king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:

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  • Piro: “a great one”
  • Highland Totonac: “the big boss”
  • Huichol: “the one who commanded” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Ekari: “the one who holds the country” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Una: weik sienyi: “big headman” (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
  • Pass Valley Yali: “Big Man” (source: Daud Soesilo)
  • Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
  • Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))

Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:

“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”

(Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )

See also king (Japanese honorifics).

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 11:16

So: In some languages a logical connector like that of Revised Standard Version will be appropriate here, but in other cases the common Hebrew conjunction here does not need to be translated at all.

They laid hands on her: While the laying on of hands has a very different meaning elsewhere in Scripture, here the meaning is something like “they grabbed her,” “they took hold of her,” or “They took her away by force” (American Bible). The same expression is used in 1 Kgs 20.6 with the sense of “take and carry away.”

She went: Since Athaliah had already been apprehended at this point, this was probably not something that she did willingly or cheerfully. Therefore the verb used in translation might show that some coercion was required. Some may say “she was forced to go.” But it would also be possible to make the guards the subject of this verb and say something like “they made her go” or “they compelled her.” New American Bible has “She was led out forcibly.” Where this passive expression is not helpful, translators may consider this model provided by Contemporary English Version: “the commanders dragged her.”

The horses’ entrance to the king’s house: While the Hebrew word translated entrance is not the same word rendered “gate” in verse 6, it must refer to something similar to a gate. This entrance is sometimes identified as the Horse Gate mentioned in Jer 31.40 and Neh 3.28 (so Good News Translation, La Bible Pléiade footnote). The Horse Gate was a gate on the eastern side of the wall surrounding Jerusalem. More likely, however, the reference here is to a gate or entrance into the stables of the royal compound and not the Horse Gate in the city wall. This entrance appears to have been located between the royal palace and the Temple area. In some languages it will be rendered “the place where horses enter the royal courtyard” or “the passage way where horses go into the yard around the king’s house.”

There she was slain: This statement can be made active by saying “it was there that they killed her” or “they killed her in that place.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .