king

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Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 5:25

[Esther 5:11]

Recounted: although the significance of what Haman is doing is a boast (see Today’s English Version), his procedure is to “enumerate,” to “catalog,” or, in some languages, to “count” his greatness. He narrates a list of facts over which he can boast. Many languages will use a special pronoun called a logophoric to make clear that “his” and “him” refer to Haman, who is speaking, and not to someone else.

The splendor of his riches: this construction is similar to that in 1.4, where the king showed off the greatness of his kingdom, “the riches of his royal glory.” Riches here includes not only money but also possessions. Note that in 1.4 the Hebrew says “riches of his glory,” and here the Hebrew says “the glory [or, splendor] of his riches.” The word translated splendor has a wide range of meanings depending on the context, including “weight,” “possessions,” “impressive appearance,” “splendor,” and “respect.” New Jerusalem Bible says “his great wealth.” New International Version says “his vast wealth,” while Today’s English Version says in more ordinary English “how rich he was.”

According to 9.7-10 Haman had ten sons. Though the reader has not yet been told the number at this point in the narrative, the Hebrew word translated as the number in Revised Standard Version means “a large number.” The Hebrew says literally “his sons,” though it is possible to understand this as referring inclusively to both sons and daughters. New Jerusalem Bible says here that Haman held forth about “his many children” (so also An American Translation). In light of 9.10, 13, it seems better here, with most translations, to translate sons with a word that does not include daughters. This is also consistent with the culture of that era, which placed great value on having sons because sons carried forward the family line. At the same time the translator will need to take care that by specifying “sons” or “male children” other cultural implications and questions are not introduced.

Since the pronoun he in the words how he had advanced him may be ambiguous in some languages, translators may want to use the noun “the king,” as do Today’s English Version and New Jerusalem Bible. That the king had promoted Haman means that the king had given Haman high rank and dignity in the government or had assigned him special tasks to perform. New International Version says that the king had “honored” him. That the king had advanced him is literally “lifted him up,” meaning that he advanced Haman in rank. This may be restated various ways; for example, “the king had moved him forward, giving him a bigger place [or, job] than before.”

On princes and servants see comments on 1.3.

Haman’s words in verses 11 and 12 set the scene for the great humiliation of his later downfall.

Septuagint 5.11

Haman “showed” or “pointed out” to them his wealth and the “glory” that the King had conferred on him. The Greek lacks the words “the number of his sons,” and the last part of the verse says simply how he had advanced to be the first and “to be leader of the kingdom.” Though the Greek has two verbs here, “advanced him to be the first” and “to be leader of the kingdom,” New Revised Standard Version has expressed these two ideas as a single thought, had advanced him to be the first in the kingdom. Compare also Revised English Bible, “and how he had advanced him to the chief position in the kingdom.” There does not seem to be any difference in meaning between the two phrases, and it may be desirable in many receptor languages to follow the models of New Revised Standard Version and Revised English Bible. Alternatively some languages may prefer to make explicit an action and a result, “how the king had moved him to the first place for him, making him to be the big man in the kingdom.” The sense is that Haman has a higher rank than any of the king’s other officials, not that Haman ranks higher than the king.

Honor: this is literally “glory.” New Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version translate here according to the context and current English usage. Bible en français courant translates “the honors with which the king had gratified him,” while Traduction œcuménique de la Bible retains “glory.”

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 .