king

Click here to view graphically

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:

(Click or tap here to see details)

  • 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 9:1

Now does not literally mean “the present time.” It is an English discourse marker that serves to introduce the statement that follows. The first part of the verse is a series of temporal clauses that may need to be restructured in the receptor language (compare Today’s English Version, Bible en français courant).

A time lapse of some nine months occurs between the events of chapter 8 and the beginning of chapter 9. On Adar see 3.7. On the thirteenth day of the same: that is, on the thirteenth day of Adar.

Two royal edicts have been issued, the one by Haman and the one by Mordecai. Executed here means “done,” “obeyed,” “carried out.” The king’s command and edict which were about to be executed probably are the edict by Haman (chapter 3) commanding the destruction of the Jews. Some interpreters, however, understand the reference to be to the edict of Mordecai issued in chapter eight. The preferred meaning is that, when Haman’s edict was “to be done, to be carried out,” or “to come into effect” (Today’s English Version), something quite the opposite took place.

The enemies of the Jews hoped, that is, they “expected” or they “thought” they would get the mastery over them. The same word for enemies occurs in 8.13. The Hebrew verb shalat, get the mastery, means “to rule, to have power over, to have dominion over.” The earlier context has revealed that the enemies of the Jews intended not merely to get the upper hand but to annihilate the Jews. Today’s English Version therefore translates the first occurrence of the verb fairly literally. However, when the same verb is used for the Jews, Today’s English Version loses the effect of reversal when it says “the Jews triumphed over them.” Foes is literally “the ones hating them” (see comment at 3.10).

The dramatic shift in events can be portrayed by restructuring such as “but instead, it was the Jews who overcame their enemies” or “but what happened was….” Moffatt (and similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) says “the very day when the enemies of the Jews expected to get the upper hand of them, it proved exactly the reverse; the Jews got the upper hand of their adversaries.”

Septuagint 9.1

The Greek text of this verse is considerably shorter than the Hebrew. The Greek says that the decree … arrived (so New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), literally “the writings … arrived.” It does not say that the time had arrived, as the Hebrew says. New Revised Standard Version should be followed here rather than Today’s English Version. The announcement of the decree arrived in the various provinces to which it was sent, on the same day that it was to take effect, according to 8.12, or on the day before, according to Septuagint 3.7.

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 .