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)
The Greek that is translated as “sacrifice” in English is translated in Huba as hatǝmachi or “shoot misfortune.”
David Frank (in this blog post ) explains: “How is it that ‘shoot misfortune’ comes to mean sacrifice, I wanted to know? Here is the story: It is a traditional term. Whenever there were persistent problems such as a drought, or a rash of sickness or death, the king (or his religious advisor) would set aside a day and call on everyone to prepare food, such as the traditional mash made from sorghum, or perhaps even goat. The food had to be put together outside. The king or his religious advisor would give an address stating what the problem was and what they were doing about it. Then an elder representing the people would take a handful of that food and throw it, probably repeating that action several times, until it was considered to be enough to atone for all the misfortune they had been having. With this action he was ‘shooting (or casting off) misfortune’ to restore well-being to his people. As he threw the food, he would say that this is to remove the misfortune that had fallen on his people, and everybody would respond by saying aɗǝmja, ‘let it be so.’ People could eat some of this food, but they could not bring the food into their houses, because that would mean that they were bringing misfortune into their house. There is still a minority of people in this linguistic and cultural group that practices the traditional religion, but the shooting of misfortune is no longer practiced, and the term ‘shoot misfortune’ is used now in Bible translation to refer to offering a sacrifice. Aɗǝmja is how they translate ‘amen.'”
Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 8:3:
Uma: “Every Big Priest is appointed [lit., lifted] in order to offer livestock and other worship-gifts of the people to God. Thus also with Yesus our Big Priest, there must certainly also be a worship-gift that he offers to God, that is his own self/body.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “All high priests are given the work to give/pass-on to God the gifts of the people and their sacrifices. Na, our (dual) High Priest likewise also has to have that which he sacrifices.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now when there’s a high priest here on the earth, he is commanded to make blood sacrifices and to make offerings to God. In the same way also it’s necessary that our (incl.) high priest has something to sacrifice.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “All highest priests, they are appointed to offer to God animals and other kinds of offerings that the people give, so our highest priest, he also needs to have something to offer to God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Really, the responsibility/job of each Most-important Priest is doing/making the thank-offerings and the sacrifices with-which-to-ask for forgiveness for sin. That’s why, as for this Most-important Priest of ours, it’s not possible that there is not also what he would do which is a means of asking for forgiveness.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the work which the high priest has, he is appointed to offer sacrifice to God. Therefore Jesus Christ also must offer sacrifice to God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The writer has finished outlining his “main point” (verse 1), and he now prepares to develop certain aspects of it in greater detail. This is what Revised Standard Version‘s “For” implies; most common language translations omit it (Bijbel in Gewone Taal has “now”). Before contrasting Jesus with other high priests, the writer briefly states what they have in common. This verse is very similar to 5.1.
The verb for “appoint” is the same as that used in 7.28 and means “appoint to an office.” The passive is appointed is used because the writer is not now emphasizing that the Old Testament high priests were appointed by God. However, the translator may have to make God the explicit subject of the active verb if his own language does not make much use of passives.
The phrase which Good News Bible fourth edition translates sacrifices and offerings in 5.1 and, more precisely, offerings and animal sacrifices here in 8.3 is exactly the same in the Greek. Animal sacrifices in the Greek is a single word, which is sometimes used of sacrifices generally. The whole phrase offerings and animal sacrifices refers to all kinds of gifts made to God in Old Testament worship. Animal is omitted by Bijbel in Gewone Taal, Bible en français courant, and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, probably correctly, since this verse includes reference to Jesus, who did not offer any animal sacrifice. To present offerings and animal sacrifices may be rendered as “to make gifts and sacrifices.” It would, however, be wrong to suggest that these offerings and sacrifices were at the High Priest’s own expense. His function was to make such gifts and sacrifices on behalf of the people.
The second half of the verse moves from high priests in general to our High Priest (literally “this man” King James Version), referring to Jesus in particular. It is not until 9.12 that the writer specifies what our High Priest has to offer, namely, his own blood.
Must also have something to offer may need to be expanded in some languages to indicate the person to whom the offering is made; for example, “must have something to give to God.”
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 .
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