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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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

Translation commentary on 2 Maccabees 4:25

After receiving the king’s orders he returned: Good News Bible translates the king’s orders as “papers from the king.” This shifts the focus from the content of the orders to the material on which the orders were written, which changes the meaning of the text. Of course, the orders would not have been written on what we call “paper” today. The point is that Menelaus returned, carrying with him documents to prove that the king had made him the High Priest. Most translators will find it better to follow Revised Standard Version by saying orders, but Good News Bible does well to name Menelaus here, and to specify that he “returned to Jerusalem.” It will also be helpful to indicate that the documents or orders were “confirming him as High Priest” (Good News Bible). An alternative model for the beginning of this verse is “When Menelaus returned to Jerusalem, he carried documents from the king that confirmed that he was the new High Priest.”

Possessing no qualification for the high priesthood: It will be good to begin this clause with the connector “But” (Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version). Good News Bible is wrong to speak of “other qualifications.” He had no qualifications. The king’s orders simply made a completely unqualified man High Priest. We may say “but he was not fit [or, worthy] to be High Priest.”

But having the hot temper of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a savage wild beast: The connector but introduces a contrast. This clause describes Menelaus’ anger in very strong terms. The important thing for translators is to convey that angry attitude, not to represent every word. Hot temper translates one noun in Greek, as does wild beast. A tyrant is a ruler with absolute power who is also brutal in the use of his power. A cruel tyrant may be rendered “a cruel, brutal ruler.” Good News Bible offers a good translation for this whole clause. Another possible model is “but he could become as angry as the most cruel ruler, and as fierce as a wild animal.”

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.