King of the Jews

The Greek that is translated as “King of the Jews” in most English translations is translated in Noongar as Djelyib moortakang Judea-kang or “King of the people of Judea.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)

complete verse (Luke 23:38)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 23:38:

  • Noongar: “They wrote these words above Jesus, ‘The King of the Jews’.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “On the cross of Yesus above his heave there was writing like this: THIS IS THE KING OF THE YAHUDI PEOPLE” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And there was a writing on the post above his head it said, ‘This is the king of the Yahudi.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And they put up a writing above him on the cross, and that writing said, ‘This is the King of the Jews.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There was also something written which was fastened above-the-head of Jesus which said, ‘This is the king of the Jews.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “There above his head, there was something written in which three languages were used, Griego-language, Latin-language and Hebreo-language, which said, ‘This is the King of the Judio.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

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 Luke 23:38

Exegesis:

ēn de kai epigraphē ep’ autō ‘there was also a notice above him.’ For epigraphē cf. on 20.24. Here it is used in the meaning ‘notice,’ ‘placard.’ ep’ autō ‘above him,’ or ‘above his head.’

ho basileus tōn Ioudaiōn houtos ‘this is the king of the Jews,’ not a statement but a charge.

Translation:

There was … an inscription, or, ‘a writing,’ ‘these words (or, letters) were written’ (cf. Good News Translation, Tzeltal), ‘they had written’ (cf. Fulah).

Over him, or, ‘above his head’; Tzeltal shifts to, ‘at the top of the cross.’

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 23:38

23:38a

In Greek, 23:38a begins with two common conjunctions. These conjunctions connect the sign that was placed on Jesus’ cross in 23:38 with what the soldiers said about Jesus in 23:37. The soldiers and also the sign called Jesus “the King of the Jews.” The Roman governor who wrote the sign was also mocking Jesus. He did not believe that Jesus was the king of the Jews. Another way to connect the verses is:

There was also an inscription over him (New Revised Standard Version)

In some languages it may not be natural to use a conjunction. Remember that the Roman governor had already written the sign and attached it before the soldiers mocked Jesus. In some languages it may be natural to translate it as background information.

Connect these verses in a way that is natural in your language.

Above Him was posted an inscription: The clause Above Him was posted an inscription indicates that a sign was attached to the top of Jesus’ cross above his head. John 19:19 indicates that the Roman governor Pilate wrote the sign. It was a Roman custom to put such a sign on a cross to indicate why the person was being crucified. Pilate did not believe that Jesus was the King of the Jews, and the sign was another way to mock Jesus.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Above him were written these words (Good News Translation)
-or-

⌊Someone⌋ had also written something on a sign and placed it above him
-or-
there was also a message written on a board and nailed to the cross

Above Him: In this context Above Him refers to a place on the cross, above Jesus’ head. When the Romans condemned someone to die on a cross, they wrote his crime on a paper or a piece of wood. When they crucified that person, they nailed the paper or piece of wood above his head on the cross for other people to read. Some other ways to translate Above Him are:

At the top of the cross (New Century Version)
-or-
above Jesus’ head (Translator’s Reference Translation)

was posted:
The phrase was posted introduces the words that were written on the sign above Jesus’ head. Some other ways to introduce them are:

It said (God’s Word)
-or-
The words were
-or-
with these words: (New Living Translation (2004))

Introduce the words on the sign in a natural way in your language.

23:38b

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS is more literally “the king of the Jews (is) this (one).” It implies that Jesus was crucified because he claimed to be the king of the Jewish people. The word “this” is a disrespectful way to refer to a person. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

This one is the Jews’ king
-or-
THIS IS THE KING OF/OVER THE JEWISH PEOPLE (Translator’s Reference Translation)

Some English versions write these words in capital letters because it was a common way at that time to write inscriptions. If that is not true in your language, you may use small letters, as most English versions do.

There is a parallel passage at John 19:19–21 that gives more information about this written notice.

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