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 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Esther 10:3   

Verse 3 begins in Hebrew with the word For, which is omitted in Good News Translation as in many other translations (see New American Bible, New International Version). Chouraqui and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translate it as an affirmative adverb, “Yes,” thereby emphasizing what follows. This verse states the reason that Mordecai is included in the Book of the Chronicles, and some languages may need to make this connection explicit, as Revised Standard Version has done (see also New Jerusalem Bible and Segond).

The structure of the verse is fairly complex. The use of repetition and of near synonyms is very prominent. First, Mordecai’s position is established in relation to the king and then in parallel fashion in relation to his own people. Then his high esteem among his people is given in twofold detail, he was great … and popular, and the justification for that esteem is also given in twofold detail, he sought the welfare and spoke peace. In the verse, four different terms are used for Mordecai’s people: Jews, brethren, people, and “seed.”

Next in rank: Mordecai was the second person in the kingdom; no one surpassed him in power except the king himself. For comment on rank and position, see 2.14 and 3.1.

Mordecai was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brethren. Great means that he was respected by his people, he was “highly regarded” by them (so New Jerusalem Bible), he was a “heavy person” among them. Popular means that he was widely esteemed (New International Version) or admired, he was “loved” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant), he was a “favorite” (Amplified Bible) among his brethren. The words the multitude of his brethren are parallel to the Jews, and some translations combine the two: “honored and well-liked by his fellow Jews” (Good News Translation; also Bible en français courant).

He sought the welfare is literally “seeking the good of his people.” The words spoke peace to all his people are literally “speaking peace to all his seed.” In Hebrew the word peace means more than the absence of war. It includes prosperity, health, security, and good relationships (see comments on 9.30). Moffatt says “cared for the prosperity of all his race.” Many versions retain “good” in the first clause and use “welfare” in the second. Anchor Bible says “was concerned for the welfare of his kinsmen.” It may be helpful to restate slightly, “he was seeking what was good for his people, [he was] speaking for the people of his race to live in well-being.”

People at the end of the verse translates the Hebrew word that is literally “seed” and that is frequently rendered as “descendants” (see comments on “descendants” in 9.28). These are the generations who will live after Mordecai. This understanding is expressed in Good News Translation “and for the security of all their descendants” (so also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New English Bible). This interpretation probably expresses correctly the meaning of the Hebrew. Other interpreters, however, take the words people and “seed” to be parallel in meaning, so that both words refer to the generation alive at the time of Mordecai (so New Jerusalem Bible “all his kindred,” and New English Bible margin “with all his race”).

New Century Version provides a simplified translation that will be a useful model for some receptor languages: “Mordecai the Jew was second in importance to King Xerxes. He was the most important man among the Jews. And his fellow Jews respected him very much. They respected Mordecai because he had worked for the good of his people. And they respected him because he spoke up for the safety of all the Jews.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on Esther (The Hebrew Text). (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 10:3

10:3b

preeminent among the Jews: Literally “great to the Jews.” The versions understand this in two ways:

(1) It means “great among the Jews,” that is, he was a great leader among the Jews.

(2) It means that the Jews considered him great. It then has a similar meaning to 10:3c. For example, the Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures has:

and was highly regarded by the Jews

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1), like the majority of English versions.