host / powers

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “host” or “powers” or similar in English is translated in Mandarin Chinese as wàn​xiàng​ (万象 / 萬象) or “every manifestation of nature” (lit. “10,000 manifestations”). This is a term that is loaned from Buddhist terminology (see here ). (Source: Zetzsche)

See also LORD of hosts.

Baal

The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is typically transliterated as “Baal” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for “idol.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Baal” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

In the English translation by Goldingay (2018) it is translated as Master.

See also my Baal and Asherah.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Baal .

host of heaven

The Hebrew, Greek and Ge’ez that is translated as “host of heaven” in English is translated in Kankanaey as “the sun, moon and stars” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation), in Tagbanwaas “the created-things in the sky” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation), in San Mateo Del Mar Huave as “all which is up high which they see,” and in Metlatónoc Mixtec as “the things that shine in the sky” (source for the last three: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).

high priest

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “high priest” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “the ruler of the priests of our nation”
  • Chol: “very great priest” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “first over the priests”
  • Desano: “chief of the priests” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).
  • Uma: “Big Priest” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “high sacrificer” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Big leader of offerings” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

In Khoekhoe the translation for “high priest” is only capitalized when it refers to Jesus (as is Hebrews 2:17 et al.). (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)

See also priest and chief priest.

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

complete verse (2 Kings 23:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Kings 23:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “After that, Josiah called Hilkiah who was the big priest, the priests that supported/followed and the guards of the Homestead of God. He said to those people that they should remove all the idols from the Homestead of God which were used to worship Baal, Asherah and the sun, moon and stars. Then, the king burned those things outside Jerusalem in the (dry) valley of Kidron, and then the ashes were brought to Bethel.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The King gave the order to Hilkiah, the High Priest, to the priests and to the gate keepers, to bring the vessels used in doing puja to Baal, to Asherah and to the stars of the sky that were in the temple of the LORD. Having brought all those vessels to the Kidron valley outside Jerusalem, they burned them and took the ashes to Bethel.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then King Josia commanded Hilkia the high/[lit. head] priest, the priests who are next to the rank of Hilkia, and the priests who watch-over the gate of the temple, to take-from the temple of the LORD all the articles that were-used to worship Baal, Ashera, and all that are in heaven. He caused- them -to-be-burned outside Jerusalem, in the field of the Kidron the water-course/channel of water, and then the ashes were-brought to Betel.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then the king commanded Hilkiah the Supreme Priest and all the other priests who assisted him and the men who guarded the entrance to the temple to bring out from the temple all the items that people had been using to worship Baal, the goddess Asherah, and the stars. After they carried them out, they burned all those things outside the city near the Kidron Valley. Then they took all the ashes to Bethel, because that city was already considered to be desecrated/unholy.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, 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).