Western Bukidnon Manobo: “high sacrificer” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “Big leader of offerings” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
In Khoekhoe the translation for “high priest” is only capitalized when it refers to Jesus (as is Hebrews 2:17 et al.). (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)
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.
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
It will be helpful to begin a new paragraph here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible).
And the Jews and their priests decided that Simon should be their leader and high priest for ever: See 1Macc 13.42 There is a textual problem in this verse, which is related to a translational problem. As the footnotes in Good News Bible and Revised Standard Version indicate, the Greek text reads “and that the Jews and their priests….” This is in fact what all the manuscripts except one have. (Good News Bible‘s footnote referring to “some manuscripts” is a bit misleading.) Retaining “and that” makes verses 41-43 more of the content of what Demetrius “had heard” (verse 40). It would mean that the inscription itself really proclaims nothing, but simply reports that Demetrius had heard what the Jews had decreed (so Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Abel). New Jerusalem Bible also retains “and that,” but is able to do so only by a drastic rearrangement of the material in verses 38-41 that results in verses 41-42 being in effect a decree of King Demetrius, not of the Jewish leadership. The Jews here are reveling in their newly won independence, and it does not seem likely that they are ceding this authority to Demetrius. Most authorities agree that the initial “and that” is mistaken and should not be translated. This approach understands the verb decided to introduce a series of decisions given in verses 41-46. It understands the inscription as a legal proclamation of these decisions, made entirely by Jews, not King Demetrius. Supporting this is the Greek verb rendered decided, which is literally “were pleased.” Inscriptions honoring heroes in Greek cities (see the introductory comments on this section) often began with “it seems good to the people…” (McEleney). We seem to have such a proclamation here, beginning with “It has pleased the Jews and their priests….” This is how we understand the passage, and consequently we prefer to go with Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible, and others by omitting the initial “and that.” While we do not insist on a textual footnote here, careful translators may be happier to include one by following Revised Standard Version.
In light of the difficult text, the translational problem is how to make clear that verses 41-43 are a proclamation beginning literally “It has pleased the Jews and their priests….” Goldstein, who understands the textual problem as we do and who also sees the translational problem, has a solution that looks back to verse 29. He begins the inscription with “Whereas…” and now at this point in verse 41 introduces the proclamation in this manner: “therefore, be it resolved by the Jews and the priests: that….” The connector And is better translated “Therefore” (Good News Bible) or “So.”
Good News Bible interprets the clause Simon should be their leader and high priest for ever to refer to a dynasty of leaders and High Priests from Simon’s family line. That is why Good News Bible speaks of “Simon and his descendants.” Most scholars interpret it in this way, although in Exo 21.6 the Greek expression for for ever is used of a slave serving his master “for life.” We accept Good News Bible‘s interpretation and model for the first half of this verse; it seems confirmed by verse 49. However, we suggest changing Good News Bible slightly to read “Simon, or a descendant of his, will be our High Priest and leader.” This resolves a pronoun problem in the next verse.
Until a trustworthy prophet should arise: Compare 1Macc 4.46. Scholars dispute why this kind of condition was attached to Simon’s leadership as High Priest. One explanation is the Maccabees were not members of the priestly family that had traditionally held the high priesthood. Simon was thus given the office until such time as a prophet should appear to correct any irregularity by placing in office a man of the right family line. Another explanation is that only a prophet had the right to appoint a ruler. Samuel is described as a true (trustworthy) prophet of the LORD in 1~Sam 3.20, and he had anointed Saul (1~Sam 10.l) and David (1~Sam 16.13). We believe this is the likeliest interpretation. For this clause Good News Bible has “until a true prophet appears,” which sounds as if the prophet himself would replace Simon as High Priest. This implication should be avoided. A better model is “until a true prophet comes to appoint a High Priest.”
We suggest the following model for this verse:
• Therefore the Jews and their priests have decided as follows:
(1) Simon, or a descendant of his, will be our High Priest and leader until a true prophet comes and settles the matter [or, chooses a High Priest].
As part of this model, we suggest that each of the proclamations made by the Jews from this point through verse 45 be set apart as a separate paragraph. Some translators may wish to begin each one with “That….” We believe that if the presentation on the page makes it clear that this first half of this verse is followed by a series of proclamations through verse 45, each proclamation can be translated as a complete sentence with a number (see the model above and the following models).
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.
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