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 14:45

And when the forty days were ended, the Most High spoke to me, saying: Good News Bible says “At the end of the forty days God Most High said to me.”

Make public the twenty-four books that you wrote first and let the worthy and the unworthy read them: As the footnotes in Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible indicate here, the Latin text does not contain the number twenty-four. However, it is not necessary to resort to a textual explanation. From verses 44 and 46 it is clear that the books that you wrote first were twenty-four in number (94 less 70 equals 24). We think it is helpful to use the number twenty-four in this verse, but see it as a translational matter needing no textual footnote. The twenty-four books are the books of the Hebrew Bible, as traditionally counted. 1-2 Samuel are counted as one book, 1-2 Kings are counted as one book, 1-2 Chronicles are counted as one book, Ezra and Nehemiah are counted as one book, and the twelve Minor Prophets are counted as one book.

In verses 45 and 46 the second person references in the Latin text are all singular. God speaks to Ezra alone, even though Ezra himself did not literally write any of the books, but only dictated them to the scribes.

We suggest the following alternative model for this verse:

• When the forty days were over, God Most High said to me, “Take the twenty-four books that you wrote down first, and make them public. Let anyone read them, whether they are worthy or not.

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.