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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Judith 2:5

Thus says the Great King: This royal pronouncement is parallel to the passages in the prophets beginning with the formula: “Thus says the Lord.” The words of the Lord are then given in the first person singular. The model for this prophetic form may well have been the royal proclamation, in which the monarch is identified by title in the third person at the beginning, but the content of the message is spoken in the first person. In this long declaration, only the introductory Thus says clause and the phrase “your sovereign” in verse 13 are in the third person. Everywhere else the king speaks for himself in the first person. The translator has the choice of preserving this device or of blending the announcement with the content. One might begin “Here is what the Great King … says/has to say/has decreed” or “These are the words of the Great King….” Good News Translation takes the other option by casting everything in the first person and beginning, “I, Nebuchadnezzar, the great king … command you to…” (similarly Contemporary English Version). It makes for an effective statement, suitably formal and solemn.

The lord of the whole earth: Lord in this context means “the one who rules” or “the master of” (so also Tob 3.2, 14). It amplifies the meaning of the phrase Great King. It implies a contrast with God. The claim will be made later (3.8) that Nebuchadnezzar is to be worshiped as a god, and in this whole passage Nebuchadnezzar is speaking as if he were omnipotent. In the last verse of this speech, Nebuchadnezzar will once again use this word to refer to himself as lord (“sovereign” in verse 13). With all this in mind, an alternative translation model for the first part of this verse is: “I am Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest king [or, high chief] and ruler on earth….”

When you leave my presence: This clause implies that the following command is to be carried out immediately and makes a firm connection between the king and the action ordered. So one may translate “As soon as you leave here….”

Take with you men confident in their strength: Take with you implies “choosing” (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). Men confident in their strength is the literal Greek. It refers to “experienced soldiers” (Good News Translation). They are “seasoned troops” (New English Bible), “of proven valor” (New American Bible), “brave and experienced in war” (Contemporary English Version). The value of the literal phrase, however, is that they trust in themselves rather than in God. Compare Isa 31.1. So we may translate “choose soldiers who know that they are brave and strong.”

One hundred and twenty thousand foot soldiers and twelve thousand cavalry: As usual Good News Translation uses Arabic numerals rather than the full numbers. Translators should do what is natural in the receptor language. For cavalry see 1.13.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.