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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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

Immediately: the sudden and surprising character of the event described in the following verses is marked by this introductory word. Most languages will have a special way of introducing a startling occurrence. Whatever this method is, it should be used here.

The fingers of a man’s hand: there is no particular emphasis on the hand being the hand of a male. For this reason it will be better to say simply “a human hand” as in New Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, and New English Bible/Revised English Bible, as well as Good News Translation. Also it is evident that the writer did not intend to give the picture of fingers detached from the hand but of the hand as a whole. This is made clear by the wording at the end of this verse.

Plaster: the corresponding Aramaic word is used only here in the Old Testament, but the Hebrew equivalent is related to the word for “lime,” which was used in making plaster. It is found in Lev 14.41-48. In some languages it may be necessary to resort to a general term meaning “covering” or “stucco.”

Opposite the lampstand: this would be in the most clearly illuminated part of the banquet hall. This should probably be stated clearly in most languages. In addition to the Good News Translation model, translators may consider “where the light was strongest” or “where people could see very clearly.”

And the king saw …: in some languages it may be more natural to introduce this sentence by a time clause (“when the king saw…”) rather than by a simple conjunction. Some commentators think that the writing was visible only to the king, but this is not stated in the text and in fact it is not necessarily the meaning. So it would be a mistake to translate “the king alone saw it.” At the same time translators should avoid saying too much in the other direction. “The king and his guests saw it” would probably also be wrong unless the language excludes everyone that is not specifically included.

The hand: literally the Aramaic text has “the hand of the hand.” In Aramaic there are two different words used for the hand, and they are found together here. The first, sometimes translated “palm” (An American Translation, Moffatt, and Revised English Bible), is usually applied to the hand as such below the wrist. The second may refer to the entire arm from the elbow to the tips of the fingers. New American Bible has “the wrist and hand,” and New English Bible translates “the back of the hand.” Such a rendering seems logical, since this is what is actually seen when a person is writing. One commentary has suggested that the two terms together actually mean “a detached hand.” Even King James Version may be helpful in this case: “the part of the hand.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .