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.

complete verse (Numbers 35:28)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 35:28:

  • Kupsabiny: “The person who has killed (somebody) as a mistake must stay in the city he has fled to until the big priest has died. When that has happened, the person who made the mistake may return to his land/home area.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He ought to have stayed in the cities to give refuge until the high priest died. Only after the high priest has died will he be able to go back to the land of his permanent possession.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Therefore the one-who-has-killed should surely remain/stay in the town of refuge until the leading priest died, and after-that he now can-go-home to them/their-place where he lives).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The killer must stay in that city where he will be safe/protected until the Supreme Priest dies. He will be safe from revenge after that, because the death of the Supreme Priest will be considered to be a sacrifice to atone for that murder. After that, the killer may return to his home.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Numbers 35:28

This verse summarizes and reinforces the points made in verses 25-27.

For the man must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest: See verse 25. The Hebrew particle ki rendered For may be a logical connector. However, this verse repeats the point made in verse 25, so it is also possible that this particle is an emphatic marker here. Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie understand it this way by translating it “In fact.”

But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession: The conjunction but (literally “and”) introduces well the contrast here. For the Hebrew word rendered possession (ʾachuzzah), see verse 2. The land of his possession refers specifically to the manslayer’s own plot of land, so this phrase may be rendered “his land holding” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “his own property” (New International Version, New Living Translation). Good News Translation says simply “home,” which seems less accurate since the whole context of this passage stresses the notion of a safe place versus dangerous territory for the person who kills another, whether deliberately or accidentally.

Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .