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:
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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”
Then: The common Hebrew conjunction here is translated as a temporal connector, but it could be taken as a logical connector (“So” in New American Bible and New International Version). Some versions omit it altogether (Osty-Trinquet).
Sennacherib king of Assyria: As elsewhere, it will be more natural in some languages to place the title king before the name. In some cases it may be better to use only the name or only the title since the two are associated earlier in the text (verse 20 as well as 2 Kgs 18.13). But in certain cases both the name and title will be appropriate since this is the conclusion of the story.
The verb departed (literally “departed and went/walked” in Hebrew) may appropriately be translated by a military expression, such as “retreated,” in this context. Revised English Bible, for example, has “broke camp and marched away.” New International Version, New American Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible use similar expressions.
Went home, and dwelt at Nineveh: The conjunction and may be misleading here. Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, is the same place as home, and the Hebrew verb translated went home is literally only “returned.” So it may be better to say something like “returned to [his home in] Nineveh where he stayed.” Revised English Bible is quite similar with “went back to Nineveh and remained there.” Compare also New Living Translation: “He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.”
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 .
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