The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “eunuch” in English is translated in Low German as “man (or: person) who does not have male strength” (Minsch, de ehr Mannskraft nicht hebt) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006). Similarly, in the German Luther Bible it is translated as Entmannter or “de-masculated.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
When the mentioning of “eunuch” does not play an important part of the story, such as in Esther 2:3 or Esther 1:15, the Elhomwe translation uses “servant or “someone working at the palace” “because otherwise element of being castrated too much emphasis.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
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:
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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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.”
And some of your own sons, who are born to you, shall be taken away: Not only will the Babylonians plunder the material treasures of Judah, they will also capture and take away Hezekiah’s own descendants. Your own sons, who are born to you is an emphatic expression referring to members of Hezekiah’s family in generations to come. It does not refer to his very own sons, so Contemporary English Version is misleading with “your own sons.” A better rendering is “your descendants, your own flesh and blood” (similarly New International Version). The passive verb shall be taken away may be made active by expressing the first half of this verse as “And they [or, the Babylonians] will take away some of your very own descendants as captives.”
And they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon: Hezekiah’s male descendants will be thoroughly humiliated since they will be made eunuchs to serve the king of Babylonia. A eunuch is a castrated male. Here the focus is not on their castration, but on their disgrace of becoming mere servants to a foreign ruler. Contemporary English Version expresses this with “where they will be disgraced and made to serve in the king’s palace.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is similar with “There they will be made to serve the king in his palace.” If rendering eunuchs in this context is difficult, translators may follow these models.
Several translation examples for this verse are:
• ‘Some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, will be taken away as captives; they will be made eunuchs and serve in the palace of the king of Babylonia.’”
• ‘They will take some of your own descendants captive and will make them eunuchs to work in the king of Babylonia’s palace.’”
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 .
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