11When they said that this was not permitted because not even members of their own nation were allowed to enter, not even all of the priests, but only the high priest who was preeminent over all—and he only once a year—the king was by no means persuaded.
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “high sacrificer” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “Big leader of offerings” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
In Khoekhoe the translation for “high priest” is only capitalized when it refers to Jesus (as is Hebrews 2:17 et al.). (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Greek that are typically translated as “priest” in English (itself deriving from Latin “presbyter” — “elder”) is often translated with a consideration of existing religious traditions. (Click or tap for details)
Bratcher / Nida (1961) say this:
“However, rather than borrow local names for priests, some of which have unwanted connotations, a number of translations have employed descriptive phrases based on certain functions: (1) those describing a ceremonial activity: Pamona uses tadu, the priestess who recites the litanies in which she describes her journey to the upper or under-world to fetch life-spirit for sick people, animals or plants; Batak Toba uses the Arabic malim, ‘Muslim religious teacher;’ ‘one who presents man’s sacrifice to God’ (Bambara, Eastern Maninkakan), ‘one who presents sacrifices’ (Baoulé, Navajo (Dinė)), ‘one who takes the name of the sacrifice’ (Kpelle, and ‘to make a sacrifice go out’ (Hausa); (2) those describing an intermediary function: ‘one who speaks to God’ (Shipibo-Conibo) and ‘spokesman of the people before God’ (Tabasco Chontal).”
In Obolo it is translated as ogwu ngwugwa or “the one who offers sacrifice” (source: Enene Enene), in Mairasi as agam aevar nevwerai: “religious leader” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Ignaciano as “blesser, one who does ritual as a practice” (using a generic term rather than the otherwise common Spanish loan word sacerdote) (source: Willis Ott in Notes on Translation 88/1982, p. 18ff.), and in Noongar as yakin-kooranyi or “holy worker” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
For Guhu-Samane, Ernest Richert (in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. ) reports this: “The [local] cult of Poro used to be an all-encompassing religious system that essentially governed all areas of life. (…) For ‘priest’ the term ‘poro father’ would at first seem to be a natural choice. However, several priests of the old cult are still living. Although they no longer function primarily as priests of the old system they still have a substantial influence on the community, and there would be more than a chance that the unqualified term would (in some contexts particularly) be equated with the priest of the poro cult. We learned, then, that the poro fathers would sometimes be called ‘knife men’ in relation to their sacrificial work. The panel was pleased to apply this term to the Jewish priest, and the Christian community has adopted it fully. [Mark 1:44, for instance, now] reads: ‘You must definitely not tell any man of this. But you go show your body to the knife man and do what Moses said about a sacrifice concerning your being healed, and the cause (base of this) will be apparent.'”
For a revision of the 1968 version of the Bible in Khmer Joseph Hong (in: The Bible Translator 1996, 233ff. ) talks about a change in wording for this term:
Bau cha r (បូជាចារ្យ) — The use of this new construction meaning “priest” is maintained to translate the Greek word hiereus. The term “mean sang (មាន សង្ឃ)” used in the old version actually means a “Buddhist monk,” and is felt to be theologically misleading. The Khmer considers the Buddhist monk as a “paddy field of merits,” a reserve of merits to be shared with other people. So a Khmer reader would find unthinkable that the mean sang in the Bible killed animals, the gravest sin for a Buddhist; and what a scandal it would be to say that a mean sang was married, had children, and drank wine.
When they said that this was not permitted … : If translators follow our suggested addition to the end of verse 10 (see the comments there), it will be unnecessary to specify the referent for the pronoun they. In languages that do not have the passive voice, translators may begin this verse with “When they said that they could not permit him to do this … ” or “When they said, ‘We cannot permit you to do this….’ ”
Because not even members of their own nation were allowed to enter, nor even all of the priests, but only the high priest who was pre-eminent over all, and he only once a year: A lot of information is given here, and the translator must present it as smoothly as possible. Not even members of their own nation were allowed to enter may be rendered “not even an ordinary Jew was allowed to enter the sanctuary.” Nor even all of the priests, but only the high priest who was pre-eminent over all may be rendered “nor any of the priests except the High Priest, since he had the highest rank.” Priests are men who have received authority from God to offer sacrifices and perform other religious ceremonies on behalf of his people, so that they mediate between God and the people. Regulations with regard to the qualifications of priests are given in Lev 21.16-23. The word priest is often rendered “sacrifice-making person” or “ceremony person.” One legitimate way to express all the information here is represented by Contemporary English Version, which translates it as direct speech, what the Jewish men actually said to Philopator. Contemporary English Version introduces their reply to his request with “Your Majesty,” which is not in the text, but in English is normally the proper way to begin speaking to a king. However, Contemporary English Version omits the idea of “not even an ordinary Jew.” Other possible models for the beginning of this verse are:
• They said that this was forbidden [or, he could not do this]. They explained that ordinary Jews were not allowed to enter the building [or, sanctuary], not even the priests. Only the High Priest, the priest with the highest rank, could enter, and he could do it only once a year.
• They said to him, “It is forbidden for you [or, The Law forbids you] to do this. Ordinary Jews are not allowed to enter that building, and not even the priests. Only the High Priest, the priest with the highest rank, may enter it. And he can only do it once a year.”
The king was by no means persuaded: Philopator did not care what their customs were; he wanted to go inside. This clause may be rendered “But the king insisted that he be allowed to go in” or “But this did not stop the king from insisting that they let him go into the building.”
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 3-4 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2018. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.
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