chariot

The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated into English as “chariot” is translated into Anuak as “canoe pulled by horse.” “Canoe” is the general term for “vehicle” (source: Loren Bliese). Similarly it is translated in Lokạạ as ukwaa wạ nyanyang ntuuli or “canoe that is driven by horses.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
Other translations include:

  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “cart pulled by horses” (source: Larson 1998, p. 98)
  • Chichicapan Zapotec: “ox cart” (in Acts 8) (ox carts are common vehicles for travel) (source: Loren Bliese)
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz, it is translated as “little house with two feet pulled by two horses” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Hausa Common Language Bible as keken-doki or “cart of donkey” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Mairasi: “going-thing [vehicle]” (source: Enggavoter 2004)

It is illustrated for use in Bible translations in East Africa by Pioneer Bible Translators like this:

Image owned by PBT and Jonathan McDaniel and licensed with the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

See also cart.

complete verse (1 Samuel 8:12)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 8:12:

  • Kupsabiny: “That ruler will give some of your sons to be leading soldiers amounting to one thousand while others lead every fifty of the soldiers. Some of your sons will be digging the gardens and harvesting food/crops of that ruler/king. And others will be making weapons for war, others will be preparing things used in those war chariots.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Then he will choose the leaders of the thousands and of the fifties. Then others will plow his fields and reap the harvest. Others will make weapons for war and equipment of his chariots.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Some of them he will-make officials who will-be-in-charge-over 1,000 soldiers, and others over 50 soldiers. Others he will-have-plow his field(s) and will-have-reap his harvest, and still others he will-have-make weapons-of-war for battles and equipment[s] for his chariots.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Some of them will be commanders of his soldiers, but others will work for him like slaves. He will force some of them to plow his fields and then later harvest his crops. He will force others to make his weapons and equipment for his chariots.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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 1 Samuel 8:12

Commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties: the Hebrew word translated commanders has a wide range of meanings and must be translated according to the context each time. The term is used of leaders or officials in civil, military, and religious functions. It is used of military commanders here (see also, for example, 12.9; 14.50; 17.18, 55; 18.13; 2 Sam 2.8; 4.2). Revised Standard Version sometimes renders this same Hebrew term “princes” (see 18.30 and 2 Sam 10.3), although it does not mean being the son of a king.

Thousands was a standard military unit (see also 17.18 and 18.13), as was a unit of fifty soldiers (see 2 Kgs 1.9, 11, 13). The Septuagint reads “commanders of hundreds and commanders of thousands.” New American Bible follows the Septuagint here, reading “hundred” rather than “fifty,” but translators should follow the Masoretic Text here, as do most versions.

To plow his ground and to reap his harvest: literally “to plow his plowing and to harvest his harvest.” The third person singular pronouns are important here, since the work of plowing the soil and harvesting the crops is for the benefit of the king and not for those doing the work. In languages that have benefactive verb forms, they may be used here, but it will be important to show that the king would be the one to benefit from the labor of the people.

The words implements and equipment may be difficult for some translators. In some cases implements of war will become “soldiers’ things” or “things for war.” And equipment may also have to be translated by a very general term like “gear” (New Jerusalem Bible) or even “things.” This probably refers to the items necessary to attach the horses to the chariots.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .