Most High

Click here to view graphically

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)

joy

Click here to view graphically

The Greek, Latin, Ge’ez, and Hebrew that is translated with “joy” or “gladness” in English is translated with various strategies:

  • Baoulé: “a song in the stomach” (see also peace (inner peace))
  • Bambara: “the spirit is made sweet”
  • Kpelle: “sweet heart”
  • Tzeltal: “the good taste of one’s heart”
  • Uduk: “good to the stomach”
  • Mískito: “the liver is wide open” (“happily letting the pleasures flooding in upon it”) (source for this and above: Nida 1952)
  • Mairasi: “good liver” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: koort-kwabba-djil or “heart very good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “refreshed heart” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).

See also Seat of the Mind for traditional views of “ways of knowing, thinking, and feeling,” happiness / joy, and exceeding joy.

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 13:13

Then many people came to him: This clause is usually interpreted to refer to the Jews bringing some of the Gentiles to the Messiah. Good News Bible has “All sorts of people came.” The Revised Standard Version footnote here deals with a translational issue, so it may be omitted.

Some of whom were joyful and some sorrowful: The joyful people are perhaps the Jews and the sorrowful are the Gentiles.

Some of them were bound: Compare Isa 45.14. Bound refers to having “their hands and feet tied” (Good News Bible). This clause may be rendered “People had tied the hands and feet of some of them.”

And some were bringing others as offerings: This clause is not really clear in Latin, but in light of Isa 66.20, Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible seem to interpret it correctly.

We recommend Good News Bible as a model for this verse.

Then in great fear I awoke: Ezra woke up because he was terrified by the dream.

And I besought the Most High, and said: This quote frame introduces Ezra’s prayer to God in verses 14-20a. For the Most High, see the comments on 2 Esd 3.3.

Contemporary English Version provides the following helpful model for the last half of verse 13:

• I was terrified when I woke up. And I prayed to God Most High:….

Another possible one is:

• Then I woke up, and was afraid. I prayed to God Most High, saying….

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.