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:

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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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 33:17

Your eyes will see the king in his beauty: As noted in the introductory comments on this subsection [33.17-22], “seeing” is a key term here. This line uses one Hebrew word for see, and the next line has another one, which is rendered behold. The king could refer to the king in Jerusalem, as in 32.1, or to Yahweh. Since there is an explicit link to Yahweh in verses 21-22, he is probably in view here. Good News Translation believes the king refers to an earthly king since it says “a king.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch identifies God as the king by beginning this verse with “One day you will see God as king.” Even though Yahweh is probably the king here, translators should not say this in the text since there is some ambiguity here. His beauty refers to Yahweh’s splendor (compare Psa 27.4). If this verse refers to an earthly king, then his beauty is probably his royal robes of office (see the comments on 3.24, where the Hebrew word here is also rendered “beauty”).

They will behold a land that stretches afar: Since the pronoun they refers back to Your eyes in the previous line, it may be rendered “you” (see the examples below). A land that stretches afar refers to the kingdom of Judah stretching “in all directions” (Good News Translation). This line promises that the oppressors mentioned in verse 1 will be expelled. Yahweh’s kingdom with its center in Zion will expand.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• You will see the king [or, King] in all his splendor;
you will look out on a land that extends a long way.

• Your eyes will see a king in all his glory;
you will look out over a land that stretches far and wide.

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 .