king

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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Esther 2:18   

On princes and servants see comments on 1.3.

It was Esther’s banquet: literally the Hebrew says “Esther’s banquet,” and the words are not connected grammatically with the rest of the verse. The meaning appears to be that the king “gave a banquet in Esther’s honor” (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), not that Esther gave the banquet. Different languages will express in their own ways the idea of giving a feast in honor of someone; for example, “he did a great feast because of [or, for] her.”

He also granted a remission of taxes: the word translated as “a remission of taxes” in Revised Standard Version occurs only here in the Old Testament, and the meaning is disputed by scholars. It probably is related to an Aramaic word meaning “a causing to rest.” Though most interpreters understand the word to mean “a holiday,” that is, a rest from work (so Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Revised English Bible), other possible meanings are “tax relief” (Revised Standard Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy), “exemption from military service” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible margin), “amnesty” (New Jerusalem Bible and New Revised Standard Version margins), “emancipation of slaves” (New International Version margin), and “truce” (Segond). Since interpreters most often understand the meaning to be either “rest from work” or “rest from paying taxes,” translators are encouraged to choose either of these two possible meanings.

Gifts: since this same word is used in Amos 5.11 with reference to wheat or grain, in this passage it may refer to gifts of wheat. Most translations, however, take the word in the more general sense of “gifts.”

With royal liberality: the same Hebrew expression occurs in 1.7, “according to the bounty of the king.” Some translations understand this to mean that the king acted with generosity (Revised Standard Version, Bible en français courant), but it may simply mean “in royal fashion” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The sentence may then be restated to read “He gave things as kings do” or “in the manner of kings.”

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 for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 2:18

2:18a

officials and servants: See notes on 1:3a.

2:18b

tax holiday: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as holiday is more literally “causing to rest.” There are two main ways that English versions translate this word:

(1)__ It refers to any type of holiday.

(New International Version, Good News Translation, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version)

(2) It refers to a period of not paying taxes, something that kings of that time sometimes did to celebrate special events.

(Berean Standard Bible, Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures, Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you follow the first option.

2:18c

worthy of the king’s bounty: This means that the king did it in a way which displayed his generosity. He did it in the way people expected a king to behave.

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