11But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” Then one of the servants of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah, is here.”
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kokoro (みこころ) or “will (of God)” in the referenced verses. Two verses (Ezra 10:11 and Ephesians 1:9) use mi-mune (みむね) with the same honorific prefix and meaning.
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:
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.”
Jehoshaphat said: In the context of the question that follows, some languages will prefer the verb “asked” (Good News Translation) or “inquired.”
Is there no prophet of the LORD here…?: The wording of Revised Standard Version almost makes this sound like a rhetorical question, but this is rather a real inquiry of a desperate person seeking help. Ancient Near Eastern non-biblical texts indicate that diviners sometimes accompanied troops in battle so that they could consult the will of the gods. Earlier in Israelite history, it was the role of the priests to consult Yahweh prior to battle or during the battle (1 Sam 30.7-8). In some languages it will be more natural to reorder this question and begin with a statement about the necessity of getting guidance from Yahweh as follows: “We need to consult the LORD. Is there a prophet around here?” For the word prophet, see 1 Kgs 1.8.
The Hebrew adverb translated here does not necessarily mean immediately present, but rather in the general vicinity.
Inquire of the LORD: The ultimate purpose of this action is not merely to ask questions, but to get help from the LORD. For this reason Knox translates “win the divine favour.”
One of the king of Israel’s servants: This probably refers to a subordinate military “officer” as indicated in Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, New International Version and Revised English Bible, rather than to a domestic servant of some kind.
For Elisha the son of Shaphat, see 1 Kgs 19.16.
Who poured water on the hands of Elijah: This picturesque expression may be misunderstood if translated literally into other languages. There are no other instances of this expression in the Old Testament, but commentators generally agree that it is a way of saying that Elisha somehow assisted his mentor. In 1 Kgs 19.21 Elisha is said to have “served” or “ministered to” Elijah following the incident with the prophets of Baal. The use of the word water may have been intentional because of the desperate need for water that brought the three kings to the point of looking for a prophet, but it may not be possible to retain this in most languages. New Century Version puts this expression in a separate sentence and says simply “He was Elijah’s servant.” The word “assistant” (Good News Translation), however, is probably better. Contemporary English Version reads “He was one of Elijah’s closest followers” (similarly Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie).
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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