messenger

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

Translation commentary on Proverbs 16:14

“A king’s wrath is a messenger of” “death”: “Wrath” is equivalent to “fury” or “anger” and is the same term used in 15.1. “A messenger of death” is literally “messengers of death.” A similar expression occurs in Psa 78.49, where “messengers” are not simply beings sent to carry a message but rather are agents of God’s anger inflicting disease and death on his people. For an example of a royal messenger of death see 2 Kgs 6.32-33. The sense of this line is that an angry king can cause the death of someone, that is, someone is put to death because the king is angry. Contemporary English Version personalizes this line by saying “An angry ruler can put you to death.”

“And a wise man will appease it”: Although Revised Standard Version has “and” here, “but” (New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible) or “so” (Contemporary English Version) is probably more natural in this context in English. It is also possible to drop the connecting word, leaving the contrast to come out in the content of the two lines themselves. “Appease”, which means here to cause the anger to be calmed, is literally “to cover.” The wise person will seek to quiet the king’s anger. In some languages this thought is expressed, for example, “A wise person will soften the king’s hard heart” or “It is wise to cool the king’s liver.” Note that Good News Translation has switched the two lines of the verse so that failure to do what is said in line 1 leads to the consequence in line 2.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

complete verse (Proverbs 16:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 16:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “If a ruler/king gets annoyed/angry, it brings calamity,
    but a wise person cools/brings down the heart (feelings) of that ruler.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “As for the king’s anger, it is a messenger of death.
    Wise people will try to placate it.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If the king gets angry (it is) possible that he will-kill (someone), therefore a wise man tries very hard that the king will- not -get-angry.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If the king becomes-angry, he can kill you (sing.), therefore if you (sing.) are wise, you (sing.) will-search-for what you (sing.) will-do in order that his anger will-cool-off.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “If a king becomes angry, he may command that someone be executed,
    so wise people will try to cause him to be calm.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

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).