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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 5:16

[Today’s English Version D.16; Revised Standard Version 15.16]

Returning again to a frequently used expression, the author says that the king was in a state of “confusion” (see verse 13 and comments). The Greek verb translated was agitated in Revised Standard Version has a range of meaning such as “troubled,” “agitated” (New Jerusalem Bible), “distressed” (Revised English Bible), “disturbed,” “confused,” “upset” (see 3.15). The translation “concerned” does not seem to express adequately the sense that the king was in a state of confusion or distress.

The word servants refers to the king’s attendants (Today’s English Version). The Greek uses a different term from that used in Septuagint 2.2, where the role of the servants was more official. The word used here is a collective term referring to “all those waiting on the king, all those attending to the king’s needs.” Some languages may have a technical term like the English term “courtiers” (New Jerusalem Bible) that may be used here.

To comfort her: the Greek word so translated by Revised Standard Version has a wide range of uses in the Septuagint. The context is too general to make clear the precise sense in which the verb is used here. In addition to the translation comfort (Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), other translations include “revive” (Today’s English Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, Nueva Biblia Española) and “reassure” (Revised English Bible). It is clear that the servants were trying to help Esther, but it is not clear whether the help took primarily the form of giving comfort or the form of trying to revive her after she had fainted. Either sense fits the context; translators may choose either. If so desired the alternative translation may be placed in a footnote.

Those who translate the LXX in its normal order should continue with the text and discussion on page 139.

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 .