Cilicia

The name that is transliterated as “Cilicia” in English means “hair cloth,” or “the land of Celix.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign that depicts a natural wall just behind the seashore, which existed in that area. (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Cilicia” in Libras (source )

For more on Cilicia, see here .

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

king

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:

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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 4:36

When the king returned from the region of Cilicia: For the region of Cilicia, see the comments on verse 30. This clause may be rendered “When King Antiochus returned from the cities of Tarsus and Mallus.”

The Jews in the city appealed to him with regard to the unreasonable murder of Onias: In the city is read by some as “in each city” (Revised Standard Version footnote), but we prefer Revised Standard Version‘s rendering. For the Jews in the city, Good News Bible has “the Jews of Antioch,” which is a good translation. Appealed to him with regard to the unreasonable murder of Onias means they formally asked the king to do something to punish the murderer.

And the Greeks shared their hatred of the crime means they shared the Jews’ hatred of the murder. Good News Bible says “Many Gentiles felt the same way about the crime,” and Contemporary English Version has “Many Greeks also told the king how much they despised this brutal murder.” Good News Bible renders Greeks as “Gentiles,” since they refer to the same people in this book. However, we prefer “Greeks” here.

Alternative models for this verse are:

• When King Antiochus returned from [the cities of] Tarsus and Mallus, the Jews of Antioch urged him to do something about the senseless killing of Onias; many Greeks felt the same way as the Jews.

• … the Jews in Antioch urged him, “Please do something about the senseless killing of Onias.” Many Greeks….

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.