In Malay, the pronoun beta for the royal “I” (or “my” or “me”) that is used by royals when speaking to people of lower rank, subordinates or commoners to refer to themselves in these verses. This reflects the “language of the court because the monarchy and sultanate in Malaysia are still alive and well. All oral and printed literature (including newspapers and magazines) preserve and glorify the language of the court. Considering that the language of the court is part of the Malaysian language, court language is used sparingly where appropriate, specifically with texts relating to palace life.” (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)
Jerusalem
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .
complete verse (Ezra 7:15)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 7:15:
- Kupsabiny: “You must take/go with the silver and gold that I and my councilors have offered to the God of Israel who stays/lives in Jerusalem.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “You are also to take along the gold and silver which I and my ministers have given by our own desire to the God of Israel who lives in Jerusalem.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “I am also commanding you that you take the gold and silver which I and my advisers freely give to God of Israel who dwells in Jerusalem.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “We are also saying that you should take with you the silver and gold that I and my advisors are wanting to give to you, in order that you will present it to be an offering to the God who rules the Israeli people and who lives in Jerusalem.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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 (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).
Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("do/reckon")
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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, s-are-ru (される) or “do/reckon” is used.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Translation commentary on Ezra 7:15
And also to convey …: The king made specific provisions for the Temple in Jerusalem including money for sacrifices and vessels for its service, and the second part of Ezra’s commission was to convey these materials to Jerusalem. This verb may be translated as “take with you” (Good News Translation, New International Version) or “bring with you” (so New American Bible), depending on receptor language usage.
Silver and gold: See the comments on Ezra 1.4.
Freely offered: See the comments on Ezra 1.6. It is the same verb used in verse 13 above.
To the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem: See the comments on Ezra 1.2-4. The theme of the God of Israel whose house is in Jerusalem is repeated three times in the king’s letter, once here and twice in the following two verses. However, only in this verse in the book of Ezra is the word dwelling or “habitation” used. Elsewhere, the standard term “house” is used to refer to the Temple. Although dwelling here clearly refers to the Temple in Jerusalem, most versions have used an equivalent word here, instead of using “Temple” as Good News Translation has done. Translators should use a word similar to dwelling, which Chouraqui refers to as a “residence.”
In Aramaic there is one sentence in verses 15-16. Good News Translation breaks it into two sentences to make reading easier, and translators may wish to do the same.
Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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