Ancient One / Ancient of Days

The Aramaic that is translated as “Ancient One” or “Ancient of Days” in English is translated in Newari as “Ever-Living One” (source: Newari Back Translation).

Most High

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, Ge’ez, or Greek that is translated as “(God) the Most High” or “Most High God” in English is translated in various way:

  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “he the completely glorified God”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “Father God who is high in heaven”
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “God who has such tremendous authority”
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz: “he who is the native of the highest place”
  • Palantla Chinantec: “the Big God Himself”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “God who has authority over all”
  • Estado de México Otomi: “most exalted God”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “God who is in heaven”
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “God who has a great rule” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Sa’a: “God, the Surpassing One” (source: Carl Gross)
  • Elhomwe: Mulluku Muullupalli or “God the Great” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Chichewa: Wammwambamwamba: A name of God. While this word is difficult to translate into English, its sense implies that God is highly above everything in his power and greatness. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("come")

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, ko-rare-ru (来られる) or “come” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

complete verse (Daniel 7:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Daniel 7:22:

  • Kupsabiny: “But that Elder of Forever and that one is (the) God of power came to rescue his people. Then/at that time the day for them to be given the kingship arrived.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “After that the Ever-living One came, the Most High God judged in favor of his holy people. At that time God’s holy people came to power over the kingdom.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then the one-who-lives since in the time-past, the Most High God came, and he judged in-favor of his holy-ones. And the time came for the holy-ones to reign.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But then the Supreme God, the one who had been living forever, came and judged in favor of the people who belonged to him. And I knew that it was time for God’s people to receive authority to rule.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Daniel 7:22

It will be important in many languages to begin a new sentence here as Good News Translation has done. And in some cases it may be more natural to begin the sentence with the conjunction “but” (Bible en français courant). Still another possibility is to repeat the earlier verb phrase, “I kept on watching until.”

The Ancient of Days: see verse 9. In some languages it will be necessary to avoid giving the impression that the Ancient of Days and the Most High (later in this verse) refer to two different beings.

Judgment was given for: although most versions take this to mean that the Judge “judged in favor of,” there is another possible interpretation. According to some experts the meaning should be “gave the right to judge to.” This interpretation finds support in New Testament passages such as Matt 19.28; 1 Cor 6.2; and Rev 20.4. But it seems unlikely in this context.

The saints of the Most High: see verse 18.

Received the kingdom: in this context this means “received the power to rule” or “secured the right to govern.” Revised English Bible has “gained possession of kingly power.”

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 .