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 3:3

My spirit was greatly agitated: My spirit refers to refers to Ezra’s thoughts, what was going on in his brain. So we may render this clause as “I was very bothered by my thoughts” (similarly Contemporary English Version). Good News Bible has “I was deeply disturbed.”

And I began to speak anxious words to the Most High: The Latin word for Most High is the usual term the author uses to refer to God. It occurs 68 times in chapters 3–14 (never in chapters 1–2 or 15–16). It refers to God’s supreme majesty, not to his actually being tall or big, and will be translated in some languages as “God who is above everything” or “God who is supremely powerful” (see the comments on 1 Esd 2.3). Good News Bible translates it “God Most High,” which is a good model. However, translators should note how they have translated this term in other books. For this whole clause Good News Bible has “and began to express my fears to God Most High.” We may also say “and I began to tell God Most High what I was afraid of.”

And said: This quote frame begins verse 4 in the Latin text (so also Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version). The generic verb said may be rendered “prayed” (Contemporary English Version) since it introduces a prayer.

Good News Bible provides an excellent model for this verse.

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.