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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 3:15   

This verse is one of the most dramatic in the entire Book of Esther. In the first part there is a play on words, the two most common legal terms occurring in juxtaposed clauses. These are davar “word” and dat “law,” translated respectively as order and decree in Revised Standard Version. Revised Standard Version says that the decree was issued. The verb in Hebrew is literally “was given,” but in this context a technical term such as “issued,” “publicized,” or “announced” may be more appropriate in some languages.

On couriers see 3.13. These couriers went in haste; literally “they went hurrying.” Perhaps the idea of going quickly is implicit in the Good News Translation translation “runner,” but most translations keep this explicit: “The couriers went out posthaste” (New Jerusalem Bible).

On Susa the capital see comments on 1.2.

In the second half of the verse, the author uses a very simple style by setting two brief statements together, the one directly following the other. A city thrown into total confusion is depicted in stark contrast to the king and his prime minister, who sit down to drink. Poetic form in the receptor language may offer models of juxtaposition that will reflect the sharp contrast of the original. In some languages it may be more effective not to specify a relationship between the two sentences by introducing a conjunction as Revised Standard Version has done with “but,” and as Good News Translation has done with “while.”

The king and Haman sat down to drink: perhaps the words to drink should not be understood in the limited sense of drinking but should be understood in the sense of “to feast” as in 7.1 (so New Jerusalem Bible, Nueva Biblia Española, New American Bible). If the verb to drink is kept in translation, some languages must supply an object for the verb. The most natural object is the word “wine” as in 7.2.

The city of Susa was perplexed: the Hebrew word used to describe the city of Susa does not occur often in the Old Testament (see “entangled” in Exo 14.3; “perplexed” in Joel 1.18). It describes a state of bewilderment (New International Version) or consternation (New Jerusalem Bible). The inhabitants of the city of Susa were “dumbfounded” (New Jerusalem Bible) by the decree issued against the Jews (see comments on Greek verse at ESG 3.22[15]).

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 3:15

3:15a

The couriers: See note on 3:13a.

spurred on by the king’s command: Since the king himself authorized the order, it was especially important, so it had to be distributed quickly. The verb which the Berean Standard Bible translates spurred on means “to drive, hasten.”

3:15b

the edict: See note on 1:20a.

the citadel of Susa: See note on 1:2.

3:15c

but: The action of the king and Haman, sitting calmly drinking, contrasts very strongly with the confusion among the people of the city.

the city of Susa: This refers to the people living in the city.

in confusion: The text does not explain why the people were in confusion. Most likely it was because they did not understand the reason for the edict and so were upset and confused. Another possibility is that it referred only to the Jews in the city, who were naturally upset because of the content of the edict.

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