king

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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 2 Chronicles 35:18

No passover like it had been kept in Israel …: It is not clear in what manner this Passover was so different from all others. According to 2 Kgs 23.22-23, this Passover was unlike any other before, because it was celebrated in Jerusalem. But here in 2 Chronicles, Hezekiah had already celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem, so the sense may be that the Levites were more prominent, or that the offerings were offered exactly as the Law required, or that all the tribes of Israel attended. The passive verb had been kept may be made active by making the people of Israel the subject of the sentence as follows: “The people of Israel had never observed a Passover celebration like this….” Another possible rendering is “No one had ever celebrated a Passover like this….”

Samuel lived about four hundred years before King Josiah.

None of the kings of Israel had kept such a passover as was kept by Josiah …: Since Josiah himself was also a king, translators may render none of the kings of Israel as “none of the other kings of Israel.” Good News Translation says “None of the former kings.” The passive expression was kept by Josiah may be stated actively as “Josiah kept/celebrated.”

Judah and Israel refer to the southern and northern kingdoms.

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 2 Chronicles 35:18

35:18a No such Passover had been observed in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet.

They had not celebrated the Passover Feast like that in Israel since the time of the prophet Samuel.
-or-
From the time that Samuel was the prophet in Israel to that day, Israel people had kept many Passover Feasts. But this one was special.

35:18b None of the kings of Israel ever observed a Passover like the one

No king of Israel had ever celebrated a Passover like the Passover
-or-
Many kings of Israel kept the Feast of Passover. But none of them kept a Passover

35:18c that Josiah observed with the priests, the Levites,

that King Josiah celebrated. He celebrated it with the priests, the Levites
-or-
like King Josiah did. The sacrificers, the Levites

35:18d all Judah, the Israelites who were present, and the people of Jerusalem.

and all the people of Judah and Israel who were there with the people of Jerusalem.
-or-
and all the people of Judah and Israel who were in Jerusalem joined him in this celebration.

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