Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Esther 8:14:
Kupsabiny: “Then, the people who took those letters got up/set off and followed how the king wanted riding swiftly on those horses without looking back. That information was also proclaimed in the guarded place (fortress) in of Susa.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “So those who took the king’s decree were sent off riding horses and were told to go quickly. This decree was also given as a public announcement in the capital, Susa.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “So with the king’s command, the messengers who ride on the fast horses of the king left. The command/decree was- also -proclaimed in the stoned-wall city of Susa.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Eastern Bru: “So the group of people who were carrying those papers mounted their horses and went quickly. They did according to all the king said. And all these things they told every person in the town of Susa so they also would know.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
English: “The king commanded the men who took these letters to all the provinces to ride quickly on the king’s horses. And copies of the letter were also posted and read to the people in the capital city, Susa.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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:
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.”
This verse repeats and expands on 3.15a (see comments on 3.15 and on verse 10 above). However, as made clear by the Revised Standard Version translation, this verse emphasizes the speed with which the messengers carried out their task. New International Version translates “The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on….” Traduction œcuménique de la Bible says the couriers “went out in all haste, in all speed.” Because of the complexity of the sentence, it may be helpful to restructure as Good News Translation has done.
On Susa the capital see comments on 1.2. The Good News Translation translation as “Susa, the capital city” is misleading, since the acropolis is meant here and not the city itself.
Though “also” is not in the Hebrew text, Good News Translation has added it here for the same reason that the Greek translators did (see Septuagint at ESG 8.38[14]).
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 .
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