The Hebrew and Aramaic that is translated in English as “long live” or “live forever” and the Greek that is translated as “Hail” in English is translated in Mandarin Chinese as wànsuì (万岁 / 萬歲) or “(may you live) 10,000 years” which was used to hail Chinese emperors and, more recently, the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong (Máo Zhǔxí Wànsuì [毛主席万岁] or “May Chairman Mao live for ten thousand years!”).
Likewise it is also used in these verses in other East Asian languages, including Japanese with ban zai (ばんざい / 万歳), Korean with man se (만세), Vietnamese with vạn tuế or muôn tuổi, or Mongolian with mandtugai (мандтугай). (Note that Mongolian does not use that term for the New Testament renderings.) (Source: Zetzsche)
For more information on this phrase, see 10,000 years .
The Hebrew that is transliterated as “Absalom” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the signs depicting “hair + caught” referring to 2 Samuel 18:9. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Samuel 16:16:
Kupsabiny: “Hushai went to Absalom and told him that, ‘Be strong, king, be strong!’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Then David’s friend Hushai the Arkite met Absalom, and he said, "Long live the king! Long live the king!"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Hushai the Archite, a friend of David arrived there also, and he went to Absalom and said to him, ‘Long-live the king! Long-live the king!’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When David’s friend Hushai came to Absalom, he said to Absalom, ‘I desire/hope that the king will live a long time! May you live for many years!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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:
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.”
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way to do this is through the usage of appropriate suffix title referred to as keishō (敬称) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017 by using –sama. Here, ō-sama (王様) “king” is a combination of the nominal title ō “king” and the suffix title –sama.
Some translators may find it more natural to avoid the repetition of the Archite, since this expression was used when Hushai was introduced in 15.32.
David’s friend: this expression was also used in 15.37, but the fact of Hushai’s friendship with David is so important to the story that it bears repeating here. As noted in the discussion of the Hebrew word friend at 15.37, this is a technical term meaning “counselor” or “advisor” and should be translated to express that meaning (so Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).
The name Absalom occurs twice in close proximity in this verse, so the second occurrence should probably be replaced by a pronoun in many languages.
Said: in view of the context it may be more appropriate to choose a different verb at this point. This kind of exclamation is usually spoken in a loud voice and repeated more than once. Some possible verbs that fit this setting are “proclaimed,” “cried out” (Bible en français courant), or “shouted” (Good News Translation).
Long live the king! This exclamation is usually associated with the installation of a new king. But here it seems to be an attempt on the part of Hushai to declare his loyalty to Absalom. It is significant that he avoids using the name of Absalom, in contrast with 1 Kgs 1.25, 31, 34, 39. Some commentators have speculated that the repetition of this exclamation may be a way of emphasizing Hushai’s pretended zeal for the new king. Compare also 1 Sam 10.24, where this expression is used.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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