The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “high priest” in English is translated as “the ruler of the priests of our nation” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “very great priest” in Chol (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.), as “first over the priests” in Ayutla Mixtec, and “chief of the priests” in Desano (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).
In Uma it is translated as “Big Priest,” in Western Bukidnon Manobo as “high sacrificer,” and in Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God.” (See here.)
In Khoekhoe the translation for “high priest” is only capitalized when it refers to Jesus (as is Hebrews 2:17 et al.). (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)
Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 5:5:
Uma: “Thus also Kristus, he did not exalt himself, he did not appoint himself to be a Big Priest. It was God who appointed him, he said to him: ‘You (sing.) are my Child, Today I-relate-to-you (sing.)-as-Child.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Likewise Isa did not cause himself to be great so that he would be made high priest. But he was made-great/honored by God, for God spoke to him, he said, ‘You are my Son; now I am your Father.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And in the same way also, Christ did not choose Himself in order to become our (incl.) powerful high priest, but rather God did, because God said to Him, ‘You are my Son and I say that today, I will show that I am Your Father.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Likewise also with Cristo, he didn’t make-himself -high to become the honored highest priest but rather it was God who chose him. Because God said to him, ‘You (sing.) are my Child. Today I will show that I am your (sing.) Father.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well in just the same way, Cristo did not just elevate himself to his responsibility/job of Most-important Priest, but rather God indeed is the origin of this. For what he said which he caused-to-be-written in the past says, ‘Now/today, I am positively-indicating that you (sing.) are my Son. I am your Father.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “And now, this Jesus Christ is like a high priest of God where God is. He did not decide on his own to work as priest, rather God appointed him to this work. Because God said to him: ‘You are my Son. Let the people know now that I am your Father,’ he said.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.
When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”
This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.
In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the GermanGute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).
In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.
In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:
Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )
In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):
“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”
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 (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 verb that is translated as “give” in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-atae (お与え), combining “to give” (atae) with the respectful prefix o-. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
In the same way may be expressed as “This is the same thing which happened to Christ” or “This is just the same thing that happened in the case of Christ.” Bijbel in Gewone Taal and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch use words meaning “also.” Jesus has the two qualifications for being a high priest. The second qualification, mentioned in verse 4, is now applied to Christ. Christ is not in the Greek but is clearly implied. He has been appointed by God, not by himself.
Here we have another negative statement, Christ did not take upon himself, followed by a positive equivalent, God said to him. In some languages it may be more natural to put the positive statement first.
Christ did not take upon himself the honor of being a high priest may be expressed as “Christ did not decide to honor himself by making himself a high priest.” In some languages one may only speak of honoring oneself by using a form of direct discourse; for example, “Christ never said, ‘I will make myself great by becoming a high priest.’ ” This use of direct discourse provides a bold contrast with the second part of this verse.
Instead introduces a contrast between God and Christ; Bible en français courant says “On the contrary, it is God who declared to him.”
God, as often in this letter, is not named in the Greek. The first readers would have known immediately who the speaker was in the quotation You are my Son, but Good News Translation and some other translations make this clear for modern readers.
The Greek word for said usually refers to a spoken message, but see note on the next verse. On the quotation from Psalm 2.7, see discussion on 1.5.
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
After the author described the call and duties of a high priest of Israel in 5:1–4, he applied this description to Jesus Christ in 5:5–10.
5:5a
So also Christ: Here the phrase So also introduces a comparison. It means “in the same way also.” It links 5:4 with 5:5: No one can claim the honor of being high priest unless God calls him (5:4). In the same way, Christ also did not take that honor for himself. He became high priest because God called him.
Some other ways to introduce the comparison are:
That is how it was with Christ (Contemporary English Version) -or-
In the same way, Christ (Good News Translation) -or-
Likewise also Christ
Introduce this comparison in a natural way in your language.
Christ: For information about how to translate Christ, see the note on “Christ” in 3:6a.
did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest: The phrase did not take upon Himself indicates that Christ did not take the glory of being a high priest on himself. He was not the one who decided that he should be the high priest. As 5:5b indicates, it was God who appointed him.
Some other ways to translate this meaning are:
did not choose himself for the honorable work of being high priest -or-
did not decide on his own to take the privilege of being high priest -or-
did not become the high priest by appointing himself for that honor
5:5b
but He was called by the One who said to Him: This part of the verse is more literally, “but the one who said to him.” The word but implies a contrast with 5:5a (“Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest”). It implies that someone else glorified him and made him high priest. That person was God. The Berean Standard Bible supplies the passive phrase was called by to imply that.
Some other ways to translate the contrast with 5:5a are:
• Refer to God giving Christ the glory of being high priest. This option supplies the contrast with “did not take upon Himself the glorify” in 5:5a. For example:
Instead, the glory was given to him by God, who said (God’s Word) -or-
it was God who gave him the honor of being the high priest
• Refer to God calling, appointing, or choosing Christ. This option supplies the comparison with “be called” in 5:4. For example:
but God chose him (New Century Version) -or-
he was appointed/called by God
• Refer to God telling Christ. This option is a more literal translation of the Greek text. For example:
It was God who told him (Contemporary English Version)
Use a natural option in your language.
who said to Him: The phrase who said to Him introduces a quotation from Psalm 2:7. The author also quoted this same verse in 1:5. Here it implies that when God said this, he was appointing Jesus to be the high priest. Some other ways to introduce the quotation are:
God said to him (New Century Version) -or-
God who declared to him
5:5c–d
Here in 5:5c–d the author quoted from Psalm 2, just as he did in 1:5. Scholars call Psalm 2 a “messianic psalm” or a “royal psalm,” because it refers to the Messiah whom God promised to send as king. God fulfilled these promises when Christ came to the earth many years later. Remember that the words “Christ” and “Messiah” have the same meaning. Translate this quotation in the same way as you did in 1:5.
You are My Son; today I have become Your Father: Christ has always been God’s Son, so this quotation does not refer to his birth. It refers to the time when God gave him glory as his Son. In the context it also specifically implies the honor of being the high priest for God’s people. Translate the quotation in the same way as you did in 1:5b–c. For more information, see the notes on 1:5b–c.
You…Your: The pronouns You and Your are singular and refer to Christ, the Son.
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