high priest

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “high priest” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “the ruler of the priests of our nation”
  • Chol: “very great priest” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “first over the priests”
  • Desano: “chief of the priests” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).
  • Uma: “Big Priest” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • 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)

See also priest and chief priest.

Translation commentary on 1 Maccabees 7:5

Then there came to him all the lawless and ungodly men of Israel: Since this verse begins a new section, it may be helpful to render the pronoun him as “Demetrius” (Good News Bible). The adjectives lawless and ungodly are used in 1Maccabees to describe Jewish opponents of Judas and the Maccabees (see the comments on 1Macc 1.11 and 3.8). These opponents were renegade Jews who were willing to make compromises in their religion in order to gain favor with the Gentile rulers. We may render all the lawless and ungodly men of Israel as “all those Jews who cared nothing for their traditions and did not follow the Law of Moses.” All is of course an overstatement. These were the renegade Jews who were followers of Alcimus.

They were led by Alcimus, who wanted to be high priest: The Greek can be interpreted to mean that Alcimus wanted to become High Priest, or that he wanted to remain as High Priest. Josephus tells us that he had already been made High Priest by this time (compare 2Macc 14.7). Consequently, translators would be justified in saying “they were led by Alcimus, who wanted to remain High Priest,” but it is probably safer to follow Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible here. The high priest was the chief of all the priests in the Jewish Temple. Translators will want to use the same term here as they use for this official in the New Testament (see, for example, Matt 26.57; John 11.49; Acts 4.6).

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Then everyone in Israel who did not care about the Jewish traditions and did not obey the Law of Moses went to Demetrius. Their leader [or, spokesman] was Alcimus, a man who wanted to be High Priest.

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.