The Hebrew word that is transliterated in Greek and typically in English as “rabbi” is translated in Indonesian and Malay as guru — “teacher” — or bapak guru — “father teacher” in recent translations. (The only exception that is the Alkitab Versi Borneo of 2015 that transliterates as rabi.)
Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 335ff,)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 23:7:
- Uma: “They are happy if people on the edge of the big roads bow in greeting to them and call them ‘Teacher.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “They like to be greeted in the market places and (like it) when they are called ‘Teacher’.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They are really happy when people honor them in the markets and when they are called ‘Teacher.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “They also like people to honor them saying ‘Sir’ when they go to visit, and they like to be spoken-of-as teachers.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “And something else they like is that they are appropriately-acknowledged in places where there are many people and they are called teacher.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “And they like to have people pay respect to them where they are greeted in the markets. They like to be called teachers.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)