Haman

The name that is transliterated as “Haman” in English means “alone,” “solitary,” “well disposed,” “a rioter,” “rager.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

It is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a sign for “stuck up,” exemplified in Esther 5:11. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Haman” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

More information on Haman .

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 8:3

A new scene begins with verse 3. Some translations make this explicit: “In another audience with the king” (New American Bible); “Esther again went to speak to the king” (New Jerusalem Bible).

The Hebrew is literally “And she added and said.” This is idiomatic Hebrew and means that Esther spoke again. The Anchor Bible translation does not begin a new paragraph with verse 3, since the Hebrew does not say that Esther “came again,” only that she “spoke again.” Though it is possible that verse 3 continues the same scene as in verses 1-2 (so Anchor Bible), the fact that the king extended his scepter to Esther in verse 4 seems to indicate that Esther had come into the king’s presence on another occasion, as New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible state (but see comments on verse 7).

Through a sequence of six verbs, each prefaced by the connective waw, “and,” the author builds up the drama of the action to the high point of her plea: “and she added … and she spoke … and she fell … and she wept … and she implored….” Her request is that the king “cause the evil [wickedness] of Haman to go by” and “his project that he devised against the Jews.” The same basic word “evil [wickedness]” is used here that occurred in 7.6, 7 (see comments on “evil” in 7.7). In parallel phrases the author uses near synonyms to describe Haman’s intention, namely, evil design and plot.

On she fell at his feet, see the first paragraph of comments on 7.8. Like Today’s English Version, which uses a common English equivalent, “throwing herself at his feet,” the translator will need to select an appropriate verb to express Esther’s gesture of supplication in pleading for the king’s mercy for her people.

With tears is literally “and she wept.” Hebrew uses three verbs: “she fell … and she wept, and she pleaded [or, begged].” She wanted the king to avert the evil plot. To avert is literally “to cause to pass over.” In certain contexts, as here, the meaning is “to do away with,” “to get rid of.”

Haman the Agagite: see comments on 3.1.

Which he had devised against the Jews: it may be necessary to restate this to say “the plan [or thought, or design] that he had intended to carry out against [or, on] the Jews.”

Septuagint 8.3

Septuagint translates literally the beginning of the verse, which in Hebrew says that Esther “added and said,” which means that she spoke … again. The Greek does not mention Esther by name in this verse, but most translations begin a new paragraph here and use the proper noun rather than the pronoun she (Today’s English Version, Revised English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

The Greek itself reflects the Hebrew, and both New Revised Standard Version and Today’s English Version shorten and combine it into a single plea (see comments in the paragraph above). According to the text, Esther “begged him to remove [avert] the evil of Haman and all that he did [planned] against the Jews.”

The Septuagint does not state that Esther “besought him with tears,” and it omits the words “the Agagite” after Haman’s name.

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 .