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 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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 5:13   

All this refers to the honors that Haman recounts in the preceding verses. These honors do not satisfy him; they are of no use to him as long as Mordecai retains his position. Some versions highlight Haman’s emotions with regard to his riches and honors. They are of no value to him, they mean nothing to him (Good News Translation), or “they give him no pleasure” (Bible en français courant).

The words so long as I see may need to be expressed differently in many languages. The Hebrew text says literally “at every time.” New Jerusalem Bible says “all this means nothing to me every time I see that Jew Mordecai….” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says “each time that I see….” The Septuagint has also interpreted this to be “whenever I see.” However, the Hebrew word translated “every” may also mean “all, whole” when it is followed by a singular noun, as is the case here. Therefore Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, and others have interpreted this phrase to express duration, so long as. If this meaning is chosen by translators, they may find it necessary to restructure the sentence. A possible model is “the whole time that I am still seeing Mordecai the Jew sitting….” Either of the above interpretations is possible, so translators may choose to follow the interpretation of the base text that they normally follow.

Mordecai the Jew: neither the Hebrew nor the Greek imply the disgust and hatred expressed by the English translation “that Jew” (Good News Translation and Revised English Bible). “Mordecai the Jew” is an expression that occurs a number of times in Esther without this strong negative sense (see 6.10; 8.7; 9.29, 31; 10.3), and the Greek has used the same pattern.

Sitting at the king’s gate probably means that Mordecai had a position in the royal administration (see comment on 2.19). Revised English Bible says “in attendance at the king’s court.”

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 5:13

5:13

the king’s gate: See note on 5:9b. Again, here this refers literally to the entrance to the king’s palace.

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