king

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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 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 6:21

A paragraph break is appropriate here (so Revised Standard Version).

Those who were in charge of that unlawful sacrifice took the man aside, because of their long acquaintance with him: That unlawful sacrifice means the pork was evidently from a pig that had been sacrificed on the altar. Those who were in charge of that unlawful sacrifice may refer to the Jewish priests who had made the sacrifice. They knew Eleazar personally. This first half of the verse may be rendered “The pork [or, pig meat] was part of a sacrifice, and eating it would violate the Jewish Law. The men who were supposed to make Eleazar eat it had known him a long time. They took him aside” (similarly Goldstein).

And privately urged him to bring meat of his own providing, proper for him to use: The Greek verb translated urged appears in the imperfect tense, suggesting a repeated effort to convince Eleazar to pretend compliance. His friends really did not want to see him put to death. Proper for him to use refers to meat that was allowed under God’s Law, so this clause may be rendered “that his own religion allowed him to eat.”

And pretend that he was eating the flesh of the sacrificial meal which had been commanded by the king may be expressed as “Then he could pretend that he was eating the meat from the sacrifice that the king ordered.”

Good News Bible joins verses 21-22, and it reads smoothly. Translators may use it as a model with confidence. However, possible models for verse 21 by itself are:

• The pork was part of a sacrifice, and eating it would violate the Jewish Law. The men who were supposed to make Eleazar eat it had known him a long time. They took him aside [or, They spoke to him privately] and begged him to get some meat of his own, something that was lawful to eat. Then he could pretend that he was eating the meat from the sacrifice the king had ordered.

• … They spoke to him privately, begging him, “Please get some meat of your own, something that your religion allows you to eat. Then pretend that you are eating the meat from the sacrifice that the king has ordered.”

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.