17Then Solomon took a census of all the aliens who were residing in the land of Israel, after the census that his father David had taken, and there were found to be one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred.
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)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 2:17:
Kupsabiny: “Solomon said that all the people (men) who were foreigners in the land of Israel were to be counted as his father David had done. Then, there was found one hundred and fifty three thousand and six hundred (153,600) people (men).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Just as his father David took a census [lit.: counted people], [so] Solomon [also] counted the foreigners living in Israel. There were 153,600 [of] these.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Solomon census all the non-Israelinhon in Israel like what David his father had done, and their numbers were 153,600.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Solomon told his workers to count all the people from other countries who were living in Israel, similar to what his father David had done. There were 153,600 of them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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.
