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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Mark 15:2

Exegesis:

epērōtēsen (cf. 5.39) ‘he asked,’ ‘he inquired.’

su ei…; ‘are you…?’: the personal pronoun is emphatic, indicating either surprise or disdain (cf. Gould).

ho basileus tōn Ioudaiōn (15.9, 12, 18, 26; cf. ho basileus Israēl 15.32) ‘the King of the Jews.’

su legeis literally ‘you are saying (it).’ By many commentators and translators this is taken to be an unequivocal affirmation, ‘Yes,’ ‘Certainly,’ ‘I am’ (Goodspeed, Moffatt, The Modern Speech New Testament, Williams, Berkeley, Montgomery; Zürcher Bibel translates ‘You say it’ and adds, in a footnote, “This means: Yes, I am”). Goodspeed argues that a comparison between Jesus’ answer to the high priest in Mark 14.62 ‘I am’ and in Matthew 26.64 ‘You said (it),’ proves that the expression su legeis (in Matthew su eipas) must mean ‘I am (as you say).’ This, however, is to argue in a circle, on the unproved assumption that Mt. 26.64 is meant to convey the same meaning as Mk. 14.62 (which immediately raises the question, “Why, then, did not Matthew use the same expression as Mark?”).

These and other considerations would indicate that a literal translation, ‘You said it,’ ‘The statement is yours,’ is perhaps better. Notwithstanding efforts to the contrary, it has not been established that the Greek phrase represents a Jewish form of assent (cf. Rawlinson, who thus paraphrases: “The assertion is yours. I neither affirm nor deny it”). Thus the early versions (Vulgate Tu dicis – which Knox translates ‘Thy own lips have said it’; Syriac Peshitto) and later translations (Luther, Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale, O Novo Testamento de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo. Revisdo Autorizada, American Standard Version, Translator’s New Testament, Manson) agree with Revised Standard Version‘s ‘You have said so’ (Arndt & Gingrich translate, ‘That is what you maintain’).

Translation:

Where a technical term for King does not exist, one may use a descriptive substitute, based on function, e.g. ‘one who rules over,’ ‘one who bosses,’ or ‘one who is the big chief of.’

Jews may require in a receptor language a classifier, e.g. ‘Jew people.’

You have said so is variously translated, depending upon one’s exegesis of the clause. In some instances, however, ‘that is what you say’ has seemed to translators to be entirely too evasive, if not disrespectful. Accordingly, some have attempted to combine possible meanings in some such form as ‘I am as you say,’ an interpretation of affirmative assent with somewhat more of the literal form of the Greek clause.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 15:2

15:2a

So Pilate questioned Him: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as Pilate questioned Him occurs before the question. Here is another way to order this phrase:

“Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate (New International Version, 2011 edition)

Order in a way that is natural in your language.

“Are You the King of the Jews?”: The title King of the Jews is used here for the first time in Mark.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Are you king of the Jewish people?
-or-
Are you the Jews’ chief/leader?

Pilate was probably concerned that Jesus might claim to be the king of the Jews and challenge Roman authority.

You: In Greek, the word You is emphatic. In some languages this emphasis can be shown by saying something like:

Is it you who are the king of the Jews?
-or-
Are you the one who is king of the Jews?

King of the Jews: Since the Romans ruled the Jewish people, a claim to be King of the Jews would be a challenge to Roman authority. It would be a form of treason which was punishable by death.

15:2b

You have said so: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as You have said so is literally “You(sing) yourself say so.” The word in Greek that means “you” is probably emphatic.

Scholars disagree about what Jesus indicated by his answer. Here are the two interpretations:

(1) Jesus did not indicate whether he agreed with Pilate. He indicated only that it was Pilate who had used the words “king of the Jews.” For example, the Revised Standard Version says:

You have said so.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, 2011 edition, Good News Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, Contemporary English Version, English Standard Version, King James Version, New Century Version, NLT04, Revised English Bible)

(2) Jesus indicated that he agreed with Pilate. For example, the God’s Word says:

Yes, I am.

(New International Version (1984 Revision), God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Jesus did not deny what Pilate had said. But he did not indicate definite agreement. Jesus did not claim to be a political king. Therefore, he was not a threat to the Roman emperor. He was a different sort of king.

Jesus replied: The Berean Standard Bible places the clause Jesus replied after Jesus’ answer. In Greek, this clause occurs before Jesus’ answer. Place this clause where it is natural in your language.

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