The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “cosmetic (or: beauty) treatments” in English is translated in Newari as “(giving of) grooming materials” (source: Newari Back Translation).
myrrh
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “myrrh” in English is translated as “bitter medicine” in Michoacán Nahuatl and as “myrrh perfume” in Tzotzil (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.).
In Mark 15:23, Usila Chinantec translates it as “the herb myrrh which is useful so that one not feel pain in his body.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Myrrh is probably the most precious spice in the Bible. It was worth more than its weight in gold. Our experts agree that the Hebrew word mor refers to the resin of one of the Commiphora genus, either myrrha, abyssinica or schimperi, all of which grew in what is now Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Madagascar. Other kinds of myrrh may have come from India (Commiphora erythraea, Commiphora opobalsamum). A more difficult question is the meaning of the word deror in Exodus 30:23. In the other places where it occurs it means “freedom” or “liberty.” This is the basis for the word “liquid” in some versions, but there is no certainty that “free” means “liquid.” The fact that myrrh was sometimes mixed with wine may suggest that deror means “liquid” here, but on the other hand, the weight of the myrrh is given in dry measure rather than liquid measure, which argues against it.
The myrrh plant is a bush or shrub with thick thorny branches that project and bend at odd angles. The leaves come in sets of three. The fruit is oval like a plum. The wood and bark have a pleasant smell. The gum oozes naturally from the branches, though some harvesters incise the branches to increase the flow. The sap or gum is clear or yellowish brown when it comes out, but gets darker as it dries. The taste of the gum is bitter (note the similarity of mor to the Hebrew word mar meaning “bitter”). In markets the gum is often found mixed with that of the kataf bush (bisabol).
God prescribed myrrh as an ingredient of the holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:23), and it is used as perfume in Esther, Psalms, Proverbs, and eight times in Song of Songs. It was brought as an expensive gift by the Magi to the new King (Matthew 2:11). As Jesus was dying on the cross, sympathetic bystanders may have offered it to him mixed with wine (Mark 15:23; see the parallel account in Matthew 27:34). Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to prepare Jesus’ body for burial (John 19:39). In ancient Egypt myrrh was burned on the altars of the sun god, and in Persia it was attached to the crowns of kings when they appeared in public. Romans burned myrrh at funerals and cremations, which helps to explain its inclusion in the list of spices in Revelation 18:13. Today it is used in perfumes, lotions, and even in toothpaste.
Varieties of myrrh grow in the Horn of Africa and Madagascar, so people from those areas should have no difficulty finding words for it. As to whether the myrrh in Exodus 30:23 was liquid or solid, there seems to be no consensus, and the translator may be forgiven for simply ignoring the Hebrew word deror . Possible transliterations are Hebrew mor, Arabic mar, French mireh, and Spanish/Portuguese mirra.
Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)
See also mixture of myrrh with aloes.
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:
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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 2:12
In verses 12-14 the narrative briefly and suddenly returns to the subject of the women in order to provide the reader with necessary background information or to demonstrate the author’s familiarity with his subject. The writer used this same technique of suddenly changing the subject in verses 5-7.
The translator should look at verses 12-14 as a single unit. Both Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version make them a paragraph because they describe a custom or a tradition in the royal palace. Revised Standard Version follows the complex syntax of the original Hebrew, while Today’s English Version revises the order of the information to make it easier to understand. The translator needs to mark very clearly the fact that this information is not part of the series of events in the story of Esther, but it is an explanation that has been added to the story; that is, the story turns to a different subject for a moment in order to explain something. In Revised Standard Version the adverb Now marks this digression; it sets off this information from the preceding part of the story.
When the turn came most likely means that the young women were assigned an order in which to go in to the king. A possible translation is the following: “When the time [or, day] came for each young woman to go….” Less likely is the understanding expressed in the Septuagint and followed by a few interpreters, that the turn means “the opportune time” or “the critical moment,” that is, just the time when each maiden looked her best.
Twelve months and six months: the author earlier referred to time in terms of days (see 1.4, 5, 10), but here he speaks of months. Today’s English Version follows the common current practice of speaking of twelve months as a year. Unless there is a strong cultural preference to do otherwise, the translator may wish to retain months. Twelve months was the regular period, that is, the normal or customary length of time. The Hebrew idiom is literally “thus the days were completed [or, came to an end].”
Under the regulations: literally, “according to regulation” (for the Hebrew word dat see 1.8). These words in the Hebrew probably go with the words “twelve months,” and New Jerusalem Bible expresses the meaning clearly in English: “the twelve months’ treatment prescribed for women.” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says “the twelve-month rule.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, however, takes these words with the phrase “when the turn came.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “According to the rule of the harem, each maiden went to King Ahasuerus when it was her turn.” Though the meaning is essentially the same either way, the “regulation” probably concerned the length of the treatment (Revised Standard Version) rather than the fact that each woman should go to the king only when her turn came (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Today’s English Version says “the regular beauty treatment,” but this translation fails to express the idea that this treatment was “prescribed” and was not an optional choice for the women. Bible en français courant more correctly says “The young women of the harem had to follow for a year the beauty treatment prescribed for the women.”
Their beautifying with oil, spices, and ointments apparently refers to massages, as Today’s English Version makes explicit. Myrrh is a resin of certain trees in Africa and Asia that gives off a good smell. Where myrrh is unknown, one may say “oil of very good quality.” The spices are taken by some translators to be balsam (Today’s English Version, Bible en français courant, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Balsam was a mixture of oil and resin that was obtained from certain trees and shrubs, and was used for medicines and perfumes. Obviously the spices are not condiments associated with cooking. Most versions indicate use of oil the first six months and perfumed substances the second six months.
Septuagint 2.12
Although basically the same as the Hebrew, the Septuagint says only “the king,” omitting his name. It also does not state that the beauty treatment was “according to regulation” as the Hebrew does. The verse is long and syntactically complex both in Hebrew and in Greek. New Revised Standard Version simplifies by breaking it into two sentences, while Today’s English Version restructures and reduces it to the bare essentials of its information content.
Spices and ointments: New Revised Standard Version translates the original, citing as closely as possible what was used in the women’s beautification, while Today’s English Version generalizes in using modern terminology.
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 .
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