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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 3:4

The verse opens with wayyehi, “and it came to pass,” just as the first verse of the book (see comments on 1.1). It is in this verse that the two men are openly placed in opposition to each other.

He would not listen to them means that Mordecai would not do what the others said he should do; he would not give homage to Haman.

To see whether Mordecai’s words would avail: literally “to see if Mordecai’s words would stand [firm]”; this phrase is ambiguous and its relation to the following clause can be taken two different ways. This is because the Hebrew word can be translated words or “actions.” The first interpretation is: would his words be vindicated or would he be destroyed? Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “They denounced him to Haman to see if this excuse was valid.” Though Today’s English Version is not a literal translation, it seems to follow this same interpretation: “wondering if he would tolerate Mordecai’s conduct.” A second interpretation is that of Bible en français courant and New Jerusalem Bible, and footnotes in Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible: “to see whether he would persist in his conduct.”

The translator may wish to give a footnote to explain alternative interpretations, but explanation within the text should be avoided. “To see whether Mordecai’s words would stand” or “to see whether Mordecai’s words had a basis” may be possible translations of the Hebrew text.

For he had told them that he was a Jew may imply that as a Jew he could bow before no one but God. But in light of verse 1, which identifies Haman as the son of Hammedatha, a descendant of Agag, it is more probable that these words mean that as a Jew Mordecai could not bow down before an Agagite (see comments on 3.1). This is the interpretation of Today’s English Version.

In the original text for he had told them that he was a Jew is an explanation that is consistent with the author’s style. It is a report of speech in indirect speech. Today’s English Version restates to highlight what would have been the original words in the form of direct quotation.

Septuagint 3.4

Whereas the Hebrew says only that the king’s officials “told Haman,” the Greek makes explicit what they told Haman: that Mordecai was resisting the king’s command. Literally he was “resisting the words of the king,” or as Revised English Bible says, “defying the king’s order.”

Mordecai had told them: the Greek may be translated as “Mordecai told them,” that is, he told them that he was a Jew after they had told Haman that Mordecai disobeyed the king’s command. But since verse 6 indicates that Haman wanted to kill all the Jews, it seems better to translate the verb as had told. That is, Mordecai told them that he was Jewish before they informed Haman about Mordecai’s disobedience. As in the translation of the Hebrew version, Today’s English Version restructures to render Mordecai’s statement as a direct quotation while also making explicit what is implicit in the original, namely, that he cannot pay homage to Haman because Mordecai is a Jew.

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 .