The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Judg 11:19)
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the exclusive pronoun, excluding King Sihon.
complete verse (Judges 11:19)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 11:19:
- Kupsabiny: “Then, the people of Israel sent people to go to the king of the Amorites who was called Sihon who ruled from Heshbon. These people went to ask from that king that he would allow them to go through his country so as to arrive at the land where they were going.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “Then, soon after that Israel sending messengers to king Sihon who reigned over the Amorites in Heshbon spoke to him like this, ‘Allow us to go to our place by way of your land.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “‘Then they sent messengers to Sihon the king of the Amornon (who reigned in Heshbon) in-order to-ask-for-a-favor that if possible to-let- them -pass-through their land so-that they could-reach their place.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “‘hen the Israelis sent a message to Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon city. They asked him, ‘Will you please allow us Israeli people to cross through your land to arrive at the land to which we are going.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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:
(Click or tap here to see details)
- 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).
Japanese benefactives (-sete)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kao (御顔) or “face (of God)” in the referenced verses.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Translation commentary on Judges 11:19
In 11.19-22 Jephthah tells about Israel’s defeat of the Amorite king Sihon and his people. This incident is also recounted in Num 21.21-31 and Deut 2.26-35. Several versions begin a new paragraph here (Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New Living Translation).
Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites: Then renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, which introduces the next step in Israel’s wanderings. Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie begin with “From there.” Israel refers to the people of Israel again, but the one actually sending the messengers was their leader Moses. Once again the “story within the story” contains many elements of the present situation. For sent messengers, see verse 11.12. Sihon king of the Amorites controlled the region from the Jabbok River on the north to the Arnon River on the south. Since the Moabites did not allow the Israelites to pass through their territory south of the Arnon River, the Israelites asked permission from Sihon to pass through his territory north of the Arnon River along the King’s Highway. They intended to cross the Jordan River into Canaan. For the Amorites, see the introductory comments on verse 11.12-28. In most languages a comma will separate the name of the king from his title as follows: “Sihon, king of the Amorites.”
King of Heshbon is not another king, but another description of Sihon. Heshbon was the royal city of Sihon, located south of present-day Amman, to the northeast of the Dead Sea. We might say “who ruled from the city of Heshbon” or “whose capital city was Heshbon.”
Let us pass, we pray, through your land to our country: This request is similar to the one in verse 11.17. However, here the Hebrew pronoun for us is plural, rather than singular. Though the pronouns are different, the meaning is the same. Our country is literally “my place,” which refers to the land of Canaan. The Israelites did not occupy the land yet, but they believed God had already given it to them. It might be possible to speak of “the place that will become ours.” It may also be helpful to add a footnote explaining that this country is Canaan. Contemporary English Version reverses the words land and country: “Please … let our people go through your country to get to our own land.”
Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
SIL Translator’s Notes on Judges 11:19
11:19a And Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon,
Then they sent messengers to King Sihon king of Amor who lived in Heshbon.
-or-
Then the people of Israel sent messengers to the king of the Amorites named Sihon. He ruled from the town of Heshbon.
11:19b and said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land into our own place.’
They said, “Let us go through your country to our own place.”
-or-
The messengers said, ‘Please allow us to cross through your land to get to the land where we are going.’
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