Most High

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, Ge’ez, or Greek that is translated as “(God) the Most High” or “Most High God” in English is translated in various way:

  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “he the completely glorified God”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “Father God who is high in heaven”
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “God who has such tremendous authority”
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz: “he who is the native of the highest place”
  • Palantla Chinantec: “the Big God Himself”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “God who has authority over all”
  • Estado de México Otomi: “most exalted God”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “God who is in heaven”
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “God who has a great rule” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Sa’a: “God, the Surpassing One” (source: Carl Gross)
  • Elhomwe: Mulluku Muullupalli or “God the Great” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Chichewa: Wammwambamwamba: A name of God. While this word is difficult to translate into English, its sense implies that God is highly above everything in his power and greatness. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 10:50

For now the Most High, seeing that you are sincerely grieved and profoundly distressed for her … is better rendered “When God Most High saw that you were grieving for the woman with all your heart and soul…” (Good News Bible). The phrase “with all your heart and soul” is closer to the Latin than sincerely and profoundly.

Has shown you the brilliance of her glory, and the loveliness of her beauty: The phrases the brilliance of her glory and the loveliness of her beauty are close in meaning. Good News Bible says “all her glory and majestic beauty,” New English Bible has “her radiant glory and her beauty,” and Contemporary English Version translates “the bright light of her beauty and glory.” This last half of the verse may be rendered “he showed you how radiant and glorious she really is, and how lovely and beautiful.”

We suggest the following model for this verse:

• When God Most High saw that you grieved and felt distress for the woman with all your heart and soul, he showed you how radiant and glorious she really is, how lovely and beautiful.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.