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 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 3:2   

On the king’s servants see 1.3.

On the king’s gate see 2.19.

Bowed down and did obeisance: the author in his typical fashion uses two verbs to express essentially the same idea, that of paying homage. The first is more specifically the gesture of bowing or kneeling; the second more generally means venerating or worshiping. Both verbs can be used to describe showing reverence to gods or idols, but here they are used for honoring a human being. Good News Translation and Bible en français courant retain the repetition of two verbs with regard to the servants but restate the idea with regard to Mordecai. The text makes the contrast very clear, namely, that Mordecai did not kneel or pay homage. Some common language translations add the words “to show their respect” (Good News Translation and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje); and such an addition may be helpful in other languages if the verbs do not indicate the reason for bowing down.

For the king had so commanded: Good News Translation restructures the verse to make the actions consistent with the order in which they occur. First the king’s command is mentioned, then the obedience of all his officials, and lastly Mordecai’s disobedience. This may help to make the story easier to understand, but it also blurs one of the features of the author’s style, which is to present events in interlocking fashion. That is, the author frequently recalls an earlier event as the story moves forward. For example, in this verse the reader learns that everyone honored Haman because the king had so commanded concerning him, and then the plot moves forward as the new information is given that Mordecai did not do so.

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 3:2

3:2a

royal servants: See note on “official” at 1:3a.

at the king’s gate: See note on 2:19b.

bowed down: Literally “prostrate oneself,” that is, a person knelt on the ground and bent forward until his head touched the ground. It was a common way of showing respect to someone very important. If such actions in your culture do not mean showing respect, you will have to add this implicit information or state the information in a footnote.

3:2b-c

The text does not explain why Mordecai refused to bow down. The only clue given is 3:4, where he seems to have told the other servants that it was because he was a Jew. Perhaps he refused to bow down because he thought this would be disobeying the second commandment (Exodus 20:4).

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