high priest

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “high priest” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “the ruler of the priests of our nation”
  • Chol: “very great priest” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “first over the priests”
  • Desano: “chief of the priests” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).
  • Uma: “Big Priest” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “high sacrificer” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa as “Most-important Priest of God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “Big leader of offerings” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

In Khoekhoe the translation for “high priest” is only capitalized when it refers to Jesus (as is Hebrews 2:17 et al.). (Source: project-specific notes in Paratext)

See also priest and chief priest.

Peter

Following is a Armenian Orthodox icon of Peter (found in the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shusha, Azerbaijan).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

Following is a hand colored stencil print on momigami of Peter by Sadao Watanabe (1970):

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “key” (referring to Matthew 16:19). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Peter” or “Cephas” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “rock,” referring to the meaning of the Greek word for “Peter.”


“Peter” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Peter – rock.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Peter .

complete verse (Matthew 26:58)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 26:58:

  • Uma: “Petrus followed from far off till he got to the yard of the Big Priest’s house. He went into the yard and sat with the guards, for he wanted to know what would happen to Yesus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, Petros followed Isa but from far, until to the yard of the house of the leader priest. He entered the yard and sat down with the guards, for he wanted to see what the outcome would be.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Peter followed, however he was not very close. And when they arrived at the house of the high priest, Peter only went as far as the yard. And when he had come into the yard, he sat down in the midst of the guards because he will see what is going to happen to Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Now as for Pedro, he followed at a measurable distance (lit. measurable was the space between them) until he arrived at the yard of that-aforementioned house. Then he went and sat-down-with the guards to see what would happen to Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Pedro followed along behind Jesus (word implies keeping check, usually for safety) as far as to that house of the Most-important Priest. He went into the enclosed yard. Then he sat with the guards, so that he would observe/discover what would happen to Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now Peter had followed a long way behind the people who took Jesus. When he arrived at the house of the high priest, he went inside the courtyard. He sat down with the policemen there. He was waiting to see what would happen with Jesus.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 26:58

The text says Peter followed him, a pronoun which Good News Translation has dropped. In many languages, however, it is necessary to retain the object. Further, it can be said that Matthew is emphasizing that it was Jesus whom Peter was following, so this is yet another reason to retain him.

At a distance sometimes needs to be a separate clause such as “but he stayed a little distance behind him.”

He followed as far as the courtyard, that is, until they reached the courtyard. Although courtyard is the same word translated “palace” in verse 3, it becomes clear from verse 69 (“Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard”) that the reference here is to the open area outside the buildings of the High Priest, perhaps partly surrounded by them.

Guards is the same word used in 5.25; these are the only two occurrences of this noun in the entire Gospel. Although the basic meaning of the word is “servants” or “attendants,” here the guards were probably members of the Temple guard, Jewish soldiers under the command of the High Priest. Where there is not a common word for “guards,” translators may say “soldiers from the Temple.”

The end (New American Bible “the outcome”) is rendered as a verb construction in Good News Translation, “how it would all come out.” To see the end is found only in Matthew’s Gospel; Mark has in its place “warming himself at the fire” (14.54).

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 .