bronze

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “bronze” in English is translated in Newari as “bell-metal,” since bells are made of bronze in Nepal (source: Newari Back Translation).

See also bronze vessel.

Solomon

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is transliterated as “Solomon” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “wise” referring to 1 Kings 3:12. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


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

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

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

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Solomon .

complete verse (1 Chronicles 18:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 18:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “He also brought very much bronze that was in the cities of Tibbath and Kun which Hadadezer was ruling. Solomon later made from this bronze that big thing of water in the Home of God together with posts and utensils of bronze.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He also brought much bronze from Hadadezer’s cities of Tebah and Cun. Later Solomon used this same bronze to make a bronze basin, pillars and utensils.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He also took-away much bronze from Teba and Cun, the towns which were under-the-jurisdiction of Hadadezer. This bronze was-used later by Solomon in making the large container of water as-if-like a big-fying-pan which was-called Sea, the pillars, and the things-for-use bronze for-the-purpose to-be-used in the temple.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “They also brought from Tebah (OR, Tibhath) and Cun, two towns that belonged to Hadadezer, a lot of bronze, which David’s son Solomon later used to make the huge bronze basin and the pillars and other bronze items for the temple.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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 )

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

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)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: David .

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 18:8

And from Tibhath and from Cun, cities of Hadadezer: The city of Tibhath is sometimes called “Tebah” (so here in New International Version) and, perhaps by transposing the consonants, “Betah” (2 Sam 8.8). The relationship between the noun cities and the name Hadadezer should be clearly expressed. This may be done in various ways; for example, Good News Translation says “cities ruled by Hadadezer,” and Bible en français courant has “two cities of Hadadezer’s kingdom.”

David took very much bronze: Since David took items made of gold in the previous verse, the sense of this verse is that he “also” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant) took bronze. For bronze see the comments on 1 Chr 15.19.

With it Solomon made the bronze sea and the pillars and the vessels of bronze: Because this information is not an essential part of the story of David, it will be appropriate in some languages to enclose it in parentheses or otherwise set it off as an aside. Since Solomon did not immediately make the Temple items listed here, some versions say that he “later” used the bronze to make them (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie). They also add that he made them “for the Temple.” The bronze sea was a huge basin made of bronze and supported by twelve statues of bulls (see 1 Kgs 7.23-26; 2 Chr 4.2-5). It was placed in the southeast corner of the Temple courtyard. The priests used water from the bronze tank for ritual washings. For a good description of this tank, see WTH, pages 243-244|fig:WTH.4.3.2.Temple – Sea, tank.243-244.html. A literal translation of the bronze sea will be meaningless in some languages. New Century Version says “the large bronze bowl, which was called the Sea.” Others may prefer to say “the large bronze basin.” The pillars were two bronze columns that stood at the entrance to the Temple (see 1 Kgs 7.15-22; 2 Chr 3.15-17). For a good description of these columns, see WTH, pages 152-156|fig:WTH.column, pillar, capital.152-155.html. The vessels of bronze refers to the bronze instruments used in the Temple (see 1 Kgs 7.45; 2 Chr 4.16).

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 .