32So Athenobius, the king’s Friend, came to Jerusalem, and when he saw the splendor of Simon, and the sideboard with its gold and silver plate, and his great magnificence, he was amazed. When he reported to him the king’s message,
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
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:
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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”
It will be helpful to begin a new paragraph here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible).
So Athenobius the friend of the king came to Jerusalem: The message from Antiochus that begins in verse 28 and ends with verse 31 has not yet been delivered to Simon. The connector So or “When” (Good News Bible) will be suitable to begin this passage, describing Athenobius’ arrival in Jerusalem in response to the king’s mission. Good News Bible omits the friend of the king here, since he was identified as such in verse 28. However, the repetition of it underscores the importance of the occasion, so we prefer to see it included. An alternative model for this clause is “Athenobius, the Friend of the King, then went [or, came] to Jerusalem.”
And when he saw the splendor of Simon: The splendor of Simon does not refer to Simon’s person, but to his surroundings, to all the fine objects that were all around him as he went about his duties, in the Temple or in his headquarters (13.52). Good News Bible says “the splendor of Simon’s court,” which is technically correct. For the whole clause we may say “and when he saw Simon’s splendid surroundings,” “and when he saw Simon’s great wealth,” or even “… all the expensive things that Simon owned.”
And the sideboard with its gold and silver plate: The Greek word for sideboard refers to a piece of furniture, probably some sort of large table or even cupboard, used in a dining room to hold plates and eating utensils. Tedesche says “cabinet.” The Greek words rendered gold and silver plate refer to any kind of eating utensils plated with gold and silver (compare 1Macc 11.58). (Revised Standard Version uses plate here not to refer to “plates” as objects one eats from, but to a method of applying gold and silver to any object.)
And his great magnificence essentially repeats the splendor of Simon and can be combined with it (see the model below).
He was amazed does not quite convey the right idea; there was an element of surprise as well as awe involved. Athenobius did not expect to see anything like this; he was dealing with a more powerful man than he thought.
He reported to him the words of the king may be rendered “Then Athenobius told Simon what the king had said” (Contemporary English Version).
An alternative model for this verse is:
• When Athenobius, the Friend of the King, came to Jerusalem, and saw all the splendid and magnificent things that Simon owned, such as the cabinet full of gold and silver tableware, he was astounded. Then he told Simon what the king had said.
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.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.