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.

Translation commentary on 2 Maccabees 15:12

Verses 12-16 give the content of Judas’ dream. Translators may insert a paragraph break here (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible).

What he saw was this introduces the dream. Good News Bible provides a helpful model here. We may also say “He told them that he had seen…” or even “He said, ‘I once saw….’”

Onias, who had been high priest, a noble and good man, of modest bearing and gentle manner, one who spoke fittingly and had been trained from childhood in all that belongs to excellence, was praying with outstretched hands for the whole body of the Jews: The translational problem here is that Onias is the subject of the verb was praying, and everything in between describes Onias. A way must be found to bring the subject and verb together, dealing with the description of Onias in some other way. Good News Bible provides an excellent model here, but we will offer modified ones below. Onias is the High Priest Onias~III (2Macc 3.1–4.6). Of modest bearing and gentle manner simply means he was modest and gentle. Who spoke fittingly means he was an effective public speaker. Trained from childhood in all that belongs to excellence means he had always been taught how to live a virtuous life and it implies that he did in fact so live. Outstretched hands was a customary posture for prayer (see 2Macc 3.20; 14.34); we may assume that Onias was seen standing. The whole body of the Jews refers to the Jewish people anywhere in the world.

Our suggested models for this verse are:

• He told them that he had seen Onias, that noble and good man who was once the High Priest, that gentle and humble man, that fine speaker, that man who had been an example of virtue ever since he was a boy. Onias was standing with his hands raised, praying for Jews everywhere.

• He continued, “I once saw Onias, that noble and good man who was once the High Priest, that gentle and humble man, that fine speaker, that man who was an example of virtue since he was a boy. I saw him standing with his hands raised, praying for Jews everywhere.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.