naked

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated as “naked” in English is translated in Enlhet with a figure of speech: “(one’s) smoothness.” (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )

In Elhomwe the word for “naked” is “shameful to use, and would never be used by a preacher in church.” Therefore “without clothes” is used. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

king

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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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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).

Translation commentary on Isaiah 20:4

So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians captives and the Ethiopians exiles: The connector so introduces the application to the comparison in the previous verse. It may be rendered “In the same manner.” The use of captives and exiles is an example of all-inclusive parallelism. The Assyrian king will take captives from both Egypt and Cush and exile them to Assyria. Another way to express this whole clause is “Likewise, the Assyrian king will lead away the Egyptians and the Ethiopians as captives and exiles.” Captives and exiles can be combined into one expression if necessary; for example, Good News Translation has “prisoners he captures.” For the concept of “exile,” see the comments on 5.13.

Both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered expands the description of the captives. They includes both the young and the old. This expression renders two Hebrew words that are masculine, but these words together refer to all the people, both men and women. Naked and barefoot repeats the adjectives used to describe Isaiah above. However, here the additional phrase with buttocks uncovered emphasizes that the captives’ private parts were exposed. Translators may need to find a non-offensive way to express this.

To the shame of Egypt: The Egyptians will be utterly humiliated when the Assyrians take them captive and force them to go naked into exile.

For the translation of this verse we suggest the following examples:

• In the same manner the Assyrian emperor will carry off the Egyptians and the Ethiopians as captives and exiles. Young and old alike will go naked and barefoot with their private parts exposed, to Egypt’s utter humiliation.

• So the king of Assyria will lead the Egyptians away as captives and the Cushites as exiles, young and old together, all naked and barefoot with bare buttocks. Egypt’s shame!

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .