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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Kings 1:19

He has sacrificed oxen, fatlings, and sheep in abundance: For sacrificed New American Bible has “slaughtered.” See the comments on the same verb in verse 9.

For the translation of the words fatlings and sheep, see the comments on verse 9. As in verse 9, Revised English Bible says “buffaloes,” that is, humped cattle, instead of fatlings. The Hebrew word translated oxen here is different from the word translated “oxen” in verse 9. The Hebrew word here usually refers to a fully grown male bovine, whether castrated or not, but it may also refer to a female animal. It may be translated “bulls,” oxen, or “cattle.” New Century Version renders this “cows,” but the English word “cows” refers to female cattle and is, therefore, a less common translation of the Hebrew noun.

The qualifying words, in abundance, are not found in verse 9 but they should not be omitted here, even though they may constitute an exaggeration on the part of Bathsheba. One way to translate the meaning is by qualifying the animals with “many” (Good News Translation) or “a lot of” (Contemporary English Version). Revised English Bible speaks of “great numbers of.”

All the sons of the king: Since Solomon was a son of David and was not invited, the sense is clearly “all your sons except Solomon.” In some languages it may be necessary to restructure the verse in order to make this meaning clear.

Since Joab was the commander of David’s army, it is acceptable and in some cases much more natural to say “the commander of your army” (Good News Translation, International Children’s Bible).

But Solomon your servant he has not invited: Good News Translation makes it clear that Solomon is the king’s “son,” but loses the sense that Solomon remains loyal to the king. A better model is International Children’s Bible, which has “But he did not invite Solomon, your son who serves you.” Compare also Contemporary English Version: “… except Solomon, your loyal servant.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Kings 1:19

1:19a And he has sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep,

He has ordered many cattle/bulls, fat calves, and sheep to be killed/sacrificed ⌊for a feast⌋.
-or-

⌊And more than that,⌋ Adonijah has ⌊made a great feast⌋, sacrificing a large number of beef-cattle and young/fat buffaloes/cattle and sheep.

1:19b and has invited all the other sons of the king, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army.

He has invited all your ⌊other⌋ sons, as well as the priest Abiathar and Joab the army commander/general.
-or-
He has asked/called all the ⌊other⌋ royal sons/princes, and ⌊God’s⌋ priest Abiathar, and Joab, the general/leader in command of ⌊your/Israel’s⌋ army, to come ⌊to the feast/celebration⌋.

1:19c But he did not invite your servant Solomon.

However he has not invited your (sing) servant Solomon ⌊to the party/feast⌋.
-or-
He has asked/called ⌊everyone important⌋ except your (sing) humble/good ⌊son⌋ Solomon.

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