation, the Angguruk Yali translators adopted a strategy where a large number is first indicated with an approximation via the traditional system, followed by the exact number according to Arabic numerals. For example, where in 2 Samuel 6:1 it says “thirty thousand” in the English translation, the Angguruk Yali says teng-teng angge 30.000 or “so many rounds [following the body part tally system] 30,000,” likewise, in Acts 27:37 where the number “two hundred seventy-six” is used, the Angguruk Yali translation says teng-teng angge 276 or “so many rounds 276,” or in John 6:10 teng-teng angge 5.000 for “five thousand.”

This strategy is used in all the verses referenced here.

Source: Lourens de Vries in The Bible Translator 1998, p. 409ff.

See also numbers in Ngalum and numbers in Kombai.

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 11:4

Verses 4-9 give a list of the leaders from the sons of Judah and the sons of Benjamin. These refer to those people who belonged to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Good News Translation includes part of the beginning of this verse with the preceding verse. It also avoids repetition of the reference to the tribe of Benjamin here. Instead, Good News Translation offers this information as subheadings: “Members of the tribe of Judah” at the beginning of this verse, and “Members of the tribe of Benjamin” at the beginning of verse 7.

Two leaders from the tribe of Judah are named in verses 4-5 and their ancestry is given: Athaiah and “Maaseiah.” Athaiah was descended from Perez, the son of Judah by the widow of his son Er (Gen 38). In these verses Revised Standard Version reflects the Hebrew expression of ancestry in the form of son of … son of …. Good News Translation interprets and renders these verses in contemporary terms of descent (see also Bible en français courant). Of the sons of Perez is a more general description than son of. New International Version therefore says “a descendant of Perez,” and New English Bible and New Living Translation say “of the family of Perez.” For sons of, see the comment at Ezra 2.3-20.

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 .