The Hebrew that is translated as “book of the annals” in English is translated in Newari as “history book” (source: Newari Back Translation).
complete verse (Esther 2:23)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Esther 2:23:
- Kupsabiny: “After it was investigated and became known that those things that Mordecai said were true, those people were sentenced to death and strangled/killed. These things were written in a book before the king. This book showed all the things that happened in that empire.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “Having taken this matter and examined it carefully everywhere, it was found to be true. then the king killed those two men by hanging them from pole. This whole matter was written in the history book in the presence of the king.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “The king had- this -investigated. And when (it) was-proven that (it is) really true, he caused-to-hang Bigtana and Teresh on the tree. The king ordered that this event be-written-down in the book of the history of the kingdom.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Eastern Bru: “When the king learned this, he ordered them to prepare to investigate this matter. And the matter was found to be true. Then King Xerxes commanded them to tie the necks of these two men and hang them from a wooden post. And they wrote this down in a book where they customarily wrote keeping the deeds that the rulers had done.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
- English: “The king investigated and found out that Mordecai’s report was true. So the king ordered that those two men be hanged. When that was done, an official wrote a report/a report was written about it in a book called ‘The book that records what happened while Xerxes was king’.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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 2:23
Affair: this is literally the davar, the “plot” that came to the ears of Mordecai and that Esther reported to the king.
The affair was investigated: the affair that Esther reported to the king was looked into; there was an official inquiry. However, the Hebrew text does not say who ordered the investigation and the subsequent hanging, nor does it say who carried them out. The context is that of a royal court, and the investigation and the execution were clearly official acts. If possible the translator should try to avoid making information explicit that is not stated or that is not clearly implicit.
Gallows are a structure made from upright posts and a crossbeam from which a person was hanged with a rope, or he was nailed to the crossbeam. The Hebrew is literally “hanged on a tree [or, wood],” but the exact meaning of this phrase is not entirely clear. It can refer to hanging, but alternatively it can mean “impaled on a stake” (see Ezra 6.11), and historical evidence indicates that the Persians did use that form of punishment. This second interpretation is followed by New Jerusalem Bible, “the two were impaled on stakes.”
Also possible is the view that crucifixion is meant; but because of the height of the structure built by Haman in 5.14, many interpreters think that the references to hanging in Esther 2.23; 5.14; 6.4; 7.9, 10; 8.7; 9.13, 14, 25 all refer to gallows, that is, to strangulation by hanging from a rope that is tied around the neck (so Good News Translation and nearly all translations).
Where structures for hanging are not known, it may be necessary to use a descriptive phrase; for instance, “a wooden structure for hanging [or, killing].”
The Book of the Chronicles, literally “the book of the words [or, affairs] of the days,” does not refer to the biblical books of 1 and 2 Chronicles. The reference is to the “official records of the empire” (see also 6.1). This is sometimes translated as “book of annals” (so New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible). Biblia Dios Habla Hoy may provide a good model for some languages: “in the book in which the history of the nation was written.”
In the presence of the king may be understood to mean that the king commanded this to be written (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, New Jerusalem Bible), or it may mean that the king personally oversaw the writing of this account in the official records. Less probable, this phrase may refer to the location of the records: “kept within the king’s apartments” (Moffatt).
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 2:23
2:23b
hanged on the gallows: In the Hebrew, this phrase is more literally “hanged on a tree.” It is possible that Xerxes had these men executed by impaling them on a piece of wood, rather than hanging them by a rope. However, the Hebrew text uses the verb “to hang,” and this is how most English versions translate it. It is recommended that you follow the majority of English translations.
2:23c
Book of the Chronicles: This book recorded all the important happenings in the Persian Empire.
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