Translation
Look! It is SOLOMON’S carriage,
Go to footnote numberescorted by strong and valiant men, sixty
Go to footnote numberof them,
the noblest
of ISRAEL,
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
Look at the the PEACEFUL ONE’S wealth!
It is surrounded by a display of strength we can be proud of,
the best from among those who NEVER LET GO OF GOD,
Footnotes
1
“Carriage” here means a “litter” borne on the shoulders of four men (also called a “sedan chair”). A litter was an obvious sign of nobility, wealth, and importance.
2
Sixty was seen as a symbol for pride, arrogance and haughtiness. However, in this case I believe it portrays the right kind of pride; arrogant or haughty pride does not make sense here.
3
The name Israel means “He struggled with God.” It was given to Jacob when Jacob struggled (wrestled) with what appears to have been God in human form, i.e. Jesus (Gen 32:28). The explanation for the name was “for you struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.” The name includes struggling with God, and assumes he was victorious in the struggle, even though the name only includes the words “struggle” and “God.” The part about prevailing is interesting because in the wrestling match with Jesus, Jacob didn’t win the wrestling part of it, he simply refused to let go and finally got what he was requesting, a special blessing. Maybe in all our lives, winning doesn’t have to look like winning but simply refusing to let go of a spiritually appropriate goal. The role that God plays is also of interest. Some have rendered the name “God strives.” This goes against the story of the origin of the name but shows that the grammar can take the combination of its two elements “struggle” and “God” in various directions. Also, struggling with God may sound like something negative, but it was seen in this case as a positive. It is challenging to put this name into English because it includes so many elements.