exalt oneself / self-important

The Hebrew that is translated as “exalt oneself,” “self-important” or similar in English is translated in the Protestant Mandarin Chinese Union Version with an established Chinese idiom: wàng zì zūn dà (妄自尊大) or “ridiculous self-importance.” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)

See also puffed up / proud / exalt oneself.

Translation commentary on Proverbs 25:6

The first four lines of verses 6-7 are again a unit in that verse 7 supplies the reason for following the advice of verse 6. The third line of verse 7 belongs with verse 8. The advice given in this saying is similar to that given by Christ in his parable about a wedding feast (Luke 14.7-11).

“Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence”: “Put yourself forward” translates a verb form meaning to honor yourself or claim honor for yourself. The verb form includes a masculine singular second person pronoun; however, in translation “yourself” may be handled as inclusive and plural, or some other form of reference to persons in general may be used. “In the king’s presence” may mean “when you are with the king” or “. . . where the king is.” This saying seems to assume a gathering of high-ranking people.

“Or stand in the place of the great”: The place where a person stood or sat was determined by rank or by the king’s special favor. “The great” refers to persons of high rank. In some languages such people are called “big boss men,” “the strong ones,” or “important people.” See Good News Translation. We may translate this saying, for example, “Don’t act like an important person when you are with the king or put yourself where the important people stand.” Contemporary English Version combines the two lines into one: “Don’t try to seem important in the court of a ruler.”

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 25:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 25:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not boast yourself before the king and do not take yourself that you are very famous.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “When you are before the king
    never pretend that you are a great person” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “If you (sing.) are before/[lit. in front of] the king, do not consider yourself as-if you (sing.) (are) really somebody by sitting with the honorable men.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Do not (sing.) make- yourself -important (lit. raise your body) in front of the king.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “When you stand in front of a king, do not try to impress him/honor yourself
    and do not act like you are important/ask to sit where important people sit;” (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).