every day

The Hebrew, Greek and Latin that is translated as “every day” in English is translated in Chichewa as “day and day.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

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 If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior.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 Nehemiah 11:23

There was a command from the king concerning them: The command from the king could refer either to the regulations of King David regarding the singers (see Neh 12.24) or to the provisions made by the Persian king for worship in the Temple (see Ezra 6.1-12). The statement in the following verse that “Pethahiah … was at the king’s hand” obviously refers to the Persian king. It is likely that the reference is to the same king in both this verse and the next verse.

And a settled provision for the singers: This refers to the daily portions for their needs (see Neh 12.47). And renders the Hebrew connective conjunction and should be understood as introducing the content of the command, so the phrase could be translated as “even a fixed ration [or, allowance] for the singers.” The Hebrew word translated in Revised Standard Version as provision can also mean “arrangement” and is the basis for the Good News Translation translation. The same Hebrew word occurs in Neh 9.38, where it is translated as “a firm covenant,” meaning a firm mental resolve. Revised English Bible interprets it here to mean “obligatory duty,” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates it as “a stipulation,” while New Jerusalem Bible says “regulations.” The clear statement in Neh 12.47 about giving daily provisions to the singers makes Revised Standard Version the preferred interpretation to follow here.

As every day required: The Hebrew says literally “matter of day in its day.” It is clear that this means “day by day” or “on a daily basis,” but it is not clear what it refers to. Revised Standard Version has it refer to the provisions for the singers each day, which is the preferred interpretation. Good News Translation understands it to mean that their activity was regulated “each day” (similarly New International Version, New Living Translation); New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “daily duties,” while Jerusalem Bible says “attendance day by day.”

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Nehemiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .