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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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).

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 2 Kings 16:17

King Ahaz cut off the frames of the stands is literally “King Ahaz cut off the frames, the stands.” The construction of this first part of the verse is difficult to understand, and for that reason most interpreters make a couple of minor corrections of the Hebrew in order to read … the frames of the stands. The Hebrew word translated frames here is the same one that is translated “panels” in 1 Kgs 7.28; and it should be translated “panels” here also (so Gray). The description of these stands together with their panels is found in 1 Kgs 7.27-29. The panels are said to have been cut off, which is the literal meaning of the Hebrew verb. But in this context the verb may be better translated with a more general verb, such as “detached” (New American Bible) or “took off” (New Century Version). Note that Good News Translation does not attempt to be as precise as the Hebrew, but says simply “King Ahaz took apart the bronze carts.” Regarding the rendering “carts” instead of stands, see the comments on 1 Kgs 7.27.

The laver is literally “and the laver,” but the Hebrew conjunction “and” seems to be a scribal error. Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version have the singular laver as in Hebrew. But the plural form is found in New International Version, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, probably because of the fact that 1 Kgs 7.38 describes ten lavers or wash basins to be used by the priests. Each stand held one laver only, so whether translators use the singular or the plural will depend in part on receptor language usage. In English the best translation is probably “the basins” (Good News Translation, New International Version) or “the washing bowls” (New Century Version). See the comments at 1 Kgs 7.30 for further help on how to translate this term.

The sea: For this special use of the word for sea, refer to the remarks on 1 Kgs 7.23. Some possible translations are “the tank” (Moffatt) or, perhaps better, “the large bowl, which was called the Sea” (New Century Version). New Jerusalem Bible and La Bible Pléiade read “the bronze Sea,” claiming that the word “bronze” was misplaced in the Hebrew text. Similarly, Good News Translation says “the bronze tank,” but it is not clear whether this translation reflects a correction of the Hebrew text or simply makes explicit what is implicit here.

The bronze oxen: Good News Translation adds information that would have been quite familiar to the original readers, namely, that there were twelve of these bronze oxen. Although the passages that tell about these oxen (1 Kgs 7.25, 44; 2 Chr 4.4, 15) do not explicitly say that the oxen were made of bronze, surely that is implied in those passages.

A pediment of stone: The Hebrew word translated pediment is not found anywhere else in the Old Testament. But it is closely related to the word translated “pavement” in Ezek 40.17. In fact, the English word “pavement” is used here in New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, and New Living Translation. Other versions speak of a “base” (Revised English Bible) or “foundation” (Good News Translation). The tank had been previously supported on the backs of the twelve bronze bulls. It would now be supported by a base made of stone.

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 .