complete verse (Esther 5:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Esther 5:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “If you love me, oh king, and you really accept that you will do for me the way I want, come back here tomorrow with Haman and eat again another feast which I will prepare for you. Then, I will tell you what my stomach (heart) wants.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Your Honor, if it is true that you love me, if it is true that my request will be fulfilled, and if my entreaty is pleasing to you, come tomorrow, you and Haman, to eat a feast which I [will] prepare [for you]. Tomorrow I will tell you my matter.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If you (sing.) are really pleased with me and you (sing.) are happy to grant my request, I invite you (plur.) and Haman again for the dinner/supper tomorrow that I will-prepare for you (plur.). And then I will-tell what is my request from you (sing.).’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru: “If the king feel sympathy wanting to give what I ask, I ask you and Haman to become guests at a feast which I will prepare for you tomorrow again. At that time I will tell you what it is that I want.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • English: “Esther replied, ‘I will tell you what I want most of all. Your majesty, if you are pleased with me, and if you are willing to give me what I am requesting, please come again tomorrow to another banquet that I will prepare for the two of you. Then I will tell you what I really want’.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

favor / please (Japanese honorifics)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, a god, or a person or persons to be greatly honored, the honorific prefix go- (御 or ご) can be used, as in go-kōi (ご好意), a combination of “favor” (kōi) and the honorific prefix go-.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Japanese benefactives (kanaete)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

Here, kanaete (かなえて) or “grant” is used in combination with itadaku (いただく), a humble form of the benefactive morau (もらう). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Japanese honorifics (Esther 5:8)

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, the Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “come” or similar in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-koshi (お越し), combining “come” (koshi) with the respectful prefix o-, and “together,” referring to the “king and Haman” is translated as go-issho (ご一緒), using a combination of “together” (issho) and the honorific prefix go-.

The honorific prefix go- (御 or ご) is also used in go-kōi (ご好意), a combination of “favor” (kōi) and the honorific prefix go-.

Furthermore, an appropriate suffix title referred to as keishō (敬称) is employed by using –sama. Here, ō-sama (王様) “king” is a combination of the nominal title ō “king” and the suffix title –sama.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

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).

respectful form of "say/speak" (ossharu )

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, ossharu (おっしゃる), the respectful form of iu (言う) or “say / speak” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Esther 5:8   

The queen prefaces her second invitation by two conditions instead of one as for the first invitation in 5.4. The first condition is personal, the second is formal (see comment on “If it pleases the king” in 1.19). This use of two conditions parallels the king’s use of two questions in verse 6. The style of Esther’s language is formal, as when she was before him in audience in verse 4.

There in verse 4 she invited the king to a banquet that she had prepared “for him.” Now, in verse 8, she invites the king and Haman to the banquet that she will prepare for them. In Good News Translation the second occurrence of the pronoun “you” in this verse should be understood as being plural.

The Hebrew says “let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them,” but most translations add the word “tomorrow,” as does the Septuagint (see footnote in Revised Standard Version). Since Esther has already given one banquet, Good News Translation also adds the word “another”: “tomorrow at another banquet.” Revised English Bible says “come again tomorrow.” Since the Hebrew does say at the end of this verse that Esther will do “tomorrow” as the king has said, there is good reason to expect that the time of the second banquet is “tomorrow,” and this information may be inserted earlier in the verse, as Revised Standard Version has done.

This delay in telling the king her wish is not intended to mean that she considers herself to be the king’s equal, nor is it a sign of disrespect. It serves rather to heighten the drama, and the king is apparently not troubled by the delay. According to the following verse, Haman went away “happy” (Good News Translation).

I will do as the king has said: Esther’s assurance that she will do as the king wishes is restated by Good News Translation to make explicit what Esther is promising to do. This is no doubt the meaning, but Revised Standard Version reflects the formal similarity of the text of Esther’s promise with that of the king’s promise in verses 3 and 6 above.

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 .