The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is translated as “listen” or “pay attention” or something similar in English is translated in the Contemporary Chichewa translation (2002/2016) with the idiom tcherani khutu, literally “you set ear.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
priest
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Greek that are typically translated as “priest” in English (itself deriving from Latin “presbyter” — “elder”) is often translated with a consideration of existing religious traditions. (Click or tap for details)
Bratcher / Nida (1961) say this:
“However, rather than borrow local names for priests, some of which have unwanted connotations, a number of translations have employed descriptive phrases based on certain functions: (1) those describing a ceremonial activity: Pamona uses tadu, the priestess who recites the litanies in which she describes her journey to the upper or under-world to fetch life-spirit for sick people, animals or plants; Batak Toba uses the Arabic malim, ‘Muslim religious teacher;’ ‘one who presents man’s sacrifice to God’ (Bambara, Eastern Maninkakan), ‘one who presents sacrifices’ (Baoulé, Navajo (Dinė)), ‘one who takes the name of the sacrifice’ (Kpelle, and ‘to make a sacrifice go out’ (Hausa); (2) those describing an intermediary function: ‘one who speaks to God’ (Shipibo-Conibo) and ‘spokesman of the people before God’ (Tabasco Chontal).”
In Obolo it is translated as ogwu ngwugwa or “the one who offers sacrifice” (source: Enene Enene), in Mairasi as agam aevar nevwerai: “religious leader” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Ignaciano as “blesser, one who does ritual as a practice” (using a generic term rather than the otherwise common Spanish loan word sacerdote) (source: Willis Ott in Notes on Translation 88/1982, p. 18ff.), and in Noongar as yakin-kooranyi or “holy worker” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
For Guhu-Samane, Ernest Richert (in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. ) reports this: “The [local] cult of Poro used to be an all-encompassing religious system that essentially governed all areas of life. (…) For ‘priest’ the term ‘poro father’ would at first seem to be a natural choice. However, several priests of the old cult are still living. Although they no longer function primarily as priests of the old system they still have a substantial influence on the community, and there would be more than a chance that the unqualified term would (in some contexts particularly) be equated with the priest of the poro cult. We learned, then, that the poro fathers would sometimes be called ‘knife men’ in relation to their sacrificial work. The panel was pleased to apply this term to the Jewish priest, and the Christian community has adopted it fully. [Mark 1:44, for instance, now] reads: ‘You must definitely not tell any man of this. But you go show your body to the knife man and do what Moses said about a sacrifice concerning your being healed, and the cause (base of this) will be apparent.'”
For a revision of the 1968 version of the Bible in Khmer Joseph Hong (in: The Bible Translator 1996, 233ff. ) talks about a change in wording for this term:
Bau cha r (បូជាចារ្យ) — The use of this new construction meaning “priest” is maintained to translate the Greek word hiereus. The term “mean sang (មាន សង្ឃ)” used in the old version actually means a “Buddhist monk,” and is felt to be theologically misleading. The Khmer considers the Buddhist monk as a “paddy field of merits,” a reserve of merits to be shared with other people. So a Khmer reader would find unthinkable that the mean sang in the Bible killed animals, the gravest sin for a Buddhist; and what a scandal it would be to say that a mean sang was married, had children, and drank wine.
See also idolatrous priests.
complete verse (Hosea 5:1)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 5:1:
- Kupsabiny: “Hear this word, oh, priests.
Listen, oh, people of Israel.
Listen, also you rulers.
You are the ones who are to be accused,
because you led the people astray at Mizpah
and set a trap for them at Tabor.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation) - Newari: “Hear this word, O Priests!
Listen and pay attention, O Israelites!
Listen and pay attention, O house of the King!
This judgment is against you.
You have been a trap at Mizpah
and a net spread out at Tabor. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon: “The LORD still said, ‘[You (plur.)] listen, people of Israel, as-well-as you (plur.) who (are) priests and members of the family of the king, for this judgment (is) against you (plur.): (It-) seems like you (plur.) (are) a snare, for you (plur.) have-harmed the people-groups of Mizpa and Tabor.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “‘Listen, you priests!
