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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 25:2

Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah, sons of Asaph: Four sons of Asaph are listed in the Hebrew text, so Good News Translation and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje insert the number “four” into the translation. Since verse 3 gives the number of Jeduthun’s sons as six, some scholars think that the Hebrew text here in verse 2 originally said “… and Asharelah. These four sons of Asaph…” and that the words “These four” were accidentally skipped over by a scribe (so Klein), but these words may be added for reasons of translation whether or not one accepts or rejects the view that the Hebrew text was originally longer.

Asharelah is called “Jesharelah” in verse 14. Since these are variant forms of the same name, they may be harmonized in the receptor language translation as in Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, and Revised English Bible.

Under the direction of Asaph (literally “under the hand of Asaph”) means that Asaph was in charge of the other Temple musicians.

Who prophesied under the direction of the king: Prophesied is better translated “sang the messages of God” (Bible en français courant). See the comments on the previous verse. Under the direction of the king (literally “under the hand of the king”) means that the king was in charge of Asaph. New Century Version says simply that “King David chose Asaph to preach.” But the meaning seems to be more specifically that Asaph prophesied any time David told him to rather than on a regular schedule; that is, Asaph prophesied “by order of the king” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “whenever the king commanded” (Good News Translation, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje).

According to the Hebrew, it was Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king. Contemporary English Version wrongly says “Asaph’s four sons … were under the direction of their father and played music whenever the king told them to.” So we advise translators to avoid the meaning found in Contemporary English Version.

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 .