high priest

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “high priest” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “the ruler of the priests of our nation”
  • Chol: “very great priest” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “first over the priests”
  • Desano: “chief of the priests” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).
  • Uma: “Big Priest” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “high sacrificer” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Big leader of offerings” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

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)

See also priest and chief priest.

complete verse (Hebrews 9:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 9:7:

  • Uma: “But the one who could enter the second room was only the Big Priest. He entered only one time in a year, and he could not enter if he didn’t bring/carry blood. That blood was the blood of livestock that he offered to God to pay-for his own wrongs, and the wrongs of the people that were not done deliberately.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But as to the innermost room, only the high priest could enter there. And he entered there only once a year. And when he went entering there, he had to take blood of an animal sacrificed that he presented/gave to God to take away his sins and the sins of the people of which they didn’t know that those were sins.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But as for that room that was called the ‘Very Precious Room’, the only who could enter was the high priest, and he only entered there once every year. And when he went inside of there, it was necessary that he bring blood to sacrifice so that his sins might be removed, and also the sins which were not committed on purpose by all of his fellow descendants of Israel.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But the second room, it was only the highest priest who was-able-to-enter there and only once yearly. Neither was it possible for him to enter if he didn’t enter-with blood to offer to God for his sins and also for people’s sins which they didn’t do-deliberately.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But in that second room which was much the-most-important, the only one who could go in was just the Most-important Priest, and just once in one year. When he would enter, it was not possible that he would not take blood of an animal which had been sacrificed to ask for forgiveness from God. First (for) his own sins, and then the sin of the people which was being attributed to them even though they had no knowledge concerning that sin.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But concerning the second room, it is overflowingly holy inside. Only the high priest has permission to enter it. And only one time in the year can he enter. When he does enter, he takes blood to offer for clearing his own sins and also he takes blood to offer for clearing the sins of the rest of the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Hebrews 9:7

In this context it must be made clear in translation that there is only one High Priest at any time. The High Priest may be expressed as “the priest who is above all other priests” or “the priest who commands all the other priests.” In some languages this can be simply expressed as “the most important priest.”

Only once a year: only is understood. This phrase refers to the Day of Atonement, on which offerings were made in order to obtain God’s forgiveness for all but the most serious sins. The liturgy is described in Leviticus 16, especially verses 2, 14, 15, 29, 34; see also Exodus 30.10.

He takes with him blood simplifies a double negative which is literally “not without blood.” The original is a little stronger, equivalent to “he must take blood with him.” The blood is that of the sacrifice made just outside the sanctuary for the high priest’s own sins and those of the people. It may be necessary in some languages to specify the source of such blood; for example, “He takes with him the blood from a sacrificed animal” or “… blood from an animal which has been sacrificed.” Otherwise the implication might be that this blood was his own blood.

For on behalf of, see 7.25, 27 and comments.

Without knowing they were sinning: Bible en français courant has “through ignorance”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “without ill-will”; perhaps “without intending to sin.” The Greek text is a single word which can mean “oversight” in the sense of “something left undone by mistake”; see Genesis 43.12; Sirach 23.2; 51.19.

Without knowing they were sinning may be expressed as “when they did not know that what they were doing was sin” or “when they did not realize that they were sinning.”

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 .