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 12:30

This is the interpretation: It is these whom the Most High has kept for the eagle’s end: The Revised Standard Version footnote on the eagle’s is purely translational, so it is not needed. The demonstrative pronoun these refers to the last two little wings, whose identity is unknown. Since they appear at the end of the empire, the author is obviously talking about something future with reference to himself, and they may not correspond to any real people. The first half of this verse may be rendered “These two wings refer to two kings whom God Most High will keep until the end of the eagle’s life.”

This was the reign which was brief and full of tumult, as you have seen: It seems that this sentence is prediction, so the future tense fits better here than the more literal past tense. As you have seen recalls what Ezra saw in 2Esdras 12.2 (see the comments there). This sentence may be translated “Their reign, you will remember, will be short and full of trouble” or “You will remember that they will rule for only a short time and will have great trouble.”

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.