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 (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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Samuel 18:21

The Cushite: this term is found in Num 12.1 and eight times in this chapter. In Hebrew the word Cushite has the definite article. But according to Hebrew grammar, the definite article here indicates a person who is a Cushite without necessarily referring to a definite or known person. For this reason some translations say “a Cushite” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New International Version, New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). But if the reference is to a specific Cushite who was David’s personal servant, which seems likely, then translators will need to express this in a clear and natural way in the receptor language. If the Cushite is David’s personal servant, holding an important position in the royal court, as will be argued below and in the discussion of verse 29, then the Good News Translation rendering “his [Joab’s] slave” should not be followed.

The place name “Cush” also occurs frequently in the Old Testament, although it is often rendered “Ethiopia” in Revised Standard Version. In early editions of Good News Translation Cush is understood to refer to Sudan. But this is hotly debated, and many other versions, including the latest edition of Good News Translation, take it to mean Ethiopia (so also Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nueva Biblia Española, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Actually the ancient land of Cush was a region to the south of Egypt that probably included parts of both the modern nations referred to as Ethiopia and Sudan. For this reason many translators prefer to transliterate the term and avoid the argument about which modern name should be used. Others may prefer the solution adopted by Traduction œcuménique de la Bible in most cases where the word occurs, and use the terms “Nubian” and “Nubia.”

Almost certainly this Cushite was dark skinned, and for this reason Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel calls him a Mohren, that is, “a Moor.” In a note in Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel this man is called “the Ethiopian servant [or, official] of David.”

According to the interpretation of verse 29 recommended by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, this same Cushite is identified as “servant of the king.” According to 2 Kgs 22.12, “servant of the king” is a title that refers to a court official; seal inscriptions discovered by archaeologists also show that “servant of the king” was a title for a royal official. For this reason Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders this verse “Joab called to the Ethiopian valet [or, personal servant] of David….” Though some translations refer to this man as an “Ethiopian soldier” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), it seems probable that he was more than a soldier. He was one of David’s officials or personal servants.

Bowed: in 1 Sam 1.19 this same verb is rendered “worshiped,” since it is followed by the words before the LORD. But here the idea is that of prostrating oneself before another human being who is considered superior. In 1.2 it is translated “did obeisance.” See also 1 Sam 20.41 and Ruth 2.10.

Ran: the implied information in this verb is that the purpose of running was “to tell David.” In some languages this will have to be made clear.

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 .