Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 14:9:
Uma: “Hearing that request, Herodes’ heart [right away] became sorry / regretted [it]. But even so, because he had already made an oath/vowed earlier, heard by his guests, that is why he ordered that the request of that young girl be fulfilled.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The sultan really regretted but because he had sworn in the presence of his visitors, he commanded that the girl be given what she asked for.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The king was troubled. But because of his promise that all of his visitors had heard, he had done what the girl asked for.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Herod was sad (lit. mind hurt) when he heard that, but because he had vowed in front of the many he had invited, he commanded that what the young-lady had asked-for be fulfilled,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “That king was grieved, but because of his oath which was in the hearing of those he had invited, he ordered his servants to give it to that girl.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Herod was sad when he heard what she said. But he had already told the girl that he would give her what she asked for. And there were there all those who had heard what he had said. So he commanded to have brought to the girl what she asked for.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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:
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.”
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
Herod Antipas is here referred to in Greek as the king, though his title in verse 1 is “ruler of the fourth part of a kingdom.” If translators used “ruler” in verse 1, they may wish to use the same here. Or they can simply switch to “king,” as the Greek text does.
Was sorry (so also Moffatt, An American Translation) represents a participle which is generally translated as a finite verb, such as “was sad” (Good News Translation), “was distressed” (New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, Barclay), “had his misgivings” (New American Bible), and “was appalled” (Phillips). The root meaning of the word is “be sad” (see comments at 17.23). It may be necessary to add “because of what he had promised” or “because of her request.”
But because of his oaths and his guests means “but because of the oaths he had made in the presence of his guests.” Barclay has “because he had given his sworn promise in front of his guests.”
For oaths, see comments on 5.33. Translators should use the same term they did in verse 7.
In the clause he commanded it to be given, the full meaning is “he commanded (the head of John the Baptist) to be given (to the girl).” Barclay has “he ordered her request to be granted,” and Phillips “he gave orders that she should be given what she had asked.” Other translators will use a fuller form, possibly with an active verb; for example, “he commanded his men (or, soldiers) to give her John’s head” or “… what she had asked for.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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