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 13:44

For at that time the Most High performed signs for them, and stopped the channels of the river until they had passed over: This verse recalls the miracles of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and the Jordan River. Channels refers to the flow of the river, or more specifically, to the riverbed through which the water flows. Translators who find this idea difficult will be able to omit the word in translation; for example, stopped the channels of the river may be rendered “stopped the river from flowing.” Here it is clear that the angel Uriel is the speaker since he refers to God in the third person by saying the Most High (see “Translating 2 Esdras,” page 313).

We recommend Good News Bible as a model for verses 43-44. Translators should also study Contemporary English Version‘s model, which is:

• 43 They chose to cross the Euphrates at the most difficult place, 44 so God Most High had to perform amazing miracles and stop the flow of the river until they had safely crossed.

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.