Brit-Am Research Sources (31 December, 2012. 18 Tevet, 5773)
1. The Assyrian Exile. Interesting Quote from a Hebrew Language Children's Book.
2. Brit-Am Translation "IN THEIR RUINS" (2-Ch. 34:6) Confirmed by Other Translations.
3. The Assyrian Exile: Articles and Sources
1. The Assyrian Exile. Interesting Quote from a Hebrew Language Children's Book.
Quote:
In The Period of the First Temple:
The King of Assyria had already exiled the Ten Tribes from their land but Jerusalem and its inhabitants were still intact. Hezekiah was a king without equal for righteousness amongst the monarchs of Judah. Seated on his throne he commanded his men to fortify the walls of the city against the King of Assyria....The King of Assyria! Ten years beforehand he had already exiled all the inhabitants of Samaria. He had also conquered 150 cities of Judah and exiled those who had dwelt in them...
Unquote.
Source: Translated from the Hebrew, H. Eisner, "Shekitat Nitsachon", a comic book story based on historical events for young people.
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2. Brit-Am Translation "IN THEIR RUINS" (2-Ch. 34:6) Confirmed by Other Translations.
In our article,
The Completeness of the Exile. Answers to Deniers of Brit-Am Biblical Truth
We said,
#(4) Claim 4:
Josiah purified the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, "even unto Naphtali" of idolatry. Does not this indicate people of the Northern Kingdom still remaining?
... The King James (KJ) says: "AND SO DID HE IN THE CITIES OF MANASSEH, AND EPHRAIM, AND SIMEON, EVEN UNTO NAPHTALI, WITH THEIR MATTOCKS ROUND ABOUT" [2-Chronicles 34:6]. The words translated above as "WITH THEIR MATTOCKS" in Hebrew is "BeCharvotayhem" which means "IN THEIR RUINS"!
King Josiah went around the RUINED CITIES of Northern Israel and destroyed the remnants of idols he found in them. The verse in Hebrew actually affirms that the cities were in ruins and presumably uninhabited. See also: "Daat Mikra" (Sefer Diverei HaYamim-b) p.902:
#The matter of the verse as read is "becharvotayhem" in their destroyed cities.
This is how the Aramaic translation renders it (Bait Tsadiyut-hon -in their ruins) and so too does Gersonides: Cities that were then in ruins#
n.16 For "charvot" in the sense of deserted cities Psalm 9:6 Ezekiel 36:4.
[Daat Mikra points to the related expression "churba" in Arabic]. etc,
We did not refer to other English translations in answering the above query since it is not our policy to do so.
The reasons for this are varied, they include:
1. When we began our research the Internet did not exist and checking other translations was not a click away (as it is now) but a good few hours (or days) in the library and then with possibly dissatisfactory results.
2. It still involves extra work and we consider it superfluous.
3. Comparing English Translations is liable to bog us down with irrelevancies and detract from our own authenticity. We prefer to compare our renderings with works in Hebrew or Aramaic which is a related language.
Nevertheless , the other day we did happen to compare our explanation of "becharvotayhem" as meaning "in their ruins" with other translations. We found that quite a few (probably most) agreed with us.
Other translations that agree that the expression should most correctly be translated as "in their ruins round about" include
New International Version (1984), English Standard Version (2001), New American Standard Bible (1995), International Standard Version (2012),
King James 2000 Bible (2003), American Standard Version, Darby Bible Translation, English Revised Version, World English Bible, Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament .
Here are the details:
Brit-Am Interpretation of Verse from Hebrew agreed to by other Translations:
New International Version (1984)
In the towns of Manasseh, Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins around them,
English Standard Version (2001)
And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins,
International Standard Version (2012)
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and as far as Naphtali and their surrounding ruins,
King James 2000 Bible (2003)
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, in their ruins round about.
American Standard Version
And'so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, in their ruins round about.
Darby Bible Translation
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, in their ruins round about;
English Revised Version
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Napthali, in their ruins round about.
World English Bible
[So did he] in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, around in their ruins.
Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament
2 Chronicles 34:6 and 2 Chronicles 34:7 form a connected sentence: And in the cities of Manasseh ..., in their ruins round about...
The Keri , "with their swords," is suggested by Ezekiel 26:9, and is accepted by D. Kimchi, Abu Melech, and others, and understood to denote instruments with which the altars, groves, and images were cut down. But this interpretation also is certainly incorrect. The word is rather to be pointed , in their wastes (ruins) (cf. Psalm 109:10), and to be taken as an explanatory apposition to : in the cities of Manasseh ..., namely, in their ruins round about; ...
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3. The Assyrian Exile: Articles and Sources
Israel in Assyrian Exile
the records of the assyrian kings
as found on assyrian monuments
EXILE, ASSYRIAN
Cam Rea: "Sometimes They Come Back"
The Assyrian Exile.
The Ten Tribes of Israel were exiled by the Assyrians to the North and Became Identifiable with the Cimmerians, Scythians, and Goths