complete verse (1 Chronicles 24:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 24:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “The sons of Aaron are: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu died early without children while their father was still alive. So it was the house of Eleazar and that of Ithamar who become priests. David divided the priests into twenty-four houses so that they could be doing the work they had been prepared for. In those days, Zadok who was from the house/family of Eleazar and Ahimelech from the house/family of Ithamar who were leaders in their houses. Those priests helped David at the time that he was dividing work to the other priests.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “King David divided the descendants of Aaron into groups according to their duties. Zadok son of Eleazar and Ahimelech son of Ihamar helped him to do this.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “With the help of Zadok who was a descendant of Eleazar, and Ahimelec who was a descendant of Itamar, King David divided- the descendants of Aaron -into-groups according to their obligation.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, and Ahimelech, who was a descendant of Ithamar, helped David to separate his descendants into two groups. Each group had certain duties.” (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 .

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 24:3

With the help of Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service: The Hebrew of this verse is more literally translated in New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh as “David, Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar divided them into offices by their tasks.” Revised Standard Version adds the words With the help of (similarly Good News Translation with “assisted in this by”). However, De Vries suggests that the text should be translated “David organized them in their enrollment within their (respective) service with Zadok representing the Eleazarites and Ahimelech representing the sons of Ithamar.”

The expression of the sons of, which occurs twice in this verse and frequently later in this chapter (verses 20-25), is a way of saying “one of the descendants of” or more simply “a descendant of.” Since David is mentioned for the first time in this section, he may be identified as “King David” (Good News Translation, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje). The time when David lived was much later than the time of Eleazar and Ithamar. For this reason Bible en français courant and La Bible du Semeur begin this verse with “Later, David….” Organized is literally “divided” as in 1 Chr 23.6 (see the comments there). The pronoun them refers to the descendants of Aaron, that is, the priests. According to the appointed duties in their service may be rendered “according to their offices for their ministry” (New American Standard Bible).

Good News Translation and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje divide this verse into two sentences and reverse the order of its main parts. Contemporary English Version is similar with “David divided Aaron’s descendants into groups, according to their assigned work. Zadok, one of Eleazar’s descendants, and Ahimelech, one of Ithamar’s descendants, helped David.” Other languages may find these models helpful.

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 .