complete verse (Nehemiah 12:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 12:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “Joiada produced Jonathan, Jonathan produced Jaddua.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Joyada was the father of Jonatan. And Jonatan was the father of Jodua.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Nehemiah 12:11

Eliashib’s grandson, the son of Joiada (also spelled Jehoiada), was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite (Neh 13.28). Jonathan might be another name for Johanan (see Neh 12.22), but he was probably not the Jehohanan mentioned in Ezra 10.6. Jonathan and Jaddua are not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. Josephus in Jewish Antiquities XI.306 refers to a Jaddua who was high priest in the time of Alexander the Great in about 333 B.C. This was one hundred years after the time of Artaxerxes I and the presumed time of Ezra and Nehemiah. There could have been more than one high priest with that name. Translators should translate the genealogy in verses 10-11 as it is presented in the text.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .