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)
The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Rehoboam” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the signs for “king” + “divide” + “south.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Kings 14:25:
Kupsabiny: “But during the fifth year Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak who was the king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem city.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “In the fifth year of the reign of King Rehoboam, King Shishak of the land of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “In the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, King Shishak of Egipto attacked Jerusalem.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When Rehoboam had been ruling for almost five years, King Shishak of Egypt came with his army to attack Jerusalem.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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 (Dinė) 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.”
For the parallel account of verses 25-28, see 2 Chr 12.2-12, which is considerably longer. The author of 1 Kings does not tell why Shishak invaded Judah, but the author of 2 Chronicles says that it was punishment for the fact that Rehoboam was not faithful to God. An inscription discovered by archaeologists on the wall of a temple in Karnak names 154 towns that Shishak claims to have destroyed during this invasion.
The Hebrew of this verse begins with the verbal transition meaning “And it happened” (King James Version “And it came to pass”), but the beginning of a new paragraph is sufficient to express it here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation).
The fifth year of King Rehoboam refers, of course, to the fifth year of his reign.
Regarding Shishak king of Egypt, see the comments on 1 Kgs 11.40. Although the Masoretic Text has the spelling “Shushak” here in verse 25, the reading in the margin of the Masoretic Text gives the spelling Shishak.
Came up against is rendered by Good News Translation and many other versions according to the context as “attacked.” Anchor Bible and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh say “marched against.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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