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 9:1 - 9:2

He answered me and said: The speaker here is probably the angel Uriel. The verb answered is better rendered “replied” or “responded,” since Uriel is not answering a question asked by Ezra.

Measure carefully in your mind may be translated “Think very carefully” or “Consider all these things very carefully” (Good News Bible).

And when you see that a certain part of the predicted signs are past may be expressed as “When you see that some of the signs I have told you about have already happened.”

Then you will know that it is the very time may be rendered “then you will know that the time has come.”

When the Most High is about to visit the world which he has made: For the Most High, see the comments on 2 Esd 3.3. In this context the verb visit refers to God’s judgment (see the comments on 2 Esd 5.56). So this clause may be translated “when God Most High will bring judgment on the world he has created.”

These two verses presuppose that a definite timetable exists for events at the end time, a common feature of apocalyptic writing (compare 2 Esd 4.36-37; 14.11-12). The idea seems to be that Ezra should do some calculating, figuring how many of the predicted signs have already come to pass, and then suppose that the end time is near. Here is an alternative model:

• 1 He [or, The angel Uriel] replied, “Think very carefully. When you see that some of the signs I have told you about have already happened, 2 then you will know that the time has come when God Most High will bring judgment on the world that he has created.

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.