king

Click here to view graphically

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:

(Click or tap here to see details)

  • 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 18:18

Three officials of King Hezekiah are introduced by name in this verse: Eliakim, Shebnah, and Joah. They should not be confused with the three Assyrian military officers mentioned in the previous verse since the proper names do not refer to those officers.

Eliakim, the first official mentioned, was over the household; that is, he was in charge of the household of the king or the royal palace. For a more detailed discussion of this office, see the discussion at 1 Kgs 4.6, where the same Hebrew expression is used of Ahishar, who “was in charge of the palace” (Revised Standard Version). This is the same Eliakim that is also mentioned in Isa 22.20.

Hilkiah is literally “Hilkiyahu” (so La Bible Pléiade).

The name Shebnah appears again in verse 26 with the same spelling, but in verse 37 it is spelled “Shebna” without the final “h.” This reflects the Hebrew original, but may be confusing to some readers since the same person is referred to. Translators are advised to use the same form in all three cases. Since the form without the final consonant is more common, it is preferred.

The second official Shebnah is described as the secretary (see the comments at 2 Kgs 12.10) and the third official Joah as the recorder (see the detailed discussion on these two offices at 1 Kgs 4.3). The task of the secretary was to write whatever the king wanted written, while the recorder had the responsibility of communicating the king’s decisions to the people. In some languages these two terms may have to be translated “the writing person” and “the herald” (New Jerusalem Bible, Peregrino), “the royal herald,” or “the spokesman.” Since the Hebrew term translated recorder does not refer primarily to someone who kept official records, the Contemporary English Version translations of secretary as “assistant to the prime minister” and recorder as “keeper of the government records” are not recommended as models. Nor is “royal historian” (New Living Translation) recommended as a translation of the third official’s title.

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 .