And you other Israeli people, you also pay attention!
And you who are members of the king’s family, you also need to listen,
because I am going to judge you!
Your worshiping idols has been like a trap for the people at Mizpah town;
it has been like a net spread out to catch people at Tabor Mountain.” (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:
(Click or tap here to see details)
- 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).
formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)
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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 choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Translation commentary on Hosea 5:1
Yahweh continues as the speaker in this section.
Hear this, O priests! Give heed, O house of Israel! Hearken, O house of the king!: Three synonymous Hebrew verbs are used here for the command to listen, rendered Hear, Give heed, and Hearken. It is difficult to explain the difference in meaning between these verbs. Some commentators assume an increasing level of intensity and involvement of the listener. This kind of repetition is not uncommon in parallelisms. It may not be possible to retain this variety of synonyms in the receptor language. Whatever words are used, translators should use an expression for listening that is similar to the one in 4.1, so that the readers will recognize the relation between sections B-a (4.1-3) and B-a′ (5.1-4). In 4.1 only the first verb rendered Hear is used. Here and in 4.1, as well as in other prophetic books, this verb introduces accusations of breaking the covenant with God.
The priests and the house of the king are people in positions of religious and political leadership in Israel. For priests see 4.4. House of the king refers to both the king and those working with him in ruling the nation, usually members of his family. Contemporary English Version says “members of the royal family,” and Jerusalem Bible has “royal household.” House of Israel normally refers to all the citizens of Israel (see comments on 1.4), but in this context it may possibly refer to those in a leadership position among the people, that is, the elders. They played an important role in pronouncing judgment. So De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling says “elders of Israel,” Bible en français courant has “managers of Israel” (although that sounds too modern in the given context), Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “clan chiefs in Israel,” and New Living Translation uses “leaders of Israel.” If house of Israel does not refer just to the leaders, then the commands to listen involve both the leaders and those they led, so that all will know of God’s condemnation.
For the judgment pertains to you is literally “for to you [is] the judgment.” The Hebrew word for judgment can mean either the responsibility for justice which is in the hands of a judge (so Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling) or the judicial punishment that a criminal receives (so New International Version, NET Bible, New English Bible, New American Bible). So this whole clause may mean “For you are responsible for justice” (Wolff) or “because the judgment applies to you” (Mays). Either meaning is possible, but the emphasis on responsibility of leaders favors Wolff’s interpretation. De Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling makes this interpretation quite explicit by saying “The administration of justice has been entrusted to you [plural].” Since prophetic poetry often uses double meanings, Good News Translation has made both meanings explicit with “You are supposed to judge with justice—so judgment will fall on you!”
For you have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor: Yahweh now makes an accusation against the leaders of Israel, using metaphors taken from hunting. The Hebrew word for snare refers to a trap for catching animals, especially birds, and the word for net refers to a mesh for catching birds and other animals. Translators should try to use words for the things that can capture the animals, birds and fish mentioned in 4.3, which will help to keep the relationship clear between sections B-a and B-a′. At the shrines of Mizpah and Tabor the leaders entrapped their people in the kind of worship seen among their pagan neighbors. Like animals in a trap, they had become entangled in idolatry. Some translators may wish to make the idolatry explicit by rendering these two lines as “Your idolatry at Mizpah and Mount Tabor is like a trap and a hunting net that entangle people in sin.” The location of Mizpah in Israel is uncertain. Tabor was a mountain located in the valley of Jezreel about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southeast of Nazareth.
A translation model for this verse is:
• Hear, you priests!
Pay attention, you elders of Israel!
Listen carefully, you royal family!
You were responsible to administer justice,
but you have led people in the worship of idols
by setting a trap at Mizpah,
and spreading a net on Mount Tabor.
Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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