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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Jeremiah 25:19 - 25:26

Good News Translation places together verses 19-26 in a list form, without indicating the verses in which each member of the list occurs. Bible en français courant follows essentially the same procedure, with the exception that the verse numbers are maintained throughout.

[19]

Since Pharaoh is a title (equivalent to “king”) and not a name, Pharaoh king of Egypt may be rendered “the king of Egypt” (Good News Translation).

His servants, his princes: Both terms refer to high officials of the king (Good News Translation, “his officials and leaders”). See 21.7; 24.1.

[20]

Uz is a territory in the desert region east of Judah.

Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, … Ashdod, and Gath (not listed) were the main cities of the Philistines, who occupied the Mediterranean coast to the west of Judah.

[21]

Edom, Moab, and … Ammon: See 9.26.

[22]

Tyre … Sidon are Phoenician coastal cities; Tyre was actually a small island, originally not connected to the mainland.

The coastland across the sea probably refers to the various territories occupied or controlled by the Phoenicians. Translators can say something like “areas all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea” or “the coastal areas on this side of the Mediterranean Sea and beyond it.” Good News Translation puts all these regions together as “Mediterranean lands.”

[23]

Dedan and Tema are in northwest Arabia; Buz was perhaps in the same area. As Good News Translation makes clear, they were cities.

The expression cut the corners of their hair, translated “cut their hair short” by Good News Translation, was discussed at 9.26.

[24]

And all the kings of the mixed tribes: In Hebrew this construction is similar to “all the kings of Arabia,” and is regarded by many scholars as a later addition to the text. However, according to the principles adopted by Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, it should be retained and translated. Good News Translation expresses the mixed tribes that dwell in the desert simply as “the desert tribes,” which is also what is done in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. To retain the expression in full, translators can say “all the kings of the various tribes [or, groups] who live in the desert.”

[25]

The site of Zimri is unknown.

Elam is a territory east of Babylonia; its capital was Susa.

Media is a territory to the north and east of Babylonia; its capital was Ecbatana.

[26]

The kings of the north: See 1.13-15.

The phrases far and near, one after another in Revised Standard Version are grammatically part of the same sentence as the list of those who have to drink the cup. But in many languages it makes more sense for translators to end one sentence after all the kings of the north, and then begin a new one by combining these phrases with and all the kingdoms of the world which are on the face of the earth: “Every nation on the face of the earth, those far and those near, one after another, they had to drink from the cup.” Note that all the kingdoms of the world … is a summary statement, which has been reduced considerably in the above rendering (compare Good News Translation).

After them is translated “Last of all” by Good News Translation.

The tense of the verb for all the nations on earth drinking of the cup was in the past, “made … drink it,” in verse 17. But it now switches to the future, the king of Babylon shall drink.

Babylon: Hebrew has “Sheshach” (see 51.41; compare also 51.1), a way of writing “Babylonia” in code (see the Revised Standard Version note).

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .