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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Greek Esther 1:15

[Today’s English Version A.15; Revised Standard Version 12.4]

The Greek says literally that the king “wrote these words as a memorial.” In light of 2.23 and 6.1, the meaning is that the king “had an account of this written in the official records” (Today’s English Version) to be preserved. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy renders “as a memorial” with the translation “so that they would not be forgotten.”

As in the previous verse, the king is the subject of the main verb, but it is unlikely that he himself wrote these things in the official records. Though the text says that the “king wrote,” it is probable that a scribe in the royal court did the actual writing (see 3.12), and many cultures will naturally make this interpretation. Some translations use a causative verb such as in Today’s English Version, “the king had an account … written” (so also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New American Bible). Many languages use a construction such as “the king caused an account to be written.” Nueva Biblia Española says “the king commanded that this incident be written.” But it is also possible that the king himself did the writing (Revised English Bible “The king wrote an account”).

And Mordecai wrote an account of them is literally “and Mordecai wrote concerning these words.” It is possible to understand the Greek to mean that Mordecai was involved with the king in the writing of one single account. More likely, though, the sense is that Mordecai wrote a separate account of the incident. If this latter interpretation is accepted, translators may wish to insert a word such as “also,” as in Today’s English Version and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on the Book of Esther — Deuterocanon: The Greek Text. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .