enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

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 Esther 3:10   

The king’s signet ring was a ring that had the king’s name or personal insignia engraved on it (see Jer 22.24). The ring was pressed into a substance such as wax on the seal of a document or object in order to show the king’s official signature. Such a ring was a sign of power and authority (see verse 12 below and 8.2, 8, 10). Good News Translation omits the words from his hand, since it is normally understood that when a ring is taken “off,” it is taken off the finger on which it is worn.

Translations such as “the king took off his ring” (Bible en français courant) or “the king removed his ring from his finger” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) fail to indicate the function of the ring. Even if one makes explicit that the ring was the sign of the king’s authority, its function as a seal may still be lost. Segond says “he removed the seal from his finger,” leaving it implicit that the seal was on a ring.

The enemy of the Jews: Haman’s ancestry was cited earlier (see verse 1 and comments), but here his description as the enemy of the Jews is introduced (see also 8.1; 9.10, 24).

Throughout the Book of Esther there are four different Hebrew words that are translated “enemy” or “foe” in Revised Standard Version: (1) The term here is from the root tsrr, meaning “to be hostile toward [someone],” or “to be in a state of conflict.” This same term occurs in 8.1; 9.10, 24. (2) The second term is related to the first and is from the root tsr, which means “oppressor, adversary, enemy.” This term occurs in 7.6, where Revised Standard Version renders it “a foe.” (3) The third term, from the root ʾyb, also occurs in 7.6 (also in 8.13; 9.1, 5, 16, 22) and means “to be an enemy to [someone].” Revised Standard Version translates this verbal form as “enemy” and “enemies.” (4) The fourth term, from the root snʾ, meaning “to hate,” occurs in 9.1, 5, 16, where Revised Standard Version translates as “foes” and “those who hate.” These different Hebrew terms are more or less synonymous, and translators will discover that there is usually an overlap of meaning in English translations. For example, in 9.1 New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible translate both ʾyb and snʾ as “enemies.”

Words in the receptor language referring to the concept of “enmity” may include several components that the translator must be aware of. For instance, being enemies may mean hating each other, or it may mean being at war with each other without personally hating each other. It may also mean that a more powerful people is oppressing a weaker people, and therefore the powerful people are the enemies of the weaker people.

In this verse Haman is described as the enemy of the Jews because he was “the one who hated the Jews” or “the one who wanted to destroy 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 for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Esther 3:10

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3:10a

the signet ring: This was a ring that the king wore on his finger which he used to press on the wax which sealed his letters. This would show that the document had been written with the king’s authority and so its message shou