self-referencing pronoun for king or queen

In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)

complete verse (2 Chronicles 35:23)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 35:23:

  • Kupsabiny: “But arrows were shot at Josiah so/until he said to his servants, ‘Please flee with me! I have been badly wounded.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “While the battle was going on an archer [lit.: an arrow shooter] shot King Josiah with an arrow. Then he said to his men, "Take me far away from here, I have been badly wounded."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Josia was-shot-with-an-arrow and he was-wounded. He said to his officials, ‘Take- me -away from here, for I have severe wounds.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Some Egyptian archers shot King Josiah. He told his officers, ‘Take me away from here because I am badly wounded.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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 35:23

And the archers shot King Josiah: The archers who shot the arrows at King Josiah were Egyptians. Good News Translation expresses this information by saying “Josiah was struck by Egyptian arrows.”

And the king said to his servants: The servants involved in warfare with Josiah would be his “bodyguard” (Revised English Bible) or possibly some of his “officers” (New International Version, God’s Word).

Take me away, for I am badly wounded: This direct quotation reflects the Hebrew, but some languages will prefer indirect discourse here. A possible model is “he instructed his protectors to take him out of the battle because of his severe injury.” Another possible model is found in Revised English Bible, which reads “he was severely wounded and told his bodyguard to take him away.”

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 35:23

35:23a There the archers shot King Josiah,

Some archers shot King Josiah.
-or-
Some of King Necho’s soldiers shot King Josiah with arrows.

35:23b who said to his servants,

He then told his servants,
-or-
So King Josiah told the soldiers who were with him

35:23c “Take me away,

“Take me away from this place
-or-
to remove him from the battlefield,

35:23d for I am badly wounded!”

because I am seriously wounded.”
-or-
because the enemy soldiers had injured him badly.

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