king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 19:1

Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died: Now after this is literally “And it was after this” (compare 1 Chr 18.1). The passage of a rather important period of time is indicated here in a number of modern versions; for example, New International Version has “In the course of time,” and New Revised Standard Version says “Some time afterward.” Nahash first appears in the Old Testament in 1 Sam 11.1. The Ammonites is literally “the sons/children of Ammon” (so King James Version) here and throughout this chapter. This expression clearly refers to an ethnic group consisting of those who descended from a man named Ammon.

And his son reigned in his stead: His son was Hanun. He is named in verse 2 in the Masoretic Text, but this information may be placed here in verse 1 for reasons of clarity in translation (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, Parole de Vie). Hanun had at least one brother; and this brother, named Shobi, appears in 2 Sam 17.27. Some Hebrew manuscripts and some of the ancient versions have the name of Nahash’s son here in verse 1. Some interpreters think that the name “Hanun” was originally in the Hebrew text and then was accidentally omitted by a scribe (so Knoppers, who includes the name in his translation). The expression reigned in his stead is a very common one to describe the orderly progression from one king to the next. It occurs in Gen 36.33-39 and very frequently in 1–2 Kings and 1–2 Chronicles (see, for example, 1 Kgs 11.43; 2 Kgs 8.24; 1 Chr 1.44). In some languages there will be a special term for the succession of a chief. In others it will be necessary to use a more general expression such as “took his place,” “began to rule from his throne” or “followed him as king.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .