priest

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Greek that are typically translated as “priest” in English (itself deriving from Latin “presbyter” — “elder”) is often translated with a consideration of existing religious traditions. (Click or tap for details)

Bratcher / Nida (1961) say this:

“However, rather than borrow local names for priests, some of which have unwanted connotations, a number of translations have employed descriptive phrases based on certain functions: (1) those describing a ceremonial activity: Pamona uses tadu, the priestess who recites the litanies in which she describes her journey to the upper or under-world to fetch life-spirit for sick people, animals or plants; Batak Toba uses the Arabic malim, ‘Muslim religious teacher;’ ‘one who presents man’s sacrifice to God’ (Bambara, Eastern Maninkakan), ‘one who presents sacrifices’ (Baoulé, Navajo (Dinė)), ‘one who takes the name of the sacrifice’ (Kpelle, and ‘to make a sacrifice go out’ (Hausa); (2) those describing an intermediary function: ‘one who speaks to God’ (Shipibo-Conibo) and ‘spokesman of the people before God’ (Tabasco Chontal).”

In Obolo it is translated as ogwu ngwugwa or “the one who offers sacrifice” (source: Enene Enene), in Mairasi as agam aevar nevwerai: “religious leader” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Ignaciano as “blesser, one who does ritual as a practice” (using a generic term rather than the otherwise common Spanish loan word sacerdote) (source: Willis Ott in Notes on Translation 88/1982, p. 18ff.), and in Noongar as yakin-kooranyi or “holy worker” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

For Guhu-Samane, Ernest Richert (in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. ) reports this: “The [local] cult of Poro used to be an all-encompassing religious system that essentially governed all areas of life. (…) For ‘priest’ the term ‘poro father’ would at first seem to be a natural choice. However, several priests of the old cult are still living. Although they no longer function primarily as priests of the old system they still have a substantial influence on the community, and there would be more than a chance that the unqualified term would (in some contexts particularly) be equated with the priest of the poro cult. We learned, then, that the poro fathers would sometimes be called ‘knife men’ in relation to their sacrificial work. The panel was pleased to apply this term to the Jewish priest, and the Christian community has adopted it fully. [Mark 1:44, for instance, now] reads: ‘You must definitely not tell any man of this. But you go show your body to the knife man and do what Moses said about a sacrifice concerning your being healed, and the cause (base of this) will be apparent.'”

For a revision of the 1968 version of the Bible in Khmer Joseph Hong (in: The Bible Translator 1996, 233ff. ) talks about a change in wording for this term:

​​Bau cha r (បូជា‌ចារ្យ) — The use of this new construction meaning “priest” is maintained to translate the Greek word hiereus. The term mean sang (មាន សង្ឃ) used in the old version actually means a “Buddhist monk,” and is felt to be theologically misleading. The Khmer considers the Buddhist monk as a “paddy field of merits,” a reserve of merits to be shared with other people. So a Khmer reader would find unthinkable that the mean sang in the Bible killed animals, the gravest sin for a Buddhist; and what a scandal it would be to say that a mean sang was married, had children, and drank wine.

In Cherokee (Jewish) priests are translated as atsilv-anelohi (ᎠᏥᎸ-ᎠᏁᎶᎯ), “fire feeders.” Bender / Belt (2025, p. 26) explain: “[This] provides a point of semantic overlap between the Jewish priests mentioned in the book of John and traditional Cherokee leaders who would have maintained a ceremonial fire. No loanword or semantic extension would have highlighted this specific similarity. Just as the New Testament Christ seeks to supersede the priests of his day, the missionaries working to translate the New Testament hoped to replace traditional ceremonialism with Christian beliefs and practices. Describing the Jewish priests as ‘fire feeders’ may have been a way to emphasize the obsolescence of fire-based ceremonialism. Strikingly, this word has become the term for Catholics. The vast majority of Cherokee converts to Christianity are Protestants.”

In Cuban Sign Language (the Jewish) priest is translated referencing the ephod , the traditional apron that was worn by priests:


“Priest” in Cuban Sign Language (source: La Biblia Para Personas Sorde )

Alain Montano (in: The Bible Translator 2026, p. 173ff.) explains: “A second challenge arose in translating the term ‘priest’ in Luke 10:31, referring to the priest who was descending from the temple. The translation team consisted primarily of Evangelical translators and included one Catholic translator. The initial sign proposed for ‘priest’ referenced the clerical collar, a symbol commonly associated with clergy across multiple Christian denominations, such as Methodists, Anglicans, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Reformed, Catholics, Moravians, and others. While most team members considered this option acceptable, the Catholic translator raised concerns that this representation could generate confusion, as it encompassed denominational identities not directly related to the priest described in the biblical text.

“Given this observation, the team began searching for a sign that accurately represented the priest in question and his role, with the aim of ensuring that the translation and interpretation of the text was as faithful as possible. Signs referencing a bishop’s miter or the skullcap worn by cardinals and popes were discarded, as the priest in question did not belong to the Catholic tradition as the evangelical translators initially understood it.

“The possibility of representing the high priest—using the breastplate and the Urim and Thummim — was also rejected, since the character in the text was not the high priest, but a Levitical priest serving his assigned turn in the temple. The challenge was ultimately resolved through the creation of a new sign referencing the ephod, which more accurately represented this type of priest, who served as an assistant in the work of the temple of Israel.”

See also idolatrous priests and Aaron.

Levite

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is transliterated “Levites” in English (only the Contemporary English Version translates it as “temple helpers”) is translated in Ojitlán Chinantec as “temple caretakers,” Yatzachi Zapotec as “people born in the family line of Levi, people whose responsibility it was to do the work in the important church of the Israelites,” in Alekano as “servants in the sacrifice house from Jerusalem place,” and in Tenango Otomi as “helpers of priests.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)

In American Sign Language with a sign that combines “temple” + “servant.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Levite” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

For the sign in Spanish Sign Language, see Levi.

More information about Levites .

complete verse (1 Chronicles 9:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 9:2:

  • Kupsabiny: “But when the days when those people had returned came, the priests and Levites led them (went ahead) to come and live in their cities. They were together with the helpers in the work in/at the Home of God, and with other people of Israel.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Having returned from the place of exile, the Israelite priests, the Levites and the people who served in the temple were the first of all to live on their own property which was in their own cities.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now, the first-ones who were-able-to-return to their towns in their own land were the ordinary Israelinhon, priests, Levites, and servants in the temple.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The first people who returned to Judah 70 years later and lived in their own land and in their own cities and towns were some Israeli priests, other descendants of Levi, and men who worked in the temple.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on 1 Chronicles 9:2

Now the first to dwell again …: See Neh 7.73. Some interpreters have understood the following list to refer to people who settled in Jerusalem after David conquered it (see the additional comments at the end of this verse). But nearly all modern scholars understand these words as referring to the return of the people from captivity in Babylonia to the land of Israel. Many languages will require a more explicit translation of what is implied by the first; for example, “the first exiles,” “the first inhabitants” (Jewish Publication Version), or “the first people” (Contemporary English Version, New Century Version). Revised Standard Version has added the word again (also Peregrino, which is not in the Hebrew. Since verse 1 shows that this chapter is dealing with those Israelites who returned from exile, the sense of the Hebrew clearly permits the addition of the word again. New Century Version conveys the same meaning by adding a verb indicating the return of these Israelites from exile: “The first people to come back and live….”

In their possessions: The general Hebrew term translated possessions refers to “lands” (New Century Version) or “property” (Good News Translation, New International Version) in this context.

In their cities: This phrase specifies the location of the land or property. It was in the cities that had previously belonged to the people of Israel.

Israel here refers to the people or “citizens” (Good News Translation) of Israel. Since the remainder of the verse speaks of religious workers, it is clear that the reference in this case is to those who were not a part of the religious establishment. For this reason Moffatt translates “the laity of Israel,” and An American Translation speaks of “Israelite laymen.” Another acceptable rendering is “lay Israelites” (Revised English Bible, New American Bible).

The priests: The term priest refers to the person who offers sacrifices. In the Old Testament the office of the priesthood was limited to the tribe of Levi, and more specifically to one family of that tribe, the family of Aaron. The priests served as intermediaries between God and the people of Israel. Regulations with regard to the qualifications of priests are given in Lev 21.16-23. In some cultures there is an organized priesthood that is involved in ritual matters involving healing or consulting the spirits of ancestors. In some cases the word used for this office may be used to translate priest. But if the term is considered unacceptable, translators may use a descriptive expression such as “offerer of sacrifices” or “sacrifice-making person.” If at all possible, the church’s term for priest should be avoided since it probably refers to someone whose tasks are very different from those of priests in the Old Testament.

The Levites included all of the Temple personnel from the tribe of Levi who were not priests.

And the temple servants: The Hebrew term rendered temple servants is transliterated “Nethinim” in older translations such as King James Version, Nouvelle version Segond révisée and Crampon, but scholars generally agree that the reference is to people other than priests and Levites who worked in the Temple. This class of subordinate worker is mentioned elsewhere only in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, where they are one of the five divisions of Temple personnel along with the priests, Levites, singers, and gatekeepers. The Hebrew word nethinim literally means “those who have been given.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “the given ones” (similarly La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous), but such a literal translation will probably have no meaning for the reader. New Living Translation refers to them as “Temple assistants.” On the basis of parallels in other ancient Near Eastern cultures, some interpreters think that the Hebrew word refers to Temple slaves. This is the basis for the translation “temple slaves” (New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). More likely, the Hebrew word refers to a cultic guild of Temple personnel, and a translation such as “Temple servants” is recommended (so Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

As noted above, some interpreters think this chapter concerns the population of an ideal Jerusalem at the time when David was king. In support of this view, as noted above, is the fact that the Masoretic Text does not have the word again. Johnstone follows this interpretation by translating verse 2 literally as “The original inhabitants, who were in their holding in their cities, were Israel, the priests, the Levites and the nᵉtînîm.” According to this alternative interpretation, chapter 9 is not a “fast forward” to the exile and the return of the people after the exile. It rather picks up from 1 Chr 8.28 and 32, and it prepares for the time of David and the monarchy.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Chronicles 9:2

9:2a Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites,

⌊Later they returned and⌋ lived on their own/ancestral land again. The first people ⌊to return⌋ to their own towns/cities were some Israelite people/laymen.
-or-

⌊After a long time,⌋ they came back ⌊to the land of Israel from captivity in Babylon country⌋ . Then the people of Israel lived in their own towns/villages ⌊again⌋ . ⌊They lived⌋ on the family properties/land ⌊assigned to their ancestors⌋ .

9:2b priests, Levites, and temple servants.

With them were priests, Levites and ⌊other⌋ temple servants.
-or-
This is a list ⌊of the fathers/ancestors/leaders⌋ of the families who came back first. ⌊Some Jewish⌋ priests ⌊also came back with them⌋ . ⌊Some workers in the house of God from⌋ the clan of Levi ⌊also came back with them⌋ . Other people who had duties in the house of God ⌊also came back with them⌋ .

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