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)
Scriptures Plain & Simple (Luke 23:26-43)
Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Luke 23:26-43:
As Jesus was being led away,
some soldiers grabbed a man named Simon Cyrene,
who was on his way home from the fields —
they put the cross on his shoulders,
and forced him to drag it behind Jesus.
A large crowd was following along,
among them some women,
weeping and wailing for him.
Jesus turned toward the women and said:
“Cry for yourselves, not for me, women of Jerusalem!
Someday everyone will agree,
‘It’s better to be barren than blest with children.’
If sparks ignite so quickly when someone is innocent,
a volcano will surely erupt when the nation rebels,
causing people to beg for mountains and hills
to rush to their rescue.”
Two criminals were led out to be executed with Jesus,
and when they reached the place called “Skull,”
each of them was nailed to a cross,
with Jesus in between.
“Father,” prayed Jesus, “forgive these people —
they don’t know what they’re doing.”
While the crowd was stunned and staring at the spectacle,
the soldiers gambled for his garments,
as their leaders hurled spiteful insults,
“He saved others! If he’s God’s Favorite,
then let him save himself.”
“So you’re king of this nation,” mocked the soldiers,
offering Jesus a goblet of wine. “Ok, save yourself!”
On the cross above Jesus was posted a sign:
“Here Hangs Your National Hero!”
One of the dying criminals also insulted Jesus,
“Aren’t you God’s Favorite? Save yourself and us!”
The other criminal replied with a sharp rebuttal,
“Don’t you fear God? This man’s innocent,
but we’re guilty as sin.”
Then turning to Jesus, he said,
“Remember me when you come into power!”
“Today you’ll be with me in paradise,”
Jesus assured the man.
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
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).
Sung version of Luke 23
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.
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