In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)
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:
(Click or tap here to see details)
- 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 9:25
Moreover, I understand how the princes along the borders and the neighbors to my kingdom keep watching for opportunities and waiting to see what will happen: Not only would naming a successor in advance guard against unrest at home, but it would provide some protection against invasion by neighboring countries. Their leaders might hear that the Seleucid king had died and invade, thinking that the kingdom might be weak at the time, without a king securely in place. Moreover may be rendered “Also” (Good News Bible) or “Not only that.” The princes along the borders and the neighbors to my kingdom refer to the same people—the rulers of the countries on the borders of the Seleucid Empire. These phrases may be combined by saying “the rulers of the countries along the borders of my kingdom” or “the leaders of the countries along our borders” (similarly Contemporary English Version). For keep watching for opportunities and waiting to see what will happen, Good News Bible‘s model is a little difficult. Contemporary English Version is better with “are watching and waiting for a chance to take over our kingdom.” An alternative model for this whole sentence is “Not only that, but I know that the rulers of all the kingdoms on our borders are constantly watching for a chance to take advantage of any weakness on our part [or, to take over our kingdom].”
So I have appointed my son Antiochus to be king, whom I have often entrusted and commended to most of you when I hastened off to the upper provinces: The connector So may be rendered “That is why” (Good News Bible) or “For these reasons” (Contemporary English Version). My son Antiochus refers to the son who would become Antiochus~V. At the time of his appointment as king he was still too young to rule, and someone also had to be appointed to rule for him until he grew older (see 1Macc 3.32-33; 6.14-15). For whom I have often entrusted and commended to most of you, Good News Bible‘s model is helpful. The Greek verb translated hastened off refers primarily to being away, but it implies a hurried departure. An alternative model for this whole sentence is “For these reasons I am naming my son Antiochus as the next king. I have often [or, more than once] entrusted him to your care and recommended him to most of you when I had urgent business in the east.”
And I have written to him what is written here: Good News Bible expresses this sentence more accurately. Antiochus refers to a letter that follows, but that letter is not included as part of 2Maccabees. The problem of referring to another letter that does not appear may be solved by saying “I am writing him a separate letter to let him know this.”
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.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